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Less Than Angels

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Less Than Angels

By: Barbara Pym
Narrated by: Patience Tomlinson
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About this listen

Less Than Angels follows the loves, works and hopes of a group of young anthropologists.

Catherine Oliphant is a writer and lives with handsome anthropologist Tom Mallow. Their relationship runs into trouble when he begins a romance with student Deirdre Swann, so Catherine turns her attention to the reclusive anthropologist Alaric Lydgate, who has a fondness for wearing African masks.

Added to this love triangle are the activities of Deirdre's fellow students and their attempts to win the competition for a research grant. The course of true love - or academia - never did run smooth.

©1955 Barbara Pym (P)2013 Library Magna Books Ltd Classics

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Critic reviews

"A modern Jane Austen." (Alexander McCall Smith)
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Patience Tomlinson’s reading (performance really) of this and other wonderful Barbara Pym’s novels is utter perfection. Gentle and so funny.

Perfect reading

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A gently witty and enjoyable story, beautifully read by the narrator. I love all Barbara Pym's novels, and this one is up there with the best. Loved it!

Comedy of Manners at its best

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If the author’s other novels could be collectively described as wry comedies of English middle class life in the 1940s and 50s, then this book might be her attempt to add a dash of complexity to the recipe.

This tale about fustian anthropologists and those that know them combines amusement with a thread of melancholy, as we are asked to consider that if life is for living how should that living be evaluated. In the telling I felt that there may well also be a hint of self portrait in the character of Catherine.

A well performed, amusing and consistently interesting excursion into a bygone time.

Ways of living

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This was the most enjoyable of all the Barbara Pym audio books I've listened to. She has an amazing insight into human nature and as with her other novels, I found myself laughing out loud. I wish there were more... extremely highly recommended. I think I even prefer her as an author to Muriel Spark.

Fabulous!

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A wonderful performance of a great novel by Barbara Pym. It was so enjoyable hearing about the progress of other characters from the anthropological world, whom we met in previous novels. A real escape from the stresses of everyday life in the 2020's.

Classic Pym

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The author has great skill in describing situations, characters, appearance in a way that brings them to life. The book is full of wry humour and perceptive observation of a way of life and an ordering of society which is long gone, yet in a way seems bang up to date. It has the flavour of everyday life with added piquancy!

A delightful 'old fashioned' novel , entertaining but providing food for thought.

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I adore Barbara Pym but found this book had dated gracelessly and the cultural racist arrogance was more than I felt able to make allowances for in the context of the era when it was written.

Disappointing.

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