The Sparsholt Affair

A novel

De: Alan Hollinghurst

Narrado por: David Dawson

“Call Me By Your Name meets Evelyn Waugh in a gorgeous novel about the generations-long aftershocks of a youthful tryst.” —Esquire

From the winner of the Man Booker Prize, a masterly novel that spans seven transformative decades as it plumbs the complex relationships of a remarkable family.

In 1940, David Sparsholt arrives at Oxford to study engineering, though his sights are set on joining the Royal Air Force. Handsome, athletic, charismatic, he is unaware of his powerful effect on others—especially on Evert Dax, the lonely and romantic son of a celebrated novelist who is destined to become a writer himself. With the world at war, and the Blitz raging in London, Oxford exists at a strange remove: a place of fleeting beauty, of secret liaisons under the cover of blackouts. A friendship develops between David and Evert that will influence their lives for decades to come.

Alan Hollinghurst's sweeping new novel evokes across three generations the intimate relationships of a group of friends brought together by art, literature, and love. We witness shifts in taste and morality through a series of vividly rendered episodes: a Sparsholt holiday in Cornwall; eccentric gatherings at the Dax family home; the adventures of David's son Johnny, a painter in 1970s London. Richly observed, emotionally charged, this dazzling novel of fathers and sons, of family and legacy, explores the social and sexual revolutions of the past century, even as it takes us straight to the heart of our current age.

Delightful meandering

David Dawson gives life to the words that Alan Hollinghurst strung together so beautifully. I would probably never read this book but I’m already listening to it again.

henry james improved for our age

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

the prose is so stunningly fine it takes your breath away....i have read all of his work and i find this is his finest

What other book might you compare The Sparsholt Affair to and why?

a stranger's child

Which character – as performed by David Dawson – was your favorite?

ivan

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

awe at what a well educated intellect is capable of in these sad times for the world

Any additional comments?

world goes to hell and i cling to a hollinghurst novel as a life-raft

Perfect narration of a very fine novel

Rarely does the reader so perfectly present a complex story filled with wonderfully written characters.

Nothing happens. I'm ashamed to be gay.

The characters are so vapid and selfish that I was embarassed by them. Plot wise, nothing interesting happened. At all. There was the potential to take the story in different, compelling, directions, but the author never did. Dawsons narration was sexy and the only redeeming part of the listening experience. Kudos to him for trying to spin gold out of straw.

great book

love the characters and the story, beautifully done. the transitions were fantastic, could close my eyes and picture it all in my mind.. thank you.

An Affair to Remember

This is a remarkable audiobook. The writing, the beautiful story, and the narration are all extraordinary. Sir Alan Hollinghurst is one of my favorite authors, so I don't know why it took me so long to discover this book. I was going through an unpleasant divorce in 2017, so i’ll blame it on that. I highly recommend this audiobook. It captured my heart. Most likely, I will revisit it again and again.

Beautifully written book

I am a huge fan of Alan Hollinghurst and think this is his best book, so far, although I loved The Line of Beauty too. The rich detail of the telling of this story comes through beautifully.

The narrator was excellent. His ability with different voices was superb and enriched the experience of reading this book. Bravo!

Didn’t want it to end.

I really enjoyed this book. The narration was excellent- all the voices and dialects very believable. Like some other reviewers, I didn’t want this book to end. I kept the speed at 1.0 the entire book to savor it.
Beautifully written. Interesting and well developed characters.

If ;you want to hear a history of homosexuality

Well written and read, it would probably not appeal to the general listener. I read a review in the FT about the author and was intrigued. The story was very personal and explained the life and secrets that homosexuals had to hold during the repressed era in the UK. It is very lengthy and not for most of us. Also there are characters that you follow in their life and how they all come together.

Hollinghurst never disappoints

His ability to weave together a story of such complexity is astonishing. I couldn’t put it down.