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The Pleasing Hour Audiobook
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(3.24) - 558 listener ratings
Publisher Description
Winner of the 1999 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, Lily King's splendid novel, The Pleasing Hour, is based on her experiences while traveling throughout France and Spain. She worked as an au pair during her four-year adventure and was inspired to begin writing. Having suffered a tremendous loss, 17-year-old Rosie decides to make a fresh start. Taking a job as a nanny on a houseboat in Paris, she fills the void of loss with a new family. Almost immediately she lets the three children and their needy father, Marc, into her heart. As their relationship becomes increasingly intimate, Rosie soon discovers the secrets of the cold and detached mother, Nicole--whose demons are eerily similar to her own. Masterfully giving voice and personality to each character, Suzanne Toren's narration does justice to Lily King's witty tale, leading the listener to both laughter and tears.
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"I very much enjoyed reading The Pleasing Hour -- I'm actually quite surprised that Oprah hasn't chosen it for her book club. It's very much her type of book -- summer reading with a kick. The novel centers around a young American girl who literally runs away to Paris and becomes an au pair for a rather interesting family there. The Pleasing Hour deals not only with Rosie, the au pair, but delves into the characters of the entire Tivot family -- the distant and cold mother, the scattered father who longs for human affection, the confused older sister, the brassy younger sister, and the brother, coddled by his mother and longing to become a priest. The book is somewhat of an insight into French culture, but Lily King is no Peter Mayle. It's the characters and the relationships among them that make The Pleasing Hour shine. The reader learns the cause of Rosie's pain quite early on in the book, and in a way, she's merely a window through which the reader is able to get a glimpse of the Tivot family. An intriguing and well-written debut novel -- I look forward to reading more by Ms. King."
— Karo (4 out of 5 stars)
The Pleasing Hour Listener Reviews
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" The writing was beautiful, evocative, made me want to be in Paris. But the plot lines, bouncing back and forth from first person to third person, past time to the eventual resolution were at the least, confusing. Ended up in keeping the story from being really stunning. Too bad, really. "
— Judith, 2/15/2014 -
" First BC selection in 2001 "
— Jennifer, 2/6/2014 -
" I read this a long time ago and remember liking it. Wish I could remember more details... "
— Daisy, 2/4/2014 -
" Mysterious story of girl who has child for her sister and then escapes to Paris. "
— Deb, 2/3/2014 -
" This novel has received rave reviews, but I found it rather uninteresting. A young woman becomes an au pair for a Parisian family to escape her past & ends up falling in love with the father (I guess; even that's not altogether clear). "
— Marvin, 1/30/2014 -
" Beautifully written, great insight into the characters. "
— Sara, 1/19/2014 -
" Another "wonder how this ended up on my bookshelf" book. Can't say I disliked it but I can't (and didn't) say I liked it much. I know I glanced over the Book Club Discussion Points at the end and pretty much wasn't interested in discussing any of those points at all. "
— Victoria, 1/1/2014 -
" A storyline that is disjointed but prose that is surprisingly fluid, with unexpected lyrical and deeply authentic lines that catch you unawares. "
— Kathy, 12/31/2013 -
" A predictable plot about a nanny in France that falls for the father of the 3 children. Plot jumps around too much for my liking. "
— Debi, 12/28/2013 -
" This was oddly inconsistent. The symbolism was incredibly "in your fce, beat you over the head" and the story line suffered from too-subtle details and odd time changes. I can clearly tell this was a first novel. Honestly, it seemed a bit amateurish for me. "
— Kristin, 12/17/2013 -
" Can't wait to read more books by Lily King! "
— Meredith, 11/24/2013 -
" A lovely, nuanced story about families, loss and common bonds that transcend culture and place. My only disappointment is that I don't think the French settings came through as vividly as Spain did. "
— Marguerite, 11/10/2013 -
" It's about a young American woman who goes to paris to work as an au pair and escape a decision she made back home. I really enjoyed it, especially because of the language issues that came up. "
— Elizabeth, 10/28/2013 -
" Takes place predominately in France, story of an au-pair who is escaping her past and the family she ends up working for. Great story that moves back and forth beautifully from past to present, very touching. "
— Candice, 10/27/2013 -
" There are dull parts, and I honestly wouldn't have lasted this book if not for the main character and her French host family's visit to Spain! "
— Jessica, 10/9/2013 -
" I enjoyed the author's relaxed writing style. Each part of the story unfolds in a natural way. "
— Gail, 6/22/2013 -
" Oh what a wonderful book. I loved loved loved this story of an au pair in France who escaped a suspect past in America. It was a lovely 1st novel by King. "
— Jill, 4/9/2013 -
" After reading several rave reviews of this book, I expected more. It is a decent, quick read. The book is set in France, both Paris and Southern, so if you like France, you may enjoy the setting. "
— Sheri, 12/30/2012 -
" Don't waste your time...unless you have a 20 hour car ride and your brain needs a rest from weightier reading... "
— Alison, 10/25/2012 -
" It was hard for me to rate this book. I liked the style of writing and the characters that were developed, but the ending didn't seem to bring things together and I closed the book wondering what the author had intended in writing this story. "
— Monique, 5/31/2012 -
" I loved the beginning and could really relate to the protagonist. I thought the perspectives of the three children, though well written, was unnecessary & detracting. "
— Kristen, 3/11/2012 -
" Had a somewhat compelling plot but was maudlin and cliche. I kept wanting to go somewhere other than the predictable but it never did. The author kept bringing in random things that did not seem to fit in with the book. "
— Libby, 1/15/2012 -
" I read this book a number of years ago, but loved it. We ended up doing it for my book club at the time, too. "
— Julia, 12/21/2011 -
" Beautifully written novel from the perspectives of several characters. The story centers around an American girl working as an au pair in Paris. Lovely, and just my kind of book -- a perfect fit for me. I'd highly recommend it. "
— Amy, 11/6/2011 -
" This was much better than I expected. Well-written and at least a little relatable for any reader who has lived in a foreign country. Made me want to go live abroad some more! "
— Sara, 4/25/2011 -
" A year in France brings a young American new reserves of sympathy and maturity. This is a light easy read yet contains much more than meets the eye. Very enjoyable and well written. As another reviewer said, "it left us feeling as we've become fluent in a foreign language". "
— L, 4/21/2011 -
" Don't waste your time...unless you have a 20 hour car ride and your brain needs a rest from weightier reading... "
— Alison, 2/15/2011 -
" There are dull parts, and I honestly wouldn't have lasted this book if not for the main character and her French host family's visit to Spain! "
— Jessica, 11/4/2010 -
" The writing was beautiful, evocative, made me want to be in Paris. But the plot lines, bouncing back and forth from first person to third person, past time to the eventual resolution were at the least, confusing. Ended up in keeping the story from being really stunning. Too bad, really. "
— Judith, 10/29/2010 -
" Lily King has gone to the top of my all-time-favorite authors. Beautiful! "
— Kim, 10/4/2010 -
" It's about a young American woman who goes to paris to work as an au pair and escape a decision she made back home. I really enjoyed it, especially because of the language issues that came up. "
— Elizabeth, 9/27/2010 -
" Beautifully written, great insight into the characters. "
— Sara, 9/21/2010 -
" A subtle, steady, satisfying read about a girl who has outgrown her home. Great, strong, clear characters. "
— Stef, 8/31/2010 -
" This was much better than I expected. Well-written and at least a little relatable for any reader who has lived in a foreign country. Made me want to go live abroad some more! "
— Sara, 8/16/2010 -
" This was oddly inconsistent. The symbolism was incredibly "in your fce, beat you over the head" and the story line suffered from too-subtle details and odd time changes. I can clearly tell this was a first novel. Honestly, it seemed a bit amateurish for me. "
— Kristin, 4/4/2010 -
" Beautifully written novel from the perspectives of several characters. The story centers around an American girl working as an au pair in Paris. Lovely, and just my kind of book -- a perfect fit for me. I'd highly recommend it. "
— Amy, 8/3/2009
About Lily King
Lily King is the author of several award-winning novels. Euphoria won the Kirkus Prize and the New England Book Award for Fiction and was named a best book of the year by Time magazine, the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and many others. Her debut novel, The Pleasing Hour, won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award and was a New York Times Notable Book and an alternate for the PEN/Hemingway Award. Her second book, The English Teacher, was a Publishers Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year, a Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year, and the winner of the Maine Fiction Award. Father of the Rain was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a Publishers Weekly Best Novel of the Year, and winner of the 2010 New England Book Award for Fiction.
About Suzanne Toren
Suzanne Toren, award-winning narrator, has over thirty years of experience in narration. She was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. She has won the American Foundation for the Blind’s Scourby Award for Narrator of the Year, AudioFile magazine named her the 2009 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture, and she is the recipient of multiple Earphones Awards. She performs on and off Broadway and in regional theaters and has appeared on Law & Order and in various soap operas.