Lolly Willowes cover art

Lolly Willowes

Penguin Modern Classics

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Lolly Willowes

By: Sylvia Townsend Warner
Narrated by: Olivia Darnley
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £11.20

Buy Now for £11.20

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Lolly Willowes, so gentle and accommodating, has depths no one suspects. When she suddenly announces that she is leaving London and moving, alone, to the depths of the countryside, her overbearing relatives are horrified. But Lolly has a greater, far darker calling than family: witchcraft.

'The book I'll be pressing into people's hands forever . . . It tells the story of a woman who rejects the life that society has fixed for her in favour of freedom ... tips suddenly into extraordinary, lucid wildness' Helen McDonald

'Witty, eerie, tender ... her prose, in its simple, abrupt evocations, has something preternatural about it' John Updike

'A great shout of life and individuality ... an act of defiance that gladdens the soul' Guardian

© Sylvia Townsend Warner 1926 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Classics Gender Studies Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Social Sciences Fiction
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

A great shout of life and individuality. (Justine Jordan)
The book I'll be pressing into people's hands forever is Lolly Willowes [. . .] Starting as a straightforward, albeit beautifully written family saga, it tips suddenly into extraordinary, lucid wildness. (Helen McDonald)
Sylvia Townsend Warner moves with sombre confidence into the realm of the supernatural, and her prose, in its simple, abrupt evocations, has something preternatural about it (John Updike)
All stars
Most relevant
I first read this in 1978 and still have my old women’s press copy. Ostensibly this is about witches, but there is much more about the role of older women in society. I was inspired to re-read this after reading Weyward by Emilia Hart. The countryside is both beautiful and macabre and plays an important role. The narration is first rate

Sympathy for the Devil

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved the narration, slightly soporific but enchanting, like the tale. Not sure we got to know Laura till nearer the end but perhaps that is intentional, the invisible spinster sister,

Interesting early feminist piece

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narrative is as quirky as the central character. Comparisons and observations are delightful and Lolly's psyche is delicious. And at the bottom of the novel is a truly relatable account of the status and plight of the "maiden aunt". Worth more than a single listen!

Subtle, ever, relevant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An enjoyably witty, strange story of spinsterhood, witchcraft and freedom. The narrator's voice is like liquid gold, just flows through one's mind in such a relaxing way. All over, a great audible experience.,

Delightful tale, Beautifully narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
One of my all-time favourite books. A wickedly funny, timeless story, beautifully narrated here. Sit back and enjoy!

Just perfect

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews