After the Party

Imogen church is the best narrator that I have listened to, creating characters that one gets to know by their different voices. The story, whilst it is of quite ordinary people doing everyday things, is gripping and has one guessing what could possibly happen next?

I rarely abandon a book, particularly by an author whose work I have enjoyed in the past, which makes this all the more disappointing. I have always found Lisa Jewell’s novels engaging, but this one simply failed to hold my attention.

From the portion I managed to get through, the story felt slow and curiously dull. The writing lingers excessively on minor details, over explaining moments that add little to the narrative, which ultimately makes the whole experience feel heavy and laboured.

The audiobook narration did not help matters. The performance felt overly theatrical and oddly self important, delivered with a tone that at times came across as rather condescending. Instead of enhancing the story, it frequently distracted from it.

In the end, what should have been an absorbing listen became a rather tedious one, which is a real shame given the author’s usual standard.

I’m trying to stick with this as I like Lisa Jewell…..but this is a slow start and the characters are not forming in the way I’d usually hope and expect them to to. However, worst of all is the narrator. She reads this book in the same tone one might to a primary school class. Horribly annoying inflections and over enthusiasm at all the wrong moments. It’s ruining the entire book. Amazed the editor / producer allowed it.