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The Middle Parts of Fortune

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The Middle Parts of Fortune

By: Frederic Manning
Narrated by: Stanley McGeagh
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About this listen

First published anonymously in 1929 because its language was considered far too frank for the public circulation, The Middle Parts of Fortune was hailed by T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, by Lawrence of Arabia and Ernest Hemingway, as an extraordinary novel. Its author was in fact Frederic Manning, an Australian writer who fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, and who told his story of men at war from the perspective of an ordinary soldier.

Never before published in Australia, The Middle Parts of Fortune is now recognized as a 20th-century classic.

Public Domain (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction

Editor reviews

Frederic Manning used his experience as a soldier in the British Army during World War I for this novel about life in the trenches, hailed as one of literature's most realistic depictions of war and a cult classic that would be celebrated by the likes of Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, T. E. Lawrence, and Ernest Hemingway. Stanley McGeagh performs Bourne, the author surrogate, as a man apart from fellow soldiers, giving his accent a tonier polish than that of his more working-class brethren, yet brings a warm, fraternal jocularity that showcases the camaraderie formed between soldiers during wartime.

Critic reviews

"The finest and noblest book of men in war." (Ernest Hemingway)
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Any additional comments?

Why weren't more books like this written? First hand accounts with genuine language and real (often gruesome) details.
In the book, the average soldier is concerned with small, petty things when not fighting, and then can be suddenly - matter-of-factly - ended when in the front line.
The writer - though the book is autobiographical - seems as detached as his main character is. There no sentimentality in the book - which came as quite a shock to me. I kept waiting for it, but it didn't come.
Excellent book.

Great read - uncensored

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Lest we forget: Manning is one of the greats who ensures we will not. I am so glad to have discovered this novel, albeit belatedly.

Honest, insightful, humane.

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It’s obvious that the author writes from experience, he captures the relationships between soldiers in only the way someone who served could. Loved the performance which enhanced the beautiful writing. Perhaps a bit slow for some but worth it for me!

Beautifully written

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An intricate insight into the everyday lives of men at the front during the great war. A must for war buffs however, I found the literary style slightly lacking. There is a lot of dense information dumping, perhaps necessary for audiences of the time however for the modern reader that I am, it seemed to kick me out of the story all too often.

Fine narration...writing style a little dense

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What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

War as it really is, both the boredom and the horror of it.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Stanley McGeagh?

Somebody who knows French!

Difficult Read - I Liked it by the End

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