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A Length of Road

Finding Myself in the Footsteps of John Clare: A John Murray Original

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A Length of Road

By: Robert Hamberger
Narrated by: Charles Armstrong, Jackie Wills, Robert Hamberger
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About this listen

A memoir about love and loss, fatherhood and masculinity, class and belonging.

In 1841, the 'peasant poet' John Clare escapes from an asylum in Epping Forest, where he had been kept for four years, and walks over 80 miles home to Northamptonshire. Suffering from poor mental health, Clare was attempting to return to his idealized first love, Mary, unaware that she had died three years earlier.

In 1995, with his life in crisis and his own mental health fragile, Robert decides to retrace Clare's route along the Great North Road over a punishing four-day walk. As he walks, he reflects on the changing landscape and on the evolving shape of his own family, on fatherhood and masculinity, and on the meaning of home.

Part memoir, part travel-writing, part literary criticism, A Length of Road is a deeply profound and poetic exploration of class, gender, grief and sexuality through the author's own experiences and through the autobiographical writing of poet John Clare.

©2021 Robert Hamberger (P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd Biographies & Memoirs Literary History & Criticism Travel Writing & Commentary
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Loved it, works on so many levels. The authors reads the book with details of his wonderful working class family in Whitechapel. Taunted at school for gay behaviour. His close friendship with Clifford who became a painter.
Despite Robert's confusion, he falls in love with Dee, they have three children before the relationship flounders. At this point Robert leaves and decides to walk in the footsteps of John Clare a poet he much admires, who escaped from an asylum to walk many miles, back to his home town. Clare's poetry is a big part of the book.
Robert trudges in an effort to find himself'. He reflects on his life, as well as beautiful observations of nature, birds, flowers as well as passers by, sleeping rough etc. Jackie Wills brings a tender touch to some of Roberts poems.. And who Keith? Read and discover! 💕

A touching memoir

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Thoroughly enjoyable! Robert's voice is as soothing and inspiring as the words he is speaking, and the parts read by Charles Armstrong and Jackie Wills are extremely effective.

Brilliant!

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Formally innovative yet deeply personal, this 'literary memoir' immersively transports the reader/listener into the minds of both Hamberger and his subject, poet John Clare. Fans of Clare's poetry will no doubt relish the passion for the 'Peasant Poet' this book conveys, while those less familiar (like myself) are introduced to his life and work via the relatable prizm of Hamberger's emotional personal journey. The multi-voice style of A Length of Road is perfectly suited to the audiobook format, as three readers - led by the soothing vocals of the author himself - contribute to a warm and wonderfully textured listening experience.

A vivid, deeply affecting work

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