A Wayside Tavern

By: Norah Lofts

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

A Wayside Tavern tells the story of a Suffolk drinking place from the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, until the present day. The Roman veteran, crippled and left behind, worshipped Mithras, so the place became known as the One Bull and down through the centuries it became a clearing house for contraband, a miniature Hell Fire Club, a fashionable hotel, a mere pub. Across the yard, was the church of St Cerdic, king and martyr, who fought the Danes and was famous for the miracles performed at his shrine. His remains were lost in the Reformation but something remained. Inside the inn, despite all external changes, one passion raged – to retain possession.

©1980 Norah Lofts (P)2011 Soundings

An enjoyable tale

An enjoyable story that jumps through history with some interesting characters and situations. I found the characters in the later chapters less developed and interesting than previous chapters. The later periods were rushed through and left me feeling like I was being hurried to the end. Jonathan Keeble performs admirably with a wide array of accents. I had just finished listening to Edward Rutherfurd's epic novel 'Sarum' before starting listening to this book;perhaps I would have enjoyed the novel more if I had waited. If you enjoy this book I recommend Sarum.

Always enjoy Norah Lofts work

Not her best but still enjoyed the story. I really like her work, I only wish there were more on audio. I just ordered a bunch of hard cover books by Lofts but I never have the time to read them. Anyhow, I enjoyed this one, the jumping through time is interesting. I do like that you see how it progresses through the years and having a history laid out before you.

Love the Book, not crazy about the audio version

If you could sum up A Wayside Tavern in three words, what would they be?

Another wonderful trip through the centuries with Norah Lofts. I love her long sagas and the very realistic and often mixed emotions and lost legends that all of us come from.

What other book might you compare A Wayside Tavern to and why?

Bless This House was very simliar

Any additional comments?

I have read the book before and loved it, his reading was a bit too slow, making it seem to drag in a way it did not drag when read.

Ancestry makes it's mark!

This is a wonderful read with many "surprises" along the way. The constant is the tavern and how multiple generations have used or abused it, and themselves. The secondary or mystery theme concerns the abbey and how it affects the lives of those associated with the tavern.

Enjoyable

This was a good listen and although it could come across like a series of short stories, it was still enjoyable and tied in nicely at the end. I will buy more by this author.

Historical Fiction at its Best

I read this book in the early ‘80s and it always stuck with me. I’ve just listened to it on Audible and enjoyed it even more the second time around.