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Sweet Sorrow

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Sweet Sorrow

By: David Nicholls
Narrated by: Rory Kinnear
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One life-changing summer, Charlie meets Fran...David Nicholls’s highly anticipated new novel, narrated by Rory Kinnear.

In 1997, Charlie Lewis is the kind of boy you don't remember in the school photograph. His exams have not gone well. At home he is looking after his father, when surely it should be the other way round, and if he thinks about the future at all, it is with a kind of dread.

Then Fran Fisher bursts into his life and despite himself, Charlie begins to hope.

But if Charlie wants to be with Fran, he must take on a challenge that could lose him the respect of his friends and require him to become a different person. He must join the Company. And if the Company sounds like a cult, the truth is even more appalling.

The price of hope, it seems, is Shakespeare. Poignant, funny, enchanting, devastating, Sweet Sorrow is a tragicomedy about the rocky path to adulthood and the confusion of family life, a celebration of the reviving power of friendship and that brief, searing explosion of first love that can only be looked at directly after it has burned out.

©2019 David Nicholls (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Romance Feel-Good Tear-jerking Heartfelt Witty
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Critic reviews

"Nicholls is fabulous on first love and Kinnear’s narration strikes the perfect balance between teenage defiance and vulnerability." (Daily Mail)

"Such a beautiful book. Captures perfectly a moment in time we've all experienced." (Graham Norton)

"He's such a genius. His novels are relatable and recognizable, but also surprising, breath-taking and life-enhancing." (Nina Stibbe)
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Just astonishingly good. The narrator is a genius, creating such charming and believable voices for a cast of wonderful characters. Charlie’s consistently hesitant voice totally captures every nuance. Quite the most wonderful, touching, funny, poignant writing. Truly in awe that anyone can write like this.

Breathtakingly good

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The mannered, jerky delivery became very annoying. The reader over-interpreted the dialogue, and interposed himself strongly between the listener and the writer. It's always a danger when listening instead of reading, but this was one of the worst examples I have come across.
I don't feel I know Charlie at all; I know Roy Kinear only too well.

Over-acted performance

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One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. Don’t even think about it, just get it. Fantastic narration and wonderful characters. I didn’t want it to end. Perfect.

Hits the sweet spot!

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The reviews are mixed and I can understand some of the criticisms but overall I enjoyed this book very much. It’s not often I laugh out loud at a book but I often did with this story and it touched raw nerves I didn’t realise were so raw as well. I enjoyed the narration for the most part, occasionally finding it difficult to discern between Charlie & Fran being my only issue. I personally found it painfully relatable for lots of reasons, some parts went on a bit but generally speaking, a great book that I really recommend.

A nearly-middle-aged Must

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Loved the story provided by David Nicholls - achingly real and funny. Loved the performance from Rory Kinnear - will seek him out for future audible treats.

Perfect combination

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