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

Not a book I'd typically choose, but glad I did.

I bought this either during a special sale or the daily deal. Normally I like Fantasy lit involving some sort of supernatural entity or a dark intriguing mystery.

This was a bit of mystery and intrigue. Hearing an honest and sober description of the 1960's British aristocracy was fascinating. I couldn't put it down.

Snobby Aristocrats Have Endless Existential Angst

I wanted to love this book since I love Julian Fellowes' dramatic works but it just didn't have me hanging on the edge of my seat, or even luxuriating in the gorgeous prose. Perhaps it was that the snobbery of these characters became repellent after a while. What is terrifying, pray tell, about carrots cut into rosettes? The ease with which these aristos carve up society into social strata and jockey about to solidify their position at the top, more or less, of that pile is nauseating. It makes me really glad that way of life has fallen away and that the strata are getting all jumbled.

Maybe that was what the book was trying to convey but it made me hate these people after a while.

And while the narrator's lilting upper-crusty accent was a pleasure to hear, he pronounced L.A.X. (the airport) as "lax" and A/K/A as "acka". Is this an upper-crusty British accent "thing"? Regardless, it totally took me out of the story.

I guess I'll stick to watching Mr. Fellowes' characters on the telly since that way I don't have to listen to quite so much of their snobby internal monologue.

Ok

Story of a man's return to school days. Overall Well read. Not one I would recommend.

Stellar !!

Exceptionally well written and read tale of unrequited love - from decisions we make as teens - looked back upon as our much older selves...

Enjoyable.

It's not a masterpiece but it is a decent novel, with some great moments, and very strong descriptions of historical periods, social situations, and bygone days (I, for obvious chronological and biographical reasons, am very familiar with).
I had previously listened to "Snobs" by Fellowes and I had loved it. This one is not as good but totally worth the time/money anyhow, I truly enjoyed it.

A Glittering Journey through Ballrooms & Decades

If you could sum up Past Imperfect in three words, what would they be?

Glittering, Tempestuous, Sad

Who was your favorite character and why?

OH probably the main character. He was so hapless. He couldn't catch a break. Made my heart break for him a bit.

Which scene was your favorite?

The dinner scene in Portugal - because you'd be hearing about it all book and it finally came out!

Past Imperfect

It's a fun commentary on English society. Great "types." The reader's voice and accent add to the reading; mispronunciations are at a minimum.
Worth the listen.

Good story but

good story but could have been so much better with less verbage and less introspection

Slow but intriguing

This book moves slowly but provides fascinating - and I can only assume accurate, given the author - insight into the British upper class and the social changes that took place in the last half of the 20th century. An enjoyable read if psychological exploration into that topic is interesting, as it is to me as an Anglophile and child of the late 60s myself.

Enjoyable listen.

Slow to hook me but once hooked it was an excellent story all 'round. Well written with a very good narrator.