The Paying Guests
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The Paying Guests
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
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By:
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Sarah Waters
About this listen
Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award 2014
There came the splash of water and the rub of heels as Mrs Barber stepped into the tub. After that there was a silence, broken only by the occasional echoey plink of drips from the tap....
Frances had been picturing her lodgers in purely mercenary terms - as something like two great waddling shillings. But this, she thought, was what it really meant to have paying guests: this odd, unintimate proximity, this rather peeled-back moment, where the only thing between herself and a naked Mrs Barber was a few feet of kitchen and a thin scullery door. An image sprang into her head: that round flesh, crimsoning in the heat.
It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband, and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.
For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the 'clerk class', the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be.
This is vintage Sarah Waters: beautifully described with excruciating tension, real tenderness, believable characters, and surprises. It is above all a wonderful, compelling story.
2015, Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, Long-listed
2015, The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, Long-listed
2015, IBW Book Award, Winner
2016, IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, Long-listed
©2014 Sarah Waters (P)2014 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Paying Guests
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- john
- 14-12-14
dont give up
What did you like about this audiobook?
The start of this book was boring but calm, the middle far too long but the end was interesting and yet disturbing. A different story from the norm certainly and worth a listen.
How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?
no
Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?
not really, most of the middle of the story was boring
What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?
nothing, the story was narrated well
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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
- Paul D
- 27-04-16
A beautifully crafted tale
A book of parts - initially I greatly enjoyed listening but began to weary of the pace and actually considered giving it up - the prospect of many more hours of the same being a little daunting. Just in time it takes a dramatic turn and saves itself and I was drawn along to to end.
Juliet Stevenson has a wonderful voice and reads beautifully and I am reluctant to offer criticism. However . . . I did find the narrative a little one paced. The book has passionate love, brutal murder and high
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 08-03-17
Wonderful story, beautifully read
Where does The Paying Guests rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I loved this book - the first of Sarah Waters' that I have read or listened to, and the combination of a good story and incredible voices by Juliet Stevenson make it a joy to listen to.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It made me laugh, and cry.
Any additional comments?
Juliet Stevenson is up there with Jeremy Irons as the best readers. Great talents such as theirs bring books to life. More please.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- bryony
- 21-07-15
A thrilling tale
Where does The Paying Guests rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I would place it in the top three. Juliet's reading style is great for this book.
What did you like best about this story?
I was totally in the story. It made me think about how I would react in this situation.
Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favourite?
Lilian.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Be careful who you invite into your home.
Any additional comments?
This is the second book by Sarah Waters, she is so good at thrillers. I recommend this to anyone thinking of taking in a lodger.
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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
- Stephanie
- 29-12-15
Brilliant
best narrator I have heard in a long time and lovely story... thoroughly enjoyed it. just loved it!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Farah S
- 14-02-16
Juliet Stevenson is marvellous!
Despite the slow start, a gripping tale of forbidden love, torn up by prejudice.
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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
- Julia Stevenson
- 28-10-16
Superb
By turns thrilling, unsettling and deeply reassuring, this is a story in which old notions of good and bad, black and white cease to make sense: they are simply too crude a measure for this rich, vividly imagined and utterly heartfelt book. Juliet Stevenson's narration is faultless.
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 14-09-16
Excellent!
This story was excellent, it was very emotional & intriguing, a heart warming love story, also narrated expertly by Juliet Stevenson. I highly recommend The Paying Guests & now feel I would like to listen to more of Sarah Waters novels.
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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
- LyndaJ
- 14-02-21
Excellent story, gripping to the end
Although lengthy, this story kept me hooked to the very end. An emotional Roller Coaster full of detail and characterisation and excellently dramatised by Juliet Stevenson.
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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
- Denisa C.
- 02-03-21
Long but so well written
I didn’t read any reviews and didn’t have much idea what the book of about, it seemed quite long and not much happening for a while but I could see the writing was great. Be patient with this book and you will be rewarded. The only thing I didn’t like was the narration - the voice sounded much older than the actual character’s age. But the narrator was amazing, just wish the character was about 20 -30 years older 😀
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