Beth Firmin
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Shrines of Gaiety
- A Novel
- By: Kate Atkinson
- Narrated by: Jason Watkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 719
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 629
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 629
1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie’s empire faces threats from without and within.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Rich characters of all stripes
- By Glorious Lorius on 11-09-22
- Shrines of Gaiety
- A Novel
- By: Kate Atkinson
- Narrated by: Jason Watkins
A Different kind of Kate Atkinson Novel
Reviewed: 12-21-22
Even with Jason Watkins’ entertaining narration, I struggled to take much interest in any of the many characters in this book. Ms. Atkinson never lets the reader get too close to the protagonists. Nelly, Frieda, Gwendolyn, Frobisher-they’re all frustratingly just out of emotional, psychological reach. I was left wanting more in depth character studies as in Ms. Atkinson’s many other novels. The settings were more forthcoming and outshone the plot and characters.
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