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Human Croquet

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Human Croquet

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Susan Jameson
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Summary

Once it had been the great forest of Lythe - a vast and impenetrable thicket of green.And here, in the beginning, lived the Fairfaxes, grandly, at Fairfax Manor, visited once by the great Gloriana herself.

But over the centuries the forest had been destroyed, replaced by Streets of Trees.The Fairfaxes have dwindled too; now they live in 'Arden' at the end of Hawthorne Close and are hardly a family at all.

But Isobel Fairfax, who drops into pockets of time and out again, knows about the past. She is sixteen and waiting for the return of her mother - the thin, dangerous Eliza with her scent of nicotine, Arpège and sex, whose disappearance is part of the mystery that still remains at the heart of the forest.

 Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction Fantasy Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Military Funny Mind-bending
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Critic reviews

Vivid, richly imaginative, hilarious and frightening by turns
Huge, exhilarating, loving and detailed eruption of a novel...an utterly intoxicating display of novelistic elan...big and joyous, literary and accessible...storytelling at its buoyant best
Wonderfully eloquent and forceful Kate Atkinson goes at the same pace in her second novel as she did in her first...welcome back, wild north-easter...brilliant and engrossing
Vivid and intriguing...fizzles and crackles along...a tour de force
Part ghost story, part murder mystery, this is an exquisitely written, literary novel that reads as compellingly as any thriller
A stunner of a second novel...a gutsy book, wrenched from the heart and written with tremendous force, immersing you in its strange, eccentric world
The quirky imagination, subversive humour and instinct for domestic chaos that Atkinson displayed in her first novel...are rampantly evident again
All stars
Most relevant
I was engrossed in this book. The wonderful use of language was particularly engaging. Brought all the character and places to life.

Wonderful writing

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As usual, Kate Atkinson manages to create the most wonderful characters and plots. Loved the narration too. Very much recommend!

Loved it

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An Excellent novel full of thoughtful themes. The narration is first class a thoroughly enjoyable experience

Excellent

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Loved the story, the writing is fantastic, so lyrical. This was made even more enjoyable by the narrator, whose narration of the story, each character and every accent was absolutely fabulous

Perfect narration

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Really a 5* narration here. The performance was wonderful. The voices were so good and so distinctive and the storytelling was mesmerising. It's a wonderful, intricate, interesting book. Kate Atkinson is truly a master storyteller. So many elements of different genres. I enjoyed the nod to Lolly Willowes in the cat named Vinegar Tom. I have very old trees around my old house and I have wondered what they have seen over the years and this was a delicious taste of how history could unfurl and spiral in one spot. Just magical. I had read it years ago but enjoyed it even more as an audio book.

Wonderful book and so beautifully performed

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