A Breath of French Air
The Larkin Novels, Volume 2
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
A Breath of French Air
Buy for $13.07
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Philip Franks
-
By:
-
H. E. Bates
About this listen
In the second novel in the Pop Larkin series, the Larkin family descends upon Brittany in France. Like fish out of water, they find that things don't quite turn out their way: The weather is less than ideal, the food is awful, and the hotel is in a bad state of repair. But things slowly improve as Pop manages to sweet-talk Mlle Dupont, Angela Snow, and her sister, Iris; and Charley and Mariette celebrate their first wedding anniversary. A Breath of French Air is a delightful book full of nostalgia, fun, and frivolity.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©1959 H. E. Bates (P)2016 Naxos AudioBooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Darling Buds of May
- The Larkin Novels, Volume 1
- By: H. E. Bates
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
When Cedric Charlton, an unsuspecting tax inspector, arrives at the door of the Pop Larkin farm, he soon forgets the purpose of his visit: The fun-loving Ma and Pop Larkin distract him at every turn with strawberries, cream, alcohol, and their attractive young daughter, Mariette. Well known by the popular TV series starring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Darling Buds of May is the quintessential feel-good country romp.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Even better read aloud
- By Amazon Customer on 04-05-20
By: H. E. Bates
-
Murder on Thames
- Cherringham. A Cosy Crime Series - Mystery Shorts 1
- By: Neil Richards, Matthew Costello
- Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 817
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 713
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 713
Cherringham - a quiet town in the Cotswolds. Nothing ever happens there, or so it seems - until one morning a woman's body is found in the river. A terrible accident, according to the police. But is this true? Sarah believes there must be more to it. In Jack, a former NYPD homicide detective, she finds a partner who is willing to start investigating with her. They soon find out that things are not as clear as the police want them to be ... This first - of many cases brings Sarah and Jack together in an unlikely partnership.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Easy listen
- By Teddie on 06-08-19
By: Neil Richards, and others
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,158
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,879
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,874
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
-
A Quiet Life in the Country
- A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 1
- By: T E Kinsey
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,372
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,404
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7,386
Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent!
- By J.L. on 02-27-17
By: T E Kinsey
-
Abroad in Japan
- By: Chris Broad
- Narrated by: Chris Broad
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 626
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 569
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 569
When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he was about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history? Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that comes with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most mysterious and impenetrable cultures.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Met Expectations
- By N. S. W. on 10-30-23
By: Chris Broad
-
Agatha's First Case
- An Agatha Raisin Short Story
- By: M. C. Beaton
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 1 hr and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,964
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,701
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,692
At age 26 Agatha Raisin has already come a long way. She has clawed her way up since leaving the Birmingham slum where she was born. She's lost her Birmingham accent, run away from her drunken husband, and found a job at a public relations office as a secretary. Then her boss asks Agatha to go to the home of Sir Bryce Teller to tell him that he is soon to be arrested for the murder of his wife and that the agency no longer wants to represent him.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lightening Fast Short Origin Story
- By Wynne on 03-19-19
By: M. C. Beaton
-
The Darling Buds of May
- The Larkin Novels, Volume 1
- By: H. E. Bates
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
When Cedric Charlton, an unsuspecting tax inspector, arrives at the door of the Pop Larkin farm, he soon forgets the purpose of his visit: The fun-loving Ma and Pop Larkin distract him at every turn with strawberries, cream, alcohol, and their attractive young daughter, Mariette. Well known by the popular TV series starring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Darling Buds of May is the quintessential feel-good country romp.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Even better read aloud
- By Amazon Customer on 04-05-20
By: H. E. Bates
-
Murder on Thames
- Cherringham. A Cosy Crime Series - Mystery Shorts 1
- By: Neil Richards, Matthew Costello
- Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 817
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 713
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 713
Cherringham - a quiet town in the Cotswolds. Nothing ever happens there, or so it seems - until one morning a woman's body is found in the river. A terrible accident, according to the police. But is this true? Sarah believes there must be more to it. In Jack, a former NYPD homicide detective, she finds a partner who is willing to start investigating with her. They soon find out that things are not as clear as the police want them to be ... This first - of many cases brings Sarah and Jack together in an unlikely partnership.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Easy listen
- By Teddie on 06-08-19
By: Neil Richards, and others
-
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
- A Royal Spyness Novella
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,158
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,879
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,874
At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Fun, light prequel
- By CMMV on 01-01-15
By: Rhys Bowen
-
A Quiet Life in the Country
- A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 1
- By: T E Kinsey
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,372
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,404
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7,386
Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent!
- By J.L. on 02-27-17
By: T E Kinsey
-
Abroad in Japan
- By: Chris Broad
- Narrated by: Chris Broad
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 626
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 569
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 569
When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he was about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history? Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that comes with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most mysterious and impenetrable cultures.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Met Expectations
- By N. S. W. on 10-30-23
By: Chris Broad
-
Agatha's First Case
- An Agatha Raisin Short Story
- By: M. C. Beaton
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 1 hr and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,964
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,701
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,692
At age 26 Agatha Raisin has already come a long way. She has clawed her way up since leaving the Birmingham slum where she was born. She's lost her Birmingham accent, run away from her drunken husband, and found a job at a public relations office as a secretary. Then her boss asks Agatha to go to the home of Sir Bryce Teller to tell him that he is soon to be arrested for the murder of his wife and that the agency no longer wants to represent him.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lightening Fast Short Origin Story
- By Wynne on 03-19-19
By: M. C. Beaton
-
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 5,735
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,890
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,892
Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns. Potentially philandering husbands, seemingly schizophrenic doctors, and a missing boy who may have been killed by witch doctors all compel Precious to roam about in her tiny van, searching for clues.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Transcends its Genre
- By Gene on 12-07-03
-
A Curious Beginning
- By: Deanna Raybourn
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,375
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,355
As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry - and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
For fans of Elizabeth Peters and Gail Carriger
- By L. Williams on 06-29-16
By: Deanna Raybourn
-
The Pavilion in the Clouds
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 83
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 63
It is 1938 and the final days of the British Empire. In a bungalow high up in the green hills above the plains of Ceylon, under a vast blue sky, live the Ferguson family: Bella, a precocious eight-year-old; her father Henry—owner of Pitlochry, a tea plantation—and her mother Virginia. The story centres around the Pavilion in the Clouds, set in the idyllic grounds carved out of the wilderness. But all is not as serene as it seems. Bella is suspicious of her governess, Miss White’s intentions.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Get Over It
- By SW Clemens on 12-28-22
-
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
- By: T. Kingfisher
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,867
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,618
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,615
Fourteen-year-old Mona isn't like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can't control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter, and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt's bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona's life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona's city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona's worries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A tour de force unimaginably good
- By Joella Berkner on 10-21-21
By: T. Kingfisher
-
Bunburry 1-3
- A Cosy Mystery Compilation
- By: Helena Marchmont
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,111
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 971
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 964
In "Murder at the Mousetrap," the first Bunburry book, fudge-making and quaffing real ale in the local pub are matched by an undercurrent of passion, jealousy, hatred and murder - laced with a welcome dose of humour. Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the peace and quiet of the country to recover from a personal tragedy. But an accidental death - which may have been no accident - reveals that the heart of England is far from the tranquil backwater he imagined.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Lovely, sweet story and superb narration
- By Laura Stone on 01-19-20
By: Helena Marchmont
-
Alison Larkin Presents: The Secret Adversary, Murder on the Links, and The Mysterious Affair at Styles
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin, James Warwick
- Length: 24 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Three critically acclaimed recordings are joined together in this dazzling Agatha Christie Triple Bill, read by award-winning narrators Alison Larkin and James Warwick, star of the Partners in Crime TV series on Masterpiece Theater.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Pitch perfect narration of Agatha Christie!
- By Mary Katherine Worth on 10-18-19
By: Agatha Christie
-
This Much Is True
- By: Miriam Margolyes
- Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,055
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 926
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 919
Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of memorable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure. Now, at last, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Simply Brilliant
- By Stuart Huddart on 09-21-21
By: Miriam Margolyes
-
Miss Benson's Beetle
- A Novel
- By: Rachel Joyce
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,086
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,734
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,720
It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist - the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A well-written panorama of human tragedy
- By Film Fan on 07-03-21
By: Rachel Joyce
-
Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 115
Vivacious, young Hester Christie tries to run her home like clockwork, as would befit the wife of British Army officer, Tim Christie. However hard Mrs Tim strives for seamless living amidst the other army wives, she is always moving flat-out to remember groceries, rule lively children, side-step village gossip and placate her husband with bacon, eggs, toast and marmalade. Left alone for months at a time whilst her husband is with his regiment, Mrs Tim resolves to keep a diary of events large and small in her family life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life as a military wife
- By Jerri C on 03-09-13
By: D. E. Stevenson
-
The Bookshop Murder
- An Absolutely Gripping Cozy Mystery (A Flora Steele Mystery, Book 1)
- By: Merryn Allingham
- Narrated by: Charlie Norfolk
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 890
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 804
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 802
The young man with the shock of white-blond hair lay spread-eagled on the floor, surrounded by fallen books. His hand reached out to the scattered pages, as though he was trying to tell her something. But who is he? How did he come to be killed in Flora’s ordinary little bookshop? Flora finds out he was staying at the Priory Hotel, and when the gardener suddenly dies in its beautiful grounds only a few days later, she is certain that something untoward is happening in her quiet village by the sea.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good start to a cozy series
- By twoseagreeneyes on 01-17-22
By: Merryn Allingham
-
The Mountain in the Sea
- A Novel
- By: Ray Nayler
- Narrated by: Eunice Wong
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 487
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 425
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 423
Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them. The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, off from the world. Dr. Nguyen joins DIANIMA’s team on the islands: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable and interesting
- By AudioReader on 10-10-22
By: Ray Nayler
-
Coming Home
- By: Rosamunde Pilcher
- Narrated by: Helen Johns
- Length: 40 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,273
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,071
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,056
Set against the backdrop of an elegant Cornwall mansion before World War II and a vast continent-spanning canvas during the turbulent war years, this captivating story tells of an extraordinary young woman's coming of age, coming to grips with love and sadness, and in every sense of the term, coming home.... In 1935, Judith Dunbar is left behind at a British boarding school when her mother and baby sister go off to join her father in Singapore.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Marvelous story line, Excellent narration
- By Amazon Customer on 03-17-18
Related to this topic
-
The Darling Buds of May
- The Larkin Novels, Volume 1
- By: H. E. Bates
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
When Cedric Charlton, an unsuspecting tax inspector, arrives at the door of the Pop Larkin farm, he soon forgets the purpose of his visit: The fun-loving Ma and Pop Larkin distract him at every turn with strawberries, cream, alcohol, and their attractive young daughter, Mariette. Well known by the popular TV series starring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Darling Buds of May is the quintessential feel-good country romp.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Even better read aloud
- By Amazon Customer on 04-05-20
By: H. E. Bates
-
East of the Sun
- By: Julia Gregson
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 113
Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naive bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn't be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Indian history takes a back seat to 3 young women
- By Richard on 05-24-16
By: Julia Gregson
-
Around the World with Auntie Mame
- By: Patrick Dennis
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 194
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 174
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 173
Encore, Encore! The brilliant sequel to the smash bestseller Auntie Mame is back and the reviews are in....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A classic!
- By Miss Right on 03-22-22
By: Patrick Dennis
-
Marjorie Morningstar
- By: Herman Wouk
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 28 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 521
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 442
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 439
Marjorie Morningstar is a love story. It presents one of the greatest characters in modern fiction: Marjorie, the pretty 17-year-old who left the respectability of New York's Central Park West to join the theater, live in the teeming streets of Greenwich Village, and seek love in the arms of a brilliant, enigmatic writer.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great story with really cheesy narration
- By James on 05-05-12
By: Herman Wouk
-
Cold Comfort Farm
- Penguin Classics
- By: Stella Gibbons
- Narrated by: Pearl Mackie
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 383
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 330
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 330
When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at 19, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex. At the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the doomed Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last 20 years. But Flora loves nothing better than to organise other people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very, very amusing, a go to if one needs cheering
- By Laura G. Marcantoni on 11-05-20
By: Stella Gibbons
-
Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 115
Vivacious, young Hester Christie tries to run her home like clockwork, as would befit the wife of British Army officer, Tim Christie. However hard Mrs Tim strives for seamless living amidst the other army wives, she is always moving flat-out to remember groceries, rule lively children, side-step village gossip and placate her husband with bacon, eggs, toast and marmalade. Left alone for months at a time whilst her husband is with his regiment, Mrs Tim resolves to keep a diary of events large and small in her family life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life as a military wife
- By Jerri C on 03-09-13
By: D. E. Stevenson
-
The Darling Buds of May
- The Larkin Novels, Volume 1
- By: H. E. Bates
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
When Cedric Charlton, an unsuspecting tax inspector, arrives at the door of the Pop Larkin farm, he soon forgets the purpose of his visit: The fun-loving Ma and Pop Larkin distract him at every turn with strawberries, cream, alcohol, and their attractive young daughter, Mariette. Well known by the popular TV series starring David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones, The Darling Buds of May is the quintessential feel-good country romp.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Even better read aloud
- By Amazon Customer on 04-05-20
By: H. E. Bates
-
East of the Sun
- By: Julia Gregson
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 161
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 113
Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naive bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn't be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Indian history takes a back seat to 3 young women
- By Richard on 05-24-16
By: Julia Gregson
-
Around the World with Auntie Mame
- By: Patrick Dennis
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 194
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 174
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 173
Encore, Encore! The brilliant sequel to the smash bestseller Auntie Mame is back and the reviews are in....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A classic!
- By Miss Right on 03-22-22
By: Patrick Dennis
-
Marjorie Morningstar
- By: Herman Wouk
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 28 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 521
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 442
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 439
Marjorie Morningstar is a love story. It presents one of the greatest characters in modern fiction: Marjorie, the pretty 17-year-old who left the respectability of New York's Central Park West to join the theater, live in the teeming streets of Greenwich Village, and seek love in the arms of a brilliant, enigmatic writer.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great story with really cheesy narration
- By James on 05-05-12
By: Herman Wouk
-
Cold Comfort Farm
- Penguin Classics
- By: Stella Gibbons
- Narrated by: Pearl Mackie
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 383
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 330
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 330
When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at 19, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex. At the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the doomed Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last 20 years. But Flora loves nothing better than to organise other people.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very, very amusing, a go to if one needs cheering
- By Laura G. Marcantoni on 11-05-20
By: Stella Gibbons
-
Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 115
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 115
Vivacious, young Hester Christie tries to run her home like clockwork, as would befit the wife of British Army officer, Tim Christie. However hard Mrs Tim strives for seamless living amidst the other army wives, she is always moving flat-out to remember groceries, rule lively children, side-step village gossip and placate her husband with bacon, eggs, toast and marmalade. Left alone for months at a time whilst her husband is with his regiment, Mrs Tim resolves to keep a diary of events large and small in her family life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life as a military wife
- By Jerri C on 03-09-13
By: D. E. Stevenson
-
Celia's House
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Lesley Mackie
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 101
In name and by birth, Celia was a Dunne. She had inherited the beautiful old family home by the Rydd Water – but was she bound to live her life by the principles of her predecessors? Was there some hidden restraint that compelled her to heed the past? Celia’s house is a moving and poignant story of the struggle between old and young: the older generation anxious to preserve the values they have helped create while their children are determined at all costs to make lives of their own.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Boarder area of Scotland
- By Jerri C on 03-14-11
By: D. E. Stevenson
-
Three Comrades
- By: Erich Maria Remarque, Arthur Wesley Wheen - translator
- Narrated by: Michael Braun
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
The year is 1928. On the outskirts of a large German city, three young men are earning a thin and precarious living. Fully armed young storm troopers swagger in the streets. Restlessness, poverty, and violence are everywhere. For these three, friendship is the only refuge from the chaos around them. Then the youngest of them falls in love and brings into the group a young woman who will become a comrade as well, as they are all tested in ways they can have never imagined.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Love and friendship in a dying world.
- By Tarquin on 03-18-19
By: Erich Maria Remarque, and others
-
The Road Home
- By: Rose Tremain
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 67
Winner of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2008, The Road Home is the best-selling story of Lev, a middle-aged migrant from Eastern Europe, who moves to London in search of work after losing his wife and job. Lev's London is awash with money, celebrity and complacency. The world Tremain creates is both convincing and poignant.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
OK - nice narration - good characters
- By bea on 02-21-11
By: Rose Tremain
-
My Family and Other Animals
- By: Gerald Durrell
- Narrated by: Nigel Davenport
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,958
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,647
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,644
This memoir is soaked in the sunshine of Corfu, where Gerald Durrell lived as a boy, surrounded by his eccentric family - as well as puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A thoroughly delightful book!
- By T.K. on 06-21-08
By: Gerald Durrell
-
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
- By: R. A. Dick
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Jasicki
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,585
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,418
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,407
Burdened by debt after her husband's death, Lucy Muir insists on moving into the very cheap Gull Cottage in the quaint seaside village of Whitecliff, despite multiple warnings that the house is haunted. Upon discovering the rumors to be true, the young widow ends up forming a special companionship with the ghost of handsome former sea captain Daniel Gregg. Lucy finds in her secret relationship with Captain Gregg a comfort and blossoming love she never could have predicted.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bias Review Warning
- By Michael on 09-22-19
By: R. A. Dick
-
The Blind Assassin
- By: Margaret Atwood
- Narrated by: Margot Dionne
- Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,089
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,398
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,391
For the past twenty-five years, Margaret Atwood has written works of striking originality and imagination. In The Blind Assassin, she stretches the limits of her accomplishments as never before, creating a novel that is entertaining and profoundly serious. The novel opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister drove a car off the bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister Laura's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Good book, TERRIBLE audio!
- By Whitney on 04-27-09
By: Margaret Atwood
-
Strange Weather in Tokyo
- A Novel
- By: Hiromi Kawakami, Allison Markin Powell - translator
- Narrated by: Allison Hiroto
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 218
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 181
Tsukiko, 38, works in an office and lives alone. One night, she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, "Sensei", in a local bar. Tsukiko had only ever called him "Sensei" ("Teacher"). He is 30 years her senior, retired, and presumably a widower. Their relationship develops from a perfunctory acknowledgment of each other as they eat and drink alone at the bar, to a hesitant intimacy, which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Cozy Love Story and Leisure Time in Japan
- By mz on 01-02-19
By: Hiromi Kawakami, and others
-
Cannery Row
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Jerry Farden
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,452
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,972
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,955
Published in 1945, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it is: both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual. Drawing on his memories of the real inhabitants of Monterey, California, Steinbeck interweaves the stories of Doc, Henri, Mack and his boys, and the other characters in this world where only the fittest survive, to create a novel that is at once one of his most humorous and most poignant works.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Five stars with a Caveat
- By Bette on 04-23-12
By: John Steinbeck
-
I Capture the Castle
- By: Dodie Smith
- Narrated by: Jenny Agutter
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,869
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,670
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,670
In this coming of age story, Dodie Smith introduces the visionary and eccentric character of seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain. The youngest daughter in a family of impoverished artists, it is her imagination and writing that takes us away from the ramshackle old English castle where they live, and towards an intriguing tale of husband-hunting and light-hearted sibling rivalry.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well, that was a surprise
- By Matthew on 12-16-13
By: Dodie Smith
-
Mildred Pierce
- By: James M. Cain
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 557
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 431
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 428
Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness and determination. She used those attributes to survive a divorce in 1940s America with two children and to claw her way out of poverty, becoming a successful businesswoman. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for shiftless men and an unreasoning devotion to her monstrous daughter.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Mildred -- you pierce my heart
- By P. Giorgio on 03-11-11
By: James M. Cain
-
Behind the Scenes at the Museum
- A Novel
- By: Kate Atkinson
- Narrated by: Pearl Hewitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 474
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 415
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 414
Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her family and its secrets.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another Kate Atkinson multi-generational story
- By Satisfied Customer on 11-08-18
By: Kate Atkinson
-
Light Years
- By: James Salter
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 148
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 132
This exquisite, resonant novel by PEN/Faulkner winner James Salter is a brilliant portrait of a marriage by a contemporary American master. It is the story of Nedra and Viri, whose favored life is centered around dinners, ingenious games with their children, enviable friends, and near-perfect days passed skating on a frozen river or sunning on the beach.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Unfathomable Font of Blue: Life's Serial Goodbyes
- By W Perry Hall on 04-18-19
By: James Salter
What listeners say about A Breath of French Air
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Rundlett
- 08-07-23
Charming and Funny
I’m enjoying listening to this series after watching the TV series. Very impressive performance of all the voices. Bravo!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Thompson
- 06-27-19
best of british drama
amazing to think these are 60 year old novels. great characters and wonderful plots. like a stroll along the canal in kent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- mz
- 05-15-20
Not as good as TV adaptation
This is one of those few books where the TV adaptation is better, less dirty, less sexual, less sexist, more interesting added side stories, and less focused on a perverted man in that each character has their own stories that are more fleshed out and real. The TV show brings this series to life. I don't think I would enjoy the book much if I hadn't seen the TV series. It's disgusting what the main male character in this series and the author's Uncle Silas do, the latter being way worse. Seems a man's fantasy of very tolerable wives.
Narration is excellent, by the actor of Charlie in the TV series! Wonderful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Bianca
- 01-01-19
Trite in every respect.
This book may be alright for reading while crossing the Atlantic. The story line is never challenging.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful