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The Party

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The Party

By: Elizabeth Day
Narrated by: Greg Wagland, Stephanie Racine
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About this listen

**Elizabeth Day’s new novel Magpie is available to pre-order now.**

AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR

A gripping story of betrayal, privilege and hypocrisy, set in the unassailable heart of the British establishment.

‘A terrifying, hilarious, brilliantly written original with a wit to die for’ Phoebe Waller-Bridge

‘As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn't know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.’

Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn’t wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family’s estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had.

But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years.

At Ben’s 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests – the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich – Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn’t do anything to damage their friendship.

Would he?

‘The twists and turns that the novel takes are never predictable and the novel becomes as unsettling as it is involving. One of those books that a person reads in one day because you absolutely have to know how it turns out’ John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

©2017 Elizabeth Day (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
Literary Fiction Political Psychological Suspense Fiction Celebration Wine Exciting Scary
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What listeners say about The Party

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Neutral

I can't say I particularly enjoyed this book, I can't tell if the narration or the way the main character was written that made it seem stiff and uncomfortable. I felt like it went into a lot of unnecessary detail in places which detracted from the story. I only listened to the end to see what happened and was a bit disappointed; the story seemed kind of familiar and the overall twist/outcome unsurprising.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Party of the Year...

After listening to some 5 star reviewed rubbish, this was a breath of fresh air. Here is an author who knows their craft, a well put together novel with believable characters... and not a predictable ending in sight.

Highly recommended!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Uncomfortable

My skin crawled almost all the way through this; it wasn't the reader, not completely, that crept up my spine; he was pretty good at conveying the coldness of Martin's narration. It was the writing. It made me feel ambiguous about most of Day's characters. None, but George, Lucy, and Fliss, came off with any humanity. Even then, I wouldn't want to stay with them through a whole story.

I realise the purpose of a creepy narrator, but having just read Faulks's Engelby, Party was a flimsy comparison.

Going to wash myself clean with something more hopeful, now.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story telling

Excellent read, excellent narration. Cleverly constructed story of relationships, Damaged by life they follow their goals, careless of others. Very interesting insights.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing, twisted plot

Slow start to begin, but very interesting plot as the story unravelled. Enjoyed how the story was told by both the husband and wife.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Keeps you guessing

So intriguing the attitude the characters the deepening web you are hooked into. Each little tug u think what’s coming next. So different from how to fail but the versatility day shows is inspiring.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

An enjoyable listen, it's well written and i loved the multi narration/character points of view.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

The clever plot as with most Elizabeth Day novels.

I love Elizabeth Day books. Think she has tremendous talent and character insight. The narrators were a perfect choice!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved every minute!

Would highly recommend. Didn’t want it to end…this is my second Elizabeth Day novel…looking for more!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

The Party

I did like this book and it did flow along at a nice pace but the twist was minor and the big reveal was obvious. On saying this though I loved the different characters and what each brought to the plot. The narration was spot on.

Briefly it's about two couples who come from different ends of the financial spectrum. The men have known one another since school and each - in my view - kind of depend on the other. The rich couple hold a party where something happens and that's where the novel starts. The story is told through the poorer couple's perspective and regularly hops between time frames.

A short novel - for me, and worth a credit. Don't know if I would read anything else by the author at the moment.

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4 people found this helpful