A Whistling Woman Audiobook

" Actually DNF - I tried. The beginning was AMAZING - the "fairy" tale but then it went nowhere VERY SLOWLY "

" It continues like Babel Tower (of which it makes several references)the story of Frederica. Yet, in this book, she seems strangly apart from the drama, most of which seems to take place at universities. The Sixties becomes the usual drug use, false messiahs and anti education. Yet, the main drama of the story ends anticlimatically. I won't say I was disappointed, but like Children's Book, I expect more from the author of Possession, not to mention the first two volumnes Virgin in the Garden and Still Life both of which had a lot of interesting ideas about art and life. The Whistling Woman pretends to be about discovering a civilization beyond education, about anarchy, yet it never gives anarchy a chance. I recommend it to Byatt fans, but I hoped for more. "

" This is the fourth installment in a series; the earlier novels are The Virgin in the Garden, Still Life, and Babel Tower. While the first three books are brilliant, this last book was a major disappointment to me. It's tough to get through, and presents Byatt at her most self-indulgent. The only reason I'm keeping it around is because it represents the culmination of a longer story, and because overall Byatt is one of my favorite writers. I just wish this book had been better edited... "

" I really loved Virgin in the Garden and Still Life, tolerated Babel Tower, and skimmed huge swaths of A Whistling Woman. Face it, readers only really care about Frederica, not biology and religious cults. Increasingly, showing off her esoteric knowledge of many things seems more important than plot to Byatt. The rumored feud between Byatt and her younger sister Margaret Drabble may or may not be true, but I remember finding it telling that Byatt killed off the sister in Still Life. That her death reverberates in a real and lovely way is one of the good points of this new novel. "

" Have read most of Byatt's novels, and short stories, and liked this one quite a bit. Set in the late 60s, I related to much of it, as I was coming up at that time and recognized many of the attitudes the author described. I did like the protagonist a great deal, she was both funny and smart. Good book. "

" A disappointment after the first three novels. Set in late '60s with hippies, cults and student protests. New characters who didn't bring much to the storyline. "

" I read this not knowing that it was part 4 of a series, but I felt that it stood alone and I enjoyed it. Now, though, I want to read the first three. "

" No story, just a lot of feelings. I quit after p. 42. "

" try as I may, A. S. Byatt doesn't float my boat. maybe i need to give some of her classic works a try (angels and insects, possession). i won't give up hope yet. "

" Fragments story...strange, un-relateable characters.....ugh. Not my favorite A. S. Byatt book. "

" Very slow start with little action and a lot of the familiar linking of love, madness, & religion in this continuation of Frederica's story. "

" I didn't finish this book because I never could get into it... "

" Hmm, not really my type of book, nearly put it down but plodded on to the end regardless. It's part of a "quartet of novels" so maybe it doesn't stand alone as well as the jacket claims. "

" A hard intellectual read, that gives more the more you read it. So worth the effort "

" Fourth in the series, and every bit as compelling. Very satisfying. "

" I read this book out of sequence, but I thought it was very well paced and very stimulating. Byatt is wonderful and I'm going to read the series from start to finish as soon as I get the chance! "

" I was completely immersed, but come away feeling there was just too much going on and not enough attention/detail paid to the individuals in the cast of characters. They magically appeared when needed for the plot's twists, then abruptly disappeared again. "

" Thank god I've gotten through all four. I wish I had more to say than that. "

" A little different take on the life of Frederica Potter, the heroine of two previous Byatt novels. More religious themes and less literary criticism but all in all a good, solid read. "

" Actually DNF - I tried. The beginning was AMAZING - the "fairy" tale but then it went nowhere VERY SLOWLY "

" Thank god I've gotten through all four. I wish I had more to say than that. "

" I was completely immersed, but come away feeling there was just too much going on and not enough attention/detail paid to the individuals in the cast of characters. They magically appeared when needed for the plot's twists, then abruptly disappeared again. "

" try as I may, A. S. Byatt doesn't float my boat. maybe i need to give some of her classic works a try (angels and insects, possession). i won't give up hope yet. "

" I read this book out of sequence, but I thought it was very well paced and very stimulating. Byatt is wonderful and I'm going to read the series from start to finish as soon as I get the chance! "

" The weakest of the Frederica tetralogy, but it's still fun for fans, nice to know what happens to the Potter (and i'm not talking Harry!) family. "