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The Years Audiobook
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(3.00) - 6,512 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Written in 1937, The Years was the most popular of Virginia Woolf's novels during her lifetime. It explores a rich variety of themes such as sex, feminism, family life, education, and politics in English society from 1800 to the 1930s, as they affect one large upper-class London family.
The principal theme of this ambitious book is time, threading together three generations of the Pargiter family. The story begins on a day in 1880 in the household of Colonel Abel Pargiter, his dying wife, and their seven children, and it ends in the 1930s with a brilliantly depicted party at which the Pargiters, young and old, pass in review. Important events—births, deaths, marriages, wars—occur in the wings; it is the commonplace moments that are captured here in a sequence of perfectly drawn scenes. As the Pargiters move from the oppressive confines of the Victorian home of the 1880s to the 1930s, they are weighed down by the pressures of war, capitalism, empire, and the rise of Fascism.
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"Like Linwood Barclay's books, this one is a quick read because you don't want to put it down! The action is fast and furious and Coben's witty writing and smart ass comments keep you reminded that it's not the real world, just great entertainment. The main character searches for a girlfriend that he hasn't seen for six years, despite the fact that at her wedding to another man, he promised her he would leave her alone. The other man's sudden murder prompts Jake to figure out why she seems to have disappeared."
— Hella (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Lovely though The Waves was, The Years goes far beyond and beyond it—expressing Woolf’s purpose in the novel more richly than it has ever been done before.”
— New York Times -
“Inspired throughout—a brilliant fantasia of all time’s problems, age and youth, change and permanence, truth and illusion.”
— Times (London) -
“It would be impossible to overpraise the beauty of Mrs. Woolf’s prose in The Years. There is, to my mind, an immense advance from the wild, disjoined poetry of Orlando or Flush, a greater gravity, a ripeness and richness and warmth in the descriptive passages which she has achieved nowhere else…The Years is the finest novel she has ever written.”
— New Statesman -
“An astonishing editorial achievement.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London) -
“Finty Williams’s bright, lively voice immediately engages listeners in Virginia Woolf’s 1937 novel. Beginning in 1880, the story chronicles fifty years in the life of the Pargiter family yet doesn’t actually sustain a narrative line. It is more a series of lively vignettes, significant events, memories, and sensations. Of course, Woolf’s feminism and social consciousness are ever present, but even more prevalent in this work is her awareness of the remorseless passage of time. While the novel is fascinating as much for its omissions as for its artful prose and character sketches, it is Finty Williams’s performance, her intensity and believable characterizations, that will keep listeners glued to their headsets.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Finalist for the 2007 Audie Award for Classics
The Years Listener Reviews
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Mariana Capasso, 7/6/2014
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" The plot was ok. This was not one of Coben's better novel. "
— Jennifer, 2/16/2014 -
" I love Harlan Coben, he has a easy writing style, and if you haven't read any of his other books...you are missing out. He surprises the hell out of you, lulls you into an understanding of the plot, when suddenly...nothing is what it seems. He is an amazing suspense writer. 6 years is a Coben book, in that although not as strong as some of his other books, it still will keep you up all night. "
— Fawn, 1/29/2014 -
" Great book. It's a while since a book has kept me up into the wee hours like this, as I just could not sleep until I knew how it all resolved. Highly recommended. "
— Liana, 1/28/2014 -
" Having stayed away from Coben books for some time this was a fast paced and intriguing story. A non government witness protection organization. Believable characters made for enjoyable read. "
— Shirley, 1/27/2014 -
" The last Harlan Coben book I'll pay full price for. AT $14.99, it was not worth it. I've read much more intriguing book for $1.99 by less well-known authors. If this was the first Coben book I'd read, it would be the last at any price except for free. It was not up to the Myron Bolitar series, or many of the stand-alone books he's written. It was easy to predict how it would end up. The twists and turns didn't really evolve as the story went along; they were basically all explained after the fact. Jake was obsessed with a woman he spent three months with, and this obsession cost several people their lives. He justified it all because he got what he wanted in the end. And I have to wonder, if he so easily found Natalie's mother and sister, why didn't the bad guys threaten them in order to get to her? I'd like my money back. "
— Nancy, 1/23/2014 -
" This was pretty engaging, but I never grew to like the narrator very much, and the ending didn't work for me. "
— Jennifer, 1/21/2014 -
" I always wonder whether or not Coben can write a book without the premise being someone has gone missing. But most days, I don't care, b/c he does it so well. I love the feeling you get, reading his books, where you're completely lost, but you know answers are coming; that is my favorite place to be, in a literary sense, working towards the truth. Six Years was Coben's best work in years. "
— Nick, 1/9/2014 -
" Once again, I couldn't put a Harlan Coben novel down. Easy and fast-paced! "
— Barb, 1/8/2014 -
" The teaser on the cover noted a great plot. About 75 pages into the book the plot waffled and the rest was nothing more than a mediocre novel. "
— Tom, 1/8/2014 -
" Although this is a stand alone novel and not a Bolitar, it was engaging from the first page. Coben has created another great protagonist and the unravelling of the plot was a joy. Very fun! "
— Julie, 1/8/2014 -
" Another stellar book by Harlan Coben. I love the action and it was great to read him breaking out of his usual story line and get creative. "
— Janai, 12/27/2013 -
" Worth the wait. Ready for the next one "
— Ava, 12/16/2013 -
" Excellent. Kept you interested through out. A very good book without bad language or full of sex. I recommend the read. "
— Stephanie, 12/6/2013 -
" Fast read. Grabbed me from beginning but ending was lacking. "
— Ainslie, 12/6/2013 -
" This book kept me turning pages so quickly, I didn't really even have time to figure out the mystery. I just wanted to get to the end of it to find out!! It was a fabulous read...highly recommend it! "
— Julie, 11/23/2013 -
" Six Years was Coben's best book in a while. I could barely put it down--I read it overnight at the expense of half of my night's sleep! "
— Judy, 9/13/2013 -
" This one was not my favorite Coben book. I thought the plot was kind of clunky. It did come together in the end but not very cohesively. "
— Michele, 9/3/2013 -
" Loved it! While it is quite far fetched, it's a good mystery novel with a loveable main character. Moves very quickly and keeps you reading! Read it in a few hours! "
— Kris, 8/16/2013 -
" Loved it. Harlan Coben. A favorite "
— Rachel, 8/11/2013 -
" This is one of Coben's best "stand alone" novels ever. A genuine difficult to put down page turner. Enjoy! "
— Karen, 6/21/2013 -
" Don't start Six Years if you need to sleep. You will keep promising yourself that you will put it down after just one more chapter. "
— Tom, 5/25/2013 -
" Great read! Storyline keeps you guessing until the end. Mystery and suspense "
— Susan, 4/26/2013 -
" I finished this in one day. Always a pleasure to read one of his books. "
— Julie, 1/6/2013 -
" A good enough read. But u know the outcome after a couple of chapters. We await the next book :) "
— Debbe', 12/26/2012 -
" I was going to give this one star, but since I did not quit reading it...I will give it two. "
— Lisa, 12/5/2012 -
" Another well told Harlan Coben story; always an enjoyable journey... "
— William, 10/29/2012 -
" Like this author but disappointed in this book.. "
— Joann, 9/17/2012 -
" So disappointing ..... "
— Karen, 8/23/2012 -
" A good suspense! "
— Jennifer, 8/20/2012 -
" Coben always delivers "
— DiAnn, 6/2/2012
About Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf (1882–1941), one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century, transformed the art of the novel. She was a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. The author of numerous novels, collections of letters, journals, and short stories, she was also an admired literary critic and a master of the essay form.
About Finty Williams
Finty Williams has worked extensively in theater, television, film, and audio. As a narrator, she has received multiple Earphones Awards and twice won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Her stage credits include The Secret Life of Charlie Chaplin, Northanger Abbey, and The Misanthrope, while on television she has been seen in Born and Bred, Tales from the Crypt, and The Torch. Her films include Gosford Park, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Mrs. Brown.