Anita

By: Keith Roberts

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Fantasy, 2013

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), cast the narrator and produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

A few words from Neil on Anita: "Anita is an almost forgotten novel by one of the finest UK writers. But it is a favorite of mine. Anita works on two levels: on the one hand, the stories are a product of the 1960s - they come out of a swinging world and a "Georgy Girl" time, and Keith Roberts, then a young art director, has captured the feel of the sixties. At the same time, he writes about a teenage witch being brought up by her Granny; he writes about a young witch falling in love, getting her heart broken, about change and growing up and compromise, about what magic is and how you can lose it sometimes and how you can get it back. And the character of Anita's Granny is amazing, one of Keith Roberts' best characters…. [Anita] set the template for all the teenage witch stories that come after, and she did it better and more magically. I wanted these stories back in "print", where people could hear them and could fall in love with Anita and Granny, as I did."

Meet Anita Thompson: she's young, she's lovely, she's clever ... and she's a witch. A real one.

Anita lives in two worlds: the modern world of supermarkets and sports cars, radio and rock & roll, where she is a thoroughly modern girl with a thoroughly modern interest in boys and fast living and her own independence. But the ancient and rustic world of traditions, cauldrons, and familiars , where she and her Granny (a witch of the Old School, broom and all) invoke elemental spirits int he service of Him Wot's Down Under. She has senses no ordinary mortal can imagine (at least nine); with them, she can hear the voices of every creature of the night. She can changer her shape, call a drowned corpse from a lake, reverse the flow of time, and ride the Sea Serpent (there's only the one, you know; always has been -- always will be) deep into the ocean in the company of a mermaid, even though the modern world is trying to crowd aside -- and even change -- that world of witchcraft and magic. Yet, complicated as a young witch's life may become, Anita never loses her sense of fun, or her essential innocence.

When the Anita stories first appeared in Science Fantasy and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in the late 1960s, they were immediately recognized as a strikingly original departure for the author of such celebrated works as Pavane. One critic called the original 1970 collection of these stories a "treasure." This new volume presents the stories in the author's corrected, definitive texts, a new introduction by the author, and an additional story which did not appear in the first edition.

To hear more from Neil Gaiman on Anita, click here, or listen to the introduction at the beginning of the book itself.

Learn more about Neil Gaiman Presents and Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).

©1990 The Estate of Keith Roberts (P)2011 Wildside Press LLC

A lovely bunch of stories

I downloaded this book because it was Neil Gaiman recommended.

I'm always eager to read (or in this case listen to) books and authors that are inspirations and influences on authors I love.

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the each chapter seemed to almost be a sort of novella that added up to the story of a fledgling witch.

I also loved that this was written by a man. It has a truly feminine voice to it, and that's not just because of the fabulous job done by Nicola Barber in reading it. I mean that the way in which it was written truly seemed female, there was no forced "this is how girls should be/act" or any stereotypes that some male writers feel should be put in. it reads as just a story of a girl, who happens to be a witch, growing up and finding her place.

I highly recommend it.

An absolute delight.

Amusing stories that put you in the mind and heart of a free spirited young witch. Ms. Barber masterfully narrates each of the tales so that the text falls away and leaves the feeling of being there. Top marks for all.

Thoroughly enjoyable

What made the experience of listening to Anita the most enjoyable?

Listening to the characters gave a really good feel for what was going on and I was able to imagine the characters while I was listening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Anita?

I liked the part when Anita had a friend for the first time.

Have you listened to any of Nicola Barber’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I would like to listen to her other works now.

Fantastic forgotten gem!

I was blown away by this lost classic and by the terrific narration of Nicola Barber. I will definitely be buying more of the "Neil Gaiman Presents" series!

Fun Listen

The way I like to enjoy audiobooks is to listen in smaller doses then I would If I were reading a story, sometimes while doing something that requires no concentration. Anita was perfect for this because each chapter is a thoroughly enjoyable short story in and of itself. It is satisfying to listen to a chapter, finish a story, set my headphones aside, and know that when I pick them up again an equally imaginative and endearing story will be awaiting me.

Each story is a saga in the life of Anita and throughout these stories characters change, past stories are reflected upon, the world evolves, and you never get bored as new adventures take place. I believe I would not have enjoyed it nearly as much if it wasn't for the wonderful narration by Nicola Barber. I really got the sense that I was hearing the different characters as they spoke not just because different voices were assigned to different characters, but because each voice was well performed and matched the dialogue and personality of the character perfectly.

Lots of witchy fun

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd definitely recommend this to a friend as it's fun and easy to get into. Anita has many playful details that provide depth one sometimes doesn't expect from YA lit.

What did you like best about this story?

The relationship between Anita and Granny Thompsen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I generally listen on my commute and the short story structure of this lends itself to that sort of fractured listening.

Any additional comments?

The book shines when Anita is being bold and adventurous. It tends to get a little muddled and confused during the

A Fun Series of Short Stories

This is an excellent listen! Capturing an older era feel, the stories are light hearted and fun! You root for Anita and listen to her exploits with great delight. I really enjoyed the unpretentious, and matter-of-fact manner that Keith Roberts talks about witches in a classic, and playfully distorted way.

did not like the story at all

What would have made Anita better?

could not follow the story line

Has Anita turned you off from other books in this genre?

no just this one

Did Nicola Barber do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

not for me

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

Not a story that I could get into

Awful

I suffered through a few chapters and then returned it. It's very strange - like an old fashioned book of children's short stories without any sort of character development...

Not For Me

I adore Neil Gaiman but this one was not for me. Could not finish. That seldom happens. I found the plot hard to grasp if there was one. The narrator was delightful. That is what gave the book a second star. I expected the story to be more Gailman-ish. It was not. Fans of the incomparable Mr. Gailman will know just what I mean.