Past Imperfect

By: Julian Fellowes

Narrated by: Richard Morant

Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Damian Baxter is hugely wealthy and dying. He lives alone in a big house in Surrey, England, looked after by a chauffeur, butler, cook and housemaid. He has but one concern--his fortune in excess of 500 million and who should inherit it on his death. Past Imperfect is the story of a quest. Damian Baxter wishes to know if he has a living heir. By the time he married in his late 30s he was sterile (the result of adult mumps), but what about before that unfortunate illness? Had he sired a child? He sets himself (and others) to the task of finding his heir.

©2008 Julian Fellowes (P)2009 BBC Audio

Imperfect

What did you love best about Past Imperfect?

What an adventure. To visit your past and have a completely different outlook.
The English language was totally delightful and in the beginning of this read was captivating. This is a absolute must listen to.

Perception versus Reality

Where does Past Imperfect rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank Past Imperfect about midway. It had an interesting story and I loved the behind the scenes look at that period in Britain, but the subject matter is an anomalie for me since my current reading focus is Fantasy books.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Past Imperfect?

One of the most memorable scenes for me was when Damien Baxter passed away. The narrator had learned more of Damien's background story by then, which made his last words more poignant.

Which scene was your favorite?

The same scene.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Villain or Victim - who is the real Damien Baxter?

A Slightly Long Cultural Experience

What did you like best about Past Imperfect? What did you like least?

This is the perfect question because most of what I liked best is also what I liked least. This book was filled with rich details of the culture of England's aristocracy in the late 1960s and early 1970s as well as how it has changed since that time. I enjoyed how thorough the book was and found the topic often fascinating; however, this book often vacillated between sounding like a nonfiction history book and the overall fictional story of the main character, and this was detracting from the story and the abrupt shifts were difficult to adapt to at times. In addition, I occasionally experienced the protagonist's opinions about the world as a bit dogmatic, which was off-putting. I think some of the facts could have been weeded out to make this book shorter because it did feel a bit slow in the middle, and the constant allusion to the "big event" started to feel overdone since you don't find out until the end what really happened. Overall, I did like the story and appreciated how things were resolved and concluded.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator did a good job for the most part, but I found his ability to do different accents lacking. I particularly found his American accent grating and difficult to listen to.

Could you see Past Imperfect being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Sure--probably something the BBC would do.

Any additional comments?

Worth a credit if you're interested in this particular topic done in a fictional format. If you're not into this, then you'll probably find it long and boring.

Worth the read

It dragged on a bit but had a good plot. I enjoyed peering into life on the other side. The author is a good writer and made me laugh periodically. It is also humbling to see life through the eyes of both the living and the dying.

I laughed and I cried. Loved it.

A good look at how people grow while others never change. It Is a fun exploration of being young and the reality of growing old. There is tragedy and triumph. Well written and well narrated. I really enjoyed this book.

The story is a winding tale with riveting characters.

I’m a fan of Julian Fellows’ writing style, and this book did not disappoint. The characters are well developed and interesting throughout. The ending is nicely finished, like a glass of fine wine, smooth and satisfying.

Oddly Interesting

The book easily caught my attention early on, but then the pace draaagggged along extremely slowly. I wouldn't have made it through any other book, and (at one point) almost didn't make it through this one. I was interested in the final outcome, and I couldn't bring myself to just skip to the end. So, I tucked this one away from time to time and listened to other books here and there. It took me several months to finish this book. The story itself had such a grip on me that I couldn't make a clean break before knowing how it ended. For that alone, the author deserves no less than 3 stars. I'm glad I finished the book.

nostalgia/social commentary/meaning of life

I'd owned this book for more than a year before I finally listened and it was one of those books you could doze off while listening to and not really mind. Much of what other reviewers have said I agree with, that it can be a bit repetitive, sometimes snobbish, but I thought he wound up the story in a very satisfying way. As the title suggests, the narrator acknowledges his own limitations while exposing those of others, which is endearing (see Salman Rushdie's Joseph Anton for just the opposite). I'd say read over all the reviews and decide if it suits you, then don't expect too much and you may enjoy it!

Way with a phrase

Delightful change of pace style, syntax and all that. Good story. Great narrator. Pleased to "read" a love/sex scene that isn't about grabbing this and twiddling that ... less is more sometimes. Wish I'd read the last part first to know what the dinner in Portugal was all about.

Calling all Angliophiles!

What did you love best about Past Imperfect?

An insider's view of how the British upper class live and commune. Almost like spying - wonderful.

What does Richard Morant bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As with any wonderful audible book, I forget the narrator and become lost in the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As a devotee to everything British, I appreciated the perspective and detailed views on just about everything (food, dress, etiquette).