A wonderfully written story superbly narrated

John Simm does a remarkable job narrating this fantasticly witty tale of Billy Liar. The different characters come alive through Simm's amazing delivery, it feels as if you are listening to a radio play. Best audiobook I've listened to. Would highly recommend to anyone

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1 person found this helpful

Old school but still excellent story

Superbly brought to life by John Simms excellent narration performance. The reminiscing of the film with Rodney Bewes at the end is a lovely bonus.

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Liked it.

A delightful listen. You should really get Simm to do more audioboks, he does different voices really great.

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Audible Could Not Have Picked A Better Narrator

Would you listen to Billy Liar again? Why?

Yes - it's the unusual combination of a classic novel which is hugely entertaining, and John Simm's performance takes the experience to a whole different level.

What other book might you compare Billy Liar to, and why?

It's a product of the 60s, so could be compared to 'Look Back in Anger', 'Poor Cow' or 'Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner' or other books from the 'kitchen sink' genre, but it really is unique in its characterisation and its combination of comedy, escapism and social commentary.

What does John Simm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

John Simm's narration is spectacularly good - getting a really classy actor to read an audiobook is one thing, but Simm inhabits the main character in a way I've not heard another actor achieve. He simply is Billy. His accents throughout are pitch perfect, but it is his performance as Billy which is the real standout.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, if I could have I would.

Any additional comments?

Hugely entertaining, highly recommended.

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4 people found this helpful

Perfect narrator

Absolutely delightful, made me laugh out loud, but poignant too. John Simm is outstanding as the narrator, he performs all the different voices brilliantly, a real tour de force.

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Funny, poignant, true to life and very Yorkshire!

I enjoyed this very much and was sorry to reach the end. I am a Lancashire lass but related very well to the setting and culture and ordinary people of Yorkshire and the era this was set in, having grown up then myself. Billy is endearing, pitiful and horrible in equal measure. The writing is also down to earth, prosaic and poetic in equal measure. A story with parts that are almost Monty Python, but also a haunting book in a certain way. I doubt that anyone who has read this will forget it. John Simm reads it perfectly and makes it real. His portrayal of every character is wonderful.

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2 people found this helpful

Billy Is A Liar!

Billy Fisher has a remarkable imagination. This gets him through the day!

For those around him, Billy's imagination makes life very difficult.

He lies his way through every situation, constantly promising what he cannot deliver.

Billy dreams of liberating himself from the drudgery around him.

If I hadn't of been studying this book, I would not have continued listening to it.

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