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Exit the Actress Audiobook
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(3.03) - 803 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Exit the Actress marks the promising debut of historical fiction author Priya Parmar. Following her discovery selling oranges outside of Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, Ellen "Nell" Gwyn leaves behind a life of poverty to become a theatre star. Soon she is mistress to the libertine king Charles II. And though their love is true, gossip-mongers and court politics threaten to tear their romance apart. "This debut novel captures the glamorous world of the amoral court [of Charles II] and the struggle of the city."-Philippa Gregory, New York Times best-selling author
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"I did like the book, although it wasn't so engrossing that I couldn't put it down. It is based on a true story, and the author has worked very hard to put as many true facts into the story and has been able to put in a lot of extensive descriptions of the scenes, clothing, etc. to keep things as close to the truth as possible. That is what made the story the most interesting. I won this book but the print was such a light font and so small that I gave the book to the Library that my Mother donates time to, they didn't have a copy of it, and I bought it on my kindle. There was no way I was going to spend my time squinting my way through the book. If that would be a problem for anyone reading this, don't buy the book, buy the e-version of it so that you can enlarge the print. The book is written with diary pages, and playbills, etc. That would be harder to read and stay involved in the story for some, but most I guess, myself included had no problem following the story. I read a few others reviews and found they for the most part had no problems with the story written through that medium.If you like reading books about the Tudor era, here is one story of an actress who became a favorite of a king and left the theatre to become his kept women!While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater’s proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart—and he hers—but even the most powerful love isn’t enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen’s diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine"
— Brenda (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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This debut novel captures the glamorous world of the amoral court [ofn Charles II] and the struggle of the city.
— Philippa Gregory, New York Times best-selling author
Exit the Actress Listener Reviews
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" I am not a huge reader of historical fiction. Not because I don't like history, I love it, but because a lot of writers take the fiction part to far. They modernise the language and impose contemporary morales on a time when things were much different. To all of this, Priya Parmar stands out. This was refreshing in its take and the way the book is written, as a diary, in playbills and court documents is wonderfully fresh and interesting. I was unfamiliar with this story and it's charaters, but fell in love with them and the time. I would recomend it, while it is longer than a lot of the books I read (446) it flew by! "
— Emily, 2/19/2014 -
" Quite an enjoyable book. I really enjoyed the main character the interesting live she led. It did take me a chapter or two to get used to the book being written using many different documents, all assembled together. This made it interesting to see things from different points of view, but since I had not read a book in this style before I had to get used to it. I look forward to reading more from this author. "
— Jennifer, 2/15/2014 -
" Interesting read on theatre,etc. during its time period. "
— Vince, 2/6/2014 -
" A lighter and easier to read historical fiction novel than most that are set in restoration England, Exit the Actress recounts the story of Nell Gwyn, who rises from orange seller to actress to mistress of King Charles II. The story is told through diary entries, playbills, letters gossip columns, etc. The format was a little confusing at first but I grew to enjoy the variety. It is easy to fall in love with Nell and cheer for her optimistic, practical, fiery personality. "
— Deirdre, 1/25/2014 -
" Subtle, haunting, lyric and lovely. THis is a beautiful book. Read it at once and then when you finish, wait, forget it a little bit and read it again. "
— Noah, 1/12/2014 -
" Great book. One I would recommend if you are a fan of historical fiction. "
— Sara, 1/7/2014 -
" What an amazing book especially for theatre geeks. Written by a dramaturg/ trained actor/ historian? Yes, please! "
— Karen, 8/12/2013 -
" Very good and so well researched. "
— Louise, 8/3/2013 -
" Not bad, but not fantastic either. I thought it offered a nice little window into the time period but the storyline was a bit lacking. Nell is a fascinating historical figure and I thought this portrayal gave her character, though, so props for that. "
— Rachel, 6/30/2013 -
" More than 3 stars, but not quite four ... only because Parmar is not quite Philippa Gregory. An enjoyable light read though. "
— Allison, 6/4/2013 -
" It's always a good sign when I'm sad that a book is over. By the end of "Exit the Actress," I had really fallen in love with the characters. Looking forward to reading more works by Ms. Parmar. "
— Amy, 5/18/2013 -
" Finished. I wish I met Ellen. "
— Jennifer, 12/4/2012 -
" Such a great book!! I loved every word I felt like I was living Nell's life- Rick was right!!!! "
— Inna, 8/11/2012 -
" I loved the way the book was written - using diary entries and personal letters. You can't help but love Ellen. But, the writing was a bit too much for my taste so I was lost through some parts of it- very distracting. It was okay. "
— Yari, 4/15/2012 -
" Fun, quick read. Not really thought provoking or anything. But if you enjoy historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. "
— Janet, 2/9/2012 -
" the single greatest book about olde london I ever read- readinging it a second time- love it that much "
— Dallie, 7/14/2011 -
" This book was not quite as fun as I had hoped. It had a similar feel to _Life Mask_ but I did not really like the way the story was told through journal entries, playbills, and letters. I would have preferred a more standard narrative. "
— Shaheen, 4/26/2011 -
" Finished. I wish I met Ellen. "
— Jennifer, 4/11/2011 -
" Loved this story about Nell Gwyn. "
— Jennifer, 3/31/2011 -
" A good novel. I wished it told about the other characters more. A bit too Ellen and the King centric... "
— Ik, 3/15/2011 -
" I was quite taken by this novel- based on a real life lady. The writer is quite skilled and I believe destined for greatness. <br/>Myron K. "
— Nord, 3/12/2011
About Priya Parmar
Priya Parmar, a former dramaturge and freelance editor, was educated at Mount Holyoke College, the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh, and holds degrees in English literature and theater and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Edinburgh. Priya Parmar is the author of one previous novel, Exit the Actress. She divides her time between Hawaii and London.
About Charlotte Parry
Charlotte Parry is an actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. She made her Broadway debut in the 2000 Tony Award–winning revival of The Real Thing and has also appeared in stage productions of As You Like It, Pygmalion, and The Importance of Being Earnest. She has performed in several Broadway plays, including the revival of The Winslow Boy and The Importance of Being Earnest.