The Big House Audiobook By George Howe Colt cover art

The Big House

A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

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The Big House

By: George Howe Colt
Narrated by: Rick Adamson
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National Book Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent 42 summers, George Howe Colt returned for one last stay with his wife and children. This poignant tribute to the 11-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, and love affairs for five generations interweaves Colt's final visit with memories of a lifetime of summers.

Run-down yet romantic, The Big House stands not only as a cherished reminder of summer's ephemeral pleasures but also as a powerful symbol of a vanishing way of life.

©2003 George Howe Colt (P)2019 Audible, Inc. Americas House & Home Social Sciences State & Local United States Tradition
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I enjoyed the story although it gets a bit slow in the middle when discussing the history of the house,Boston, and construction theory. The story of the family is interesting and one can identify easily with the family dynamics.

At times the voice is very mechanical and robot sounding. The reader does use appropriate inflection when changing characters and one can get used to the voice overall.

Decent

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I have an old family home and every bit of this story resonated. But it is so well written, any person from any background might live this story.

Terrific book

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Wonderful book that spoke to me directly and strongly. Furthermore, it
is extremely well-read. Don't miss it.

Fine Book Well Read

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Wonderful story depicting long ago Boston WASP life. Might have benefited from 10% to 15% more editing.

For Fans of Boston Brahmins

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I read the book when it was first published. At the time I enjoyed it, chuckling as I recognized the many idiosyncrasies typical of so many New England families. Anticipating boredom on a long road trip I ordered the audio version of the book, which was generally as expected, though I found it to be longer- winded and a bit more self- indulgent than I remembered it. There were cringeworthy moments in the narration, most notable being the pronunciation of a North Shore town, Nahant ( pronounced “ Na HAhnt”). The narrator kept saying “NAY- hant, stealing any credibility of the narrator in his role as the author. Similarly was his pronunciation of “ Sorbonne” ( “SORbon”). I would think that when narrating one would check the correct pronunciation of unfamiliar words.

The narrator needs some coaching about Boston!

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Wonderful Listen! Really enjoyed listening while cleaning house and doing dishes.
Wish our extended Family had a house like this for us to gather. Very Preppy

The Life of an Old Classic House

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