Last Friends

Old Filth Trilogy, Book 3

By: Jane Gardam

Narrated by: Roger Watson

This is the third book in the Old Filth trilogy (Old Filth, The Man in the Wooden Hat, Last Friends). Last Friends depicts the marriage of Edward Feathers and Betty as seen through the eyes of Edward’s friend and Betty's lover Terry Veneering.

©2013 Jane Gardam (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

MORE GOOD STORY-TELLING!

The book begins with the main character's funeral. And it just gets better. By all means read the books in this series in order. This is Book 3. I most enjoyed learning the background of the one character who had a warm family life, was a brilliant lawyer, and was heartily hated by Eddie, aka Old Filth. This book fills us in on his whole interesting life from his parents to the time as a very elderly man he moves in next door to Eddie, who gets locked out one lonely Christmas in a bad storm with no electricity or telephone, so the two of them have to make the best of it when Eddie knocks on Terry's door. I need to listen to all the books again because there are some women in this story that I have difficulty placing. One of them is the widowed wife of an old judge nicknamed Pastry. It seems a lot of the women admired Terry from some distance. This woman is also concerned with a smarmy old lawyer named Fred Smith. He was handy on Eddie's and Betty's wedding day, so he was grabbed in his T-shirt to serve as Best Man. He boasts for the rest of his life about being Best Man. Highlight of his life! Nobody really likes him. This hard to like character invites himself to people's houses or arrives unannounced and expects to stay a couple of weeks.

The book ends abruptly, seems to me. I was moving on in my own mind anyway. However, it's a good and enjoyable Book 3 in this trilogy. There's a different narrator, but I got used to him quickly and he reads with great poetry. I need to listen again because these are not the then-what-happened kind of story. It's about details fitting together years later. Very rich listen.

Superb finale

The three books in this saga are beautifully written and well worth reading over and over. Each character is unique yet part of a heavenly ensemble. A triumph!

Tidying up

This final book in the trilogy about Betty, ol filth and Terry v. is short for good reason. All the background on Terry is here. What an unexpected background it is. Also other Last Friends and how they became connected to the trio are also explained. The narrator was excellent (tho’ not at first). He is able to create distinct voices for each character. Be sure to read/listen to the books in order. A very rich experience of human frailties, strengths, and needs of the human heart.

poor narration

I enjoyed this book very much except for the narration. Either the narrator tipples or he was in over his experience level. He would change accents mid sentence, frequently, inappropriately slipping into a Scottish accent.

That said, if you, like me, want to finish the trilogy and you are unable to read print, then, by all means give it a listen. Or several listens as you try to figure out who is saying what.

Funny, touching and poignant

I read this book as soon as it came out in Kindle. I loved all three of the "Old Filth" trilogy. I both read and listened to all three of them. They all had the charm and impact of old fashioned fairy tales, especially when read by their skillful and talented narrators. Lots of danger, mystery, passion and life long grudges, and somehow being funny as well.

Ties up loose ends; miss the former narrator.

Loved Gardam's story as always but the narrator missed the mark. He should have read and listened to the first two for place names and accuracy on accents. Gave Veneering a strong northern accent, though the first two books explain he didn't speak with one. Those kinds of things took me out of the story a bit, unfortunately.

Great trilogy

One of the best series of books I’ve read in a while. It’s both funny and sad very astute insight into human nature and how love or lack of it affects later life. very well written highest recommendation

Bring back Graeme Malcolm!

Graeme Malcolm's reading of the first two books in the trilogy, Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat, were perfect -- beautfully done. Why switch for the third? Watson makes all of Jane Gardam's wonderful characters sound whiny and bored. I put the book down.

Last, and Probably Least

This third book in Gardam's Old Filth trilogy is fun, yet not quite as good as the first two installments. Edward and Betty Feathers and Terry Veneering have passed on, and the story continues with the lesser characters in the series, most prominently Fiscal Smith and Dulcie, widow of Pastry Willie, the judge who was Betty's godfather. Much of the novel is flashback telling Terry Veneering's past as the son of an impoverished mother and an Odessan circus performer who ends up making it good. Recommended for fans of this series.

The biggest problem I had was the change in reader. Graeme Malcom, who read the first two installments, was perfect. Roger Watson makes the characters--especially the females--sound like caricatures.

Wonderful narration

I did not expect the third in the series to be a strong as the other two but it was most enjoyable. Part of what made it so wonderful was in a ration