How It All Began

By: Penelope Lively

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

A vibrant new novel from Penelope Lively - a wry, wise story about the surprising ways lives intersect.

When Charlotte Rainsford, a retired schoolteacher, is accosted by a petty thief on a London street, the consequences ripple across the lives of acquaintances and strangers alike. A marriage unravels after an illicit love affair is revealed through an errant cell phone message; a posh yet financially strapped interior designer meets a business partner who might prove too good to be true; an old-guard historian tries to recapture his youthful vigor with an ill-conceived idea for a TV miniseries; and a middle-aged central European immigrant learns to speak English and reinvents his life with the assistance of some new friends.

Through a richly conceived and colorful cast of characters, Penelope Lively explores the powerful role of chance in people's lives and deftly illustrates how our paths can be altered irrevocably by someone we will never even meet. Brought to life in her hallmark graceful prose and full of keen insights into human nature, How It All Began is an engaging, contemporary tale that is sure to strike a chord with her legion of loyal fans as well as new readers. A writer of rare wisdom, elegance, and humor, Lively is a consummate storyteller whose gifts are on full display in this masterful work.

©2012 Penelope Lively (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Katherine Kellgren is an agile, appealing narrator who navigates the many characters with ease. Whether voicing a native Londoner or an English-language learner from the Continent, Kellgren exudes effusive and consistent energy…This is a well-paced, fun recording of an entertaining novel.” ( AudioFile)

Did not like at all

What would have made How It All Began better?

Didnt like reader or story only finished because I started it

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None that I could say

How It All Began

Blah blah blah!! I didn’t care for this story!! Boring!! It was my bookclub pick but I didn’t care for it. The narrators voice was likevnails on a chalkboard to me. I would not recommend it.

boring

What disappointed you about How It All Began?

The characters were flat, not layered. The story flashed back and forth between characters making it confusing to follow rather than showing their connections. There was no point to the story other than to show how one event can affect many boring people in a number of ways. The movie "Crash" did an incredible job of making that same point with characters who were layered and interesting. I recommend that movie if you want to see a well-made point. I would not recommend this book.

Would you ever listen to anything by Penelope Lively again?

No

What three words best describe Katherine Kellgren’s voice?

Interesting.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from How It All Began?

All of them.

Couldn't Finish This One

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The voice of the narrator was grating. I had to stop listening to it.

Has How It All Began turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all.

What didn’t you like about Katherine Kellgren’s performance?

The voice was to high pitched and it just grated and detracted from the book itself. Maybe I'll just read the rest of the story.

What character would you cut from How It All Began?

None.

Any additional comments?

Besides the reading performance, the story didn't seem to be going anywhere. Being an avid reader and listener of books of all types, I have seldom stopped listening to a book before. This one was a first and I just couldn't continue. And maybe if the story had been more compelling, I would have forced myself to go on.

started twice, could not get into it

I've started this audiobook twice now and just cannot get into it. I'm not sure what's going on and I'm not sure I care to figure out what's going on - I have so many other book to read and audiobooks to get through that I'm going to pass on this one.

Wanted to like it...not dramatic enough

But the story was boring for me. I was hoping for something more scandalous but it's just a story that is well written but not very interesting.

A Real Disappointment

Would you try another book from Penelope Lively and/or Katherine Kellgren?

Possibly... I'd have to read the synopsis and reviews first. (Although that did me no good this time.)

What could Penelope Lively have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It was just boring... I don't know, make it more entertaining! Throw a little excitement into it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I can honestly say out of all the books I've listened to since joining audible.com in January (it is now almost September) this was the first book I REALLY didn't like the narrator. Having several friends who're British, I usually love the British accent. But this woman's voice got on my nerves from her very first word. It was extremely annoying. But I thought the book would make it worth listening to her. Sadly, I was wrong.

What character would you cut from How It All Began?

The guy with whom the old man's niece had the affair. He was just awful... a waste of space. I think the only character I could honestly say I liked was the woman who was the long-lost friend...towards the end of the book. SHE was interesting. The rest could be scrapped. Build a story around her.

Any additional comments?

It's very seldom I don't like a book. I can generally plow through it and find something to enjoy. But for me, there was very little to enjoy about this one.

Just not a great story

I thought it would develop but it never did. The reader had a nice cadence and voice. Could not recommend.

dull and trite

not my cup of tea. the characters were one dimensional and I did not care at all what happened to any of them. it was a superficial light summer beach read