
Paul
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Eva Feiler
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By:
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Daisy Lafarge
About this listen
A New York Times Editor's Choice
"A magnetic, atmospheric, razor-sharp work."—Aysegül Savas, author of Walking on the Ceiling and White on White
An insightful look at a young woman’s search for meaning, independence, and belonging in the face of a consuming relationship
Frances is an English graduate student bruised by a messy breakup. On the spur of the moment, she decides to volunteer at a farm in rural France with the hope that the change of scenery will help clear her head. The farm, curiously named Noa Noa, is owned by Paul, an appealing, enigmatic Frenchman. Frances is charmed by his easygoing ways and by the area itself, both welcome changes from the life she has known. Yet the more time she spends in Paul’s world, the more unmoored she begins to feel. It isn’t long before murmurings about Paul begin to surface and she realizes how ill-equipped she is for the emotional battle of wills that is smoldering around her, one that threatens to silence and engulf her.
In Paul, Daisy Lafarge has written a perceptive exploration of the power dynamics between men and women, told in a fresh and exciting new voice.
©2022 Daisy Lafarge (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie’s empire faces threats from without and within.
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Rich characters of all stripes
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Critic reviews
"Lafarge is deft....and guide[s] by sustained, brooding tension."—The New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice
"The story of a bright young woman ensnared by an older man is a familiar one. Poet Daisy Lafarge tells it well, in hypnotic prose, laced with the buzzing of insects, the burning of hot sun, the intensity of the man. It is a sensuous pleasure to read as this gaslit woman first loses, then slowly regains, her voice."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Larfarge uses the thoroughly contemporary story of a traumatized graduate on her European gap year to boldly reinterpret Gauguin’s life and legacy...the novel makes it impossible to separate the art from the artist. What, Paul asks us, is so fundamentally valuable about the artist’s work that we continue to view, sell, and celebrate it more than a century later?"—The Atlantic
What listeners say about Paul
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- barbara
- 11-16-22
Really enjoyed it, and it has stuck with me
This is a wonderful book and it was narrated well. The story of an impressionable young woman falling under the thrall of a charismatic man is one that rings all too true for many women. It was skilfully written, and has really stuck with me. I'm sure I'll listen to this again at some point, because it was so well done.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Cleopatra
- 08-19-22
Good Story
I actually did not care too much for the narrator at first due to how monotone she sounded in some areas and over dramatic in other areas. But as the story continued her voice worked well with the main character and I think her style worked with the overall experience.
The story was really well written. There was a part I was a tad bit confused on but ultimately it leveled out and all made sense. The message is deep and something that is not spoken about. I really enjoyed the book. The author writes really well and I think it was told perfectly.
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