I love this series, although not everyone will. There is not much action. In fact, the author's genius lies in making small events interesting and com..Show More »pelling, as trivial incidents take on a larger than life character. The language is exquisite with a subtlety we have pretty much lost in the past few decades but that some readers will find refreshing and delightful, as I do. I often find myself pausing to appreciate a particular turn of phrase. The series also contains humor and pathos, and provides considerable insight into various aspects of human relations.

The first novel in the series is a coming of age novel set in an English "public school" (i.e. a private school in North American terminology) and then at Oxford and is reminiscent of Brideshead Revisited and various other novels. Later novels follow the narrator through to late middle age against the background of the great events of the mid-20th century. But the great events never take center-stage, which is always occupied by small scale yet fascinating interactions between the characters.

I had read the series three times before listening to it, and I found listening provided a new dimension to my appreciation. Before starting I was worried that the narrator might not do justice to the text but he is actually very good.

Anyone looking for an action-packed adventure should look elsewhere, but for those who enjoy the subtleties of the English language and who find mid-20th century England an enjoyable milieu this series would be a good investment.

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