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The Scandal of the Season Audiobook
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(3.00) - 826 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Jane Austen meets Philip Roth in a sexy, sparkling debut novel reconstructing the real-life scandal that inspired Alexander Pope's famous poem "The Rape of the Lock."
London, 1711. The rich young offspring of the city's fashionable families fill their days with masquerade balls, opera engagements, and clandestine courtships. Leading the pursuit of pleasure are the beautiful Arabella Fermor, with her circle of beaus, and Robert Petre, seventh Baron of Ingatestone, a man-about-town with his choice of mistresses.
Small, sickly, and almost penniless, Alexander Pope is peripheral by birth, yet his dazzling wit and ambition gain him unlikely entrance into high society. Privy to every nuance and drama, he is a brilliant and ruthless observer. As the forbidden passion between Arabella and Lord Petre deepens, fortunes change and reputations—even lives—are imperiled. Pope transforms their affair and its demise into a risqué poem, "The Rape of the Lock," that catapults him to fame and fortune.
A witty, provocative tale of intrigue, seduction, and betrayal, The Scandal of the Season captures a time when marriage was a market, sex was a temptation fraught with danger, and a costume could conceal a dandy or a murderer.
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"I don't think I ever would have picked up this book if it hadn't been recommended so highly by the bookseller who came to speak to our reading group. It's about the events that led Alexander Pope to write "The Rape of the Lock." I've never particularly liked poetry or 18th century British history for that matter, so the book was not a natural for me. I loved it from page one. The writing was wonderful; the plot a great combination of sex, political intrigue, and ambition; the characters all fascinating. I had a hard time putting this one down!"
— Carolyn (5 out of 5 stars)
The Scandal of the Season Listener Reviews
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" This is exactly the kind of novels i enjoy reading. Based in 1711, the time when money was the only thing that mattered when it came to marriage. "
— Chloe, 2/20/2014 -
" Reads a bit awkwardly due to unmarked perspective changes mid-stream, but moves well and offers a wealth of historical detail about the world of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. "
— Jessica, 2/20/2014 -
" Returned it to the library without finishing it. I grew bored in the first few chapters and had other things that I had more interest in reading. "
— Smschade, 2/20/2014 -
" A diverting read with interesting interaction. Not a favorite but I did really enjoy its attempt to relate the backstory of the Rape of the Lock. "
— Rebecca, 2/14/2014 -
" This is a wonderful, light summer read with an interesting premise. The story is a fictonalized account of how Alexander Pope came up with the idea for The Rape of the Lock. Don't expect too much, but lots of fun. "
— Kim, 2/14/2014 -
" Fictional work about Alexander Pope and his inspiration for one of his poems. "
— Vanessa, 2/2/2014 -
" Highly entertaining...I read it as non-stop as possible (given that I had to work 8 hours a day while reading it). Not quite as literary as I expected from a Harvard graduate and current Princeton professor. Reminds me more of a VERY steamy Georgette Heyer novel. Well-researched (as it should be...see sentence #2) 18th C romance novel overpowers what might have been an incredible historical fiction. Three and 1/2 stars...round up to four. "
— Bev, 1/22/2014 -
" This a well written historical novel about Alexander Pope and the incident that inspired "The Rape of the Lock". I enjoyed it. "
— Paula, 1/15/2014 -
" Definitely light reading, but I thought it was a lot of fun. "
— Tyler, 12/21/2013 -
" Takes place in London 1711. This is an historical novel aabout Alexander Pope, with Rev. Jonathan Swift, Richard Steele (The Tatler,) John Gay (The Begar's Opera,) and others. Includes the printing of The Rape of the Lock by Pope. Interesting look at another time in history. "
— Leora, 12/11/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this period tale. "
— Sue, 9/15/2013 -
" My guilty pleasure is historical fiction. It's okay. Literary historical fiction can be fun. It's not awesome or anything, but I breezed on through it. "
— Aparnaa, 3/15/2013 -
" I couldnt really get into it. I only read certain parts. "
— Anna, 2/7/2013 -
" This was good, but it didn't live up to my expectations. I thought it'd be a really interesting historical fiction book, but it was really only fine. I'd almost give it a 2.5. I liked it, it just didn't absorb me. "
— Joy, 1/30/2013 -
" Suprisingly good, expected it to be more trashy with the cover picture and title. But its based on real events and people and another piece of literature. "
— Helen, 10/7/2012 -
" Soft porn, with a non-fiction base and a cover sure to turn heads on the air plane! "
— Pam, 7/14/2012 -
" The story is based upon the epic poem "The Rape of the Lock" and is well-worth a read if one has read said poem. "
— Sara, 6/22/2012 -
" I'd really rate this book at about a 4.5, because the plot is a four but it is extremely well written. Although it was completed in the last few years, the conversations of the characters reflects the time period of the story perfectly, and the writing style is reminiscient of a Jane Austen novel. "
— Erica, 3/14/2012 -
" I just happened to pick this one off the New Books shelf at the library and am very glad that I did. I learned a great deal about the poet Alexander Pope and also a great deal about karma. "
— Mary, 3/3/2012 -
" I'm having a really hard time with this one. I think that not being familiar with the poem had hindered my ability to get into this book. For now its going back on the shelf. "
— Leila, 11/4/2011 -
" This was a charming well-paced novel of the actual (fictionalized?, proposed?) story behind Alexander Pope's poem, the Rape of the Lock. Great sense of the time period. "
— Shannon, 8/14/2011 -
" This was a charming well-paced novel of the actual (fictionalized?, proposed?) story behind Alexander Pope's poem, the Rape of the Lock. Great sense of the time period. "
— Shannon, 5/9/2011 -
" I just couldn't get into this, but I don't know why. The plot seemed to move very slowly and the characters didn't engage me. However, it seemed to have a lot of the features which I look for in a novel. I may try this one again sometime. "
— JackieB, 5/3/2011 -
" It was confusing, because I don't really read, historical fiction. Honestly, I only skimmed through it quickly. "
— Diana, 1/18/2011 -
" I just could not get into this book though I tried for 300 pages, that was with skipping a lot. The back cover sounded promising but this story was not for me.<br/> "
— Bronwyn, 1/14/2011 -
" I liked the book based on a true story of the times 1700's. Quick read and entertaining. "
— Rita, 10/26/2010 -
" I wish I would have known this was historical fiction before I started. It was a bit slow, but most true stories are. It was entertaining, the "Scandal" wasn't so scandalous. "
— Amy, 10/7/2010 -
" I normally like books written about this era. But this novel just was off for me, the whole thing just seemed awkward. Overall I just did not click with any of the characters at all. There was no sympathy, no feeling whatsoever. I just didn't care what happened to anyone. <br/> "
— Kellylynn, 9/2/2010 -
" Over written academic wankery. "
— Rob, 9/1/2010 -
" The story is based upon the epic poem "The Rape of the Lock" and is well-worth a read if one has read said poem. "
— Sara, 8/30/2010
About Sophie Gee
Sophie Gee writes about Restoration and eighteenth-century British literature from Milton to Jane Austen. A native of Australia, she received her PhD in English from Harvard and is now an assistant professor in the Department of English at Princeton. She was named the John E. Annan Bicentennial Preceptor, the highest distinction that can be given to a member of the junior faculty.
About Cameron Stewart
Cameron Stewart has toured in My Grandfather’s Great War, which was nominated for Best Solo Show by the Stage. He has appeared on television in The Turn of the Screw, All Saints, The Inbetweeners, Home and Away, Fallen Angel, Coronation Street, and Young Lions.