Shy Creatures
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Shy Creatures
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Narrated by:
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Lucy Scott
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By:
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Clare Chambers
About this listen
'Just as good - if not better - than Small Pleasures' INDEPENDENT
'As compelling as you want fiction to be' SUNDAY TIMES
'One of our most talented authors' GUARDIAN
'A beautiful story of unfolding secrets and unforeseen consequences' HOLLY GRAMAZIO, author of THE HUSBANDS
Croydon, 1964. Art therapist Helen Hansford is working in a psychiatric hospital, where she has been having passionate but precarious affair with her married colleague, the charismatic Dr Gil Rudden.
Helen's structured life is upended when William Tapping - a silent, thirty-seven-year-old man with a beard down to his waist - arrives the hospital. As Helen helps William express himself through art, she becomes increasingly entangled in his mysterious past.
Inspired by a true story, Shy Creatures is a life-affirming exploration of loneliness, love and the quiet forces that shape our lives, reminding us that freedom can come in unexpected forms.
'Reading a Clare Chambers novel can feel like entering a modest bungalow and finding yourself in a cathedral' SUNDAY TIMES
'Extraordinary' FINANCIAL TIMES
'A warm, multi-layered mystery brimming with all the same nostalgia, wit and tenderness as Small Pleasures' i PAPER
'A lively, funny, forgiving novel' PATRICK GALE
'Chambers is such a humane writer and this novel is full of exquisite detail' EVENING STANDARD
*Small Pleasures was a Silver Award bestseller according to Nielsen BookScan UK, 10 November 2023©2024 Clare Chambers (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited
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What listeners say about Shy Creatures
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JGSmith
- 29-11-24
A lovely story
I disliked the self absorbed characters for the first few chapters but am so glad I stuck with it. This book is about so much more than the scant details offered in the overview; a touching tale of personal growth for all main characters. Although a non linear structure is something of a cliché and pet hate of mine, as it is often used to add interest to a rather basic plot, Chambers uses it with deft skill to enhance the unfurling story. By the denouement, I had come to love the characters I had loathed which is testament to the writer’s apt manipulation of the reader. Beautiful narration made this a thoroughly lovely listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Miller
- 06-09-24
Beautifully written. Love the way the story unfolds.
I liked everything about it. Great characters, Lovely juxtaposition of back stories, lively dialogues, well read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- East Yorks
- 06-02-25
Fabulous
Absolutely loved this novel - Chambers has the most amazing knack of describing the minutiae of everyday life so cleverly and Lucy Scott has the perfect voice for this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pamela
- 11-09-24
The definition of a glimmer
What a beautifully written, wonderful story. It has really made me feel good – and the narrator is very clever with her voices. Highly recommended - this made my day and my week!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lorna
- 03-10-24
Heartwarming
A couple of historical inaccuracies which I found distracting but, overall I really enjoyed this. It was more than a small pleasure !
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jana
- 28-01-25
Extraordinary
I loved the timeliness crossing and the stories unravelling. Wondeful use of language and brilliantly drawn characters. The narrator's voice and diction were perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Clare Davies
- 28-03-25
Just excellent
A wonderful story about human relationships, isolation, grief, infatuation, and the incredible value of kindness.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katharine
- 13-01-25
Highly recommended
This is a well-written, heart-warming which I very much enjoyed listening to. It was convincingly read, so easy to get lost in the story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- DEBBIE PARRY
- 02-01-25
twists and turns
enjoyed the story and tine it was set. history in easy read format. interesting story too
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MRS
- 10-12-24
Informative and engaging. Fresh & Original.
A beautifully written book. Each character is so well rounded. The description of the each scene is so visual you feel as if you’re actually there.
Narration was perfect.
Well worth the credit.
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