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The Bachelors Audiobook
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(3.06) - 158 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A barrister, a “priest,” a detective, a lovelorn Irishman, a handwriting expert, a heinous spiritual medium … the very British bachelors of Muriel Spark’s supreme 1960 novel come in every stripe. First found contentedly chatting in their London clubs and shopping at Fortnum’s, the cozy bachelors are not set to stay cozy for long. Soon enough, the men are variously tormented—defrauded, stolen from, blackmailed, or pressed to attend horrid séances—and then plunged, all together, into the nastiest of lawsuits. At the center of that suit hovers pale, blank Patrick Seton, the medium. Meanwhile, horrors of every size plague the poor bachelors—from epileptic fits to forgeries, spiritualists foaming with protoplasm, and murder—and each horror delights, lit up by Spark’s uncanny wit, at once malicious, funny, and deadly serious.
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"Amazed at Spark's ability to pull off such an engaging tale. A full cast in a story that jumps about and leaves the large question unanswered--all to the benefit of the story. In lesser hands, it'd be a mess; Spark shines. "
— Douglas (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“I am dazzled by The Bachelors. It is the cleverest and most elegant of all Mrs. Spark’s clever and elegant books.”
— Evelyn Waugh -
“One of the most decisive and unmistakable voices in contemporary fiction…Spark concocts a present-tense deadpan that is at once lyrical, extravagant, and gruesomely funny.”
— New Yorker -
“Completely, searingly original.”
— Independent (London) -
“A rare writer…wickedly funny…astonishingly talented…and truly inimitable.”
— San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle -
“Incomparable reader May’s gentle British accent perfectly animates The Bachelors, a novel of sophisticated wit.”
— Booklist -
“Spark is always a great read.”
— Library Journal
The Bachelors Listener Reviews
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" Perhaps the best reflection of Spark's sacramental sense. "
— Kathleen, 9/24/2013 -
" Usual Spark dark, twisted plot although I found this one a bit disturbing. Also usual terrific narration by Nadia May. "
— John, 4/26/2013 -
" All this talk of Ms. Spark being a genius is probably true. "
— Everett, 4/8/2013 -
" Amazed at Spark's ability to pull off such an engaging tale. A full cast in a story that jumps about and leaves the large question unanswered--all to the benefit of the story. In lesser hands, it'd be a mess; Spark shines. "
— Douglas, 5/8/2011 -
" Spark's axes must have been very sharp by the time she finished writing this one but her rapier wit was dulled somewhat by her decision to confine her characters to the courtroom. "
— Brent, 2/23/2011 -
" If I could only read Muriel Spark and Iris Murdoch for the next 10 years, I would not complain. "
— Amanda, 11/1/2010 -
" Spark's axes must have been very sharp by the time she finished writing this one but her rapier wit was dulled somewhat by her decision to confine her characters to the courtroom. "
— Brent, 8/31/2010
About Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark (1918–2006) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the author of over twenty novels, including The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, as well as critical biographies, radio plays, children’s books, poetry, and short-story collections. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1993 and a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 1996.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.