Summer Half

By: Angela Thirkell

Narrated by: Penelope Freeman

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

A captivating comic novel from Angela Thirkell's much-loved 1930s Barsetshire series: trainee barrister Colin Keith makes an ill-advised foray into teaching at Southbridge School.

To his parents' dismay, Colin Keith - out of the noble but misplaced sense of duty peculiar to high-minded young university graduates - chooses to quit his training for the Bar and take a teaching job at Southbridge School.

Little does Colin imagine that he will count among his pupils the demon in human form known as Tony Morland; or that the master's ravishing, feather-brained daughter Rose will, with her flights of fancy and many admirers, spread chaos throughout school and village. Humorous, high-spirited and cleverly observed, Summer Half is a comic delight.

©1937 The Estate of Angela Thirkell (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Humour and irony

Obviously written in the thirties before the war, it is a window into the lives of various people, both rich and poor. It is a life that stopped during and after the war.

Pleasing comedy of bygone England

Essentially a comedy of manners with stock characters, enlivened by the school setting and occasional wit. The narrator gives a finely modulated performance, adroitly catching both female and male voices. The novel does not rise above the ordinary but it’s an entertaining piece nonetheless. Excellent bedtime or mid-afternoon listening.

I Have Taught College English...

for twenty six years, and I have to say Thirkell captures every comical nuance of the teaching profession in this charming novel of the "accidental professor. " Goodbye Mr. Chips after a few shots of scotch.

Thirkell makes me laugh.

Her characters are so much fun. Please bring more of her books to Audible; I own all the current list and listen to them when I need stress relief.

Guilty Pleasure!

Would you consider the audio edition of Summer Half to be better than the print version?

Yes, the reader was wonderful and does the different voices of kids and adults, schoolmasters and servants, clever people and fatheads, so well I laughed 3x as much as I would have reading it for myself

What other book might you compare Summer Half to and why?

Not quite Barbara Pym but definitely Anthony Trollope as Thirkell herself thought, given she named the area Barsetshire.

Which scene was your favorite?

The one where Rose, the spoiled brat, throws a tantrum upstairs, while her father and her fiancé are downstairs discussing the engagement and trying to be serious, ignoring her cheering and the moment when a bath sponge flies out the window

If you could rename Summer Half, what would you call it?

The novel I wished I'd read before I thought I was in love at 16

Any additional comments?

Wonderful reader! If only she'd do Barbara Pym (or Jane Austen for that matter).

Wonderful

Absolutely wonderful story and performance. I highly recommend whether a thirkill fan or first time reading her works.

Charming and light, just the way I like it

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

Yes, especially for light reading or going to sleep by

What was one of the most memorable moments of Summer Half?

The family interaction over the cleaning of the pond

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Way, way, way too fast! What was she in such a hurry about? A few of the characters spoke extra slowly but these were few and far between and way too slow. Pace is really important to my enjoyment of a book. I found the narrator irritating because of her speed. I had to pay extra attention just to maintain my understanding of the story which detracted from my enjoyment. I won't listen to this reader again.

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

No. It was easy to pick up whenever I needed to.

Any additional comments?

This is not heavy, engrossing material but it is entertaining and offers a look into another world, another time, hardly Jane Austen but a worthwhile read for me.

Love this

One of my favorite cosy books. Angela Thirkell writes boys so well. By today's standards the tween to teenage boys in this book seem really innocent, but it makes sense in the context of the era and prep and public schools, etc. Narrator Penelope Freeman gets Angela Thirkell's humor so well!! The different voices/characters are fantastic. I wish Hatchett would have her do more similar novels, Barbara Pym's especially. Unfortunately the other books she's narrated don't appeal to me, and I can't help thinking they waste her comic talent.

Very funny and accurate accents by this narrator.

The narrator does the Barsetshire world of Angela Thirkell, and its between the wars life in country society in England, a tremendous favor by adding wonderfully funny but accurate accents. In particular, the school boys are perfectly delineated and add a great deal of enjoyment to this period piece.

The narrator ruins the story

This book is a charming, light comedy of manners. The reader is the worst of any Audible book I have heard. She makes all women and girls speak in a squeaky, babyish voice, regardless of the personalities the author has given them, and she makes all her men sound like little children pretending to be grown-ups. At no time did her voice sound at all natural. I found it so distracting that I stopped listening after about one-third of the book.