The Swimming Pool Library

By: Alan Hollinghurst

Narrated by: Samuel West

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

This novel centres on the friendship of William Beckwith, a young gay aristocrat who leads a life of privilege and promiscuity, and the elderly Lord Nantwich, who is searching for someone to write his biography.

©2006 Alan Hollinghurst (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"West has a lot of fun with the waspishly clever dialogue, and, provided you ensure it's not overheard by listeners of delicate sensibilities, this is terrific to listen to." (Karen Robertson, The Sunday Times)

Beautifully written and timeless story

Would you listen to The Swimming Pool Library again? Why?

Yes, Holinghusrt is a wonderful writer and Sam West is a brilliant reader with a wide ranging ability to express character through his different use of accent.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Swimming Pool Library?

Anything to do with Nantwich, which was very touching.

What about Samuel West’s performance did you like?

His voice and wide range ability of accent, male, female, west Indian, English.

If you could take any character from The Swimming Pool Library out to dinner, who would it be and why?

James, he comes across as charming and knowledgable

Any additional comments?

Please will you ask Sam West to record Holinghust's LINE OF BEAUTY.

Was there even a story!!!???

While the book was beautifully written with vivid language and distinct characters where the hell was the plot???? There was no plot and by the end there was no resolution for any of the characters. However Samuel West did an amazing job as the narrator. He is the only reason i finished the book!

Not a nice book

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

No Idea

Has The Swimming Pool Library turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes definately

How could the performance have been better?

I guess the performance was ok but the book was terrible

What character would you cut from The Swimming Pool Library?

Don't really know

Disturbing

Highly recommend not reading this. I tried to keep an open mind throughout most of the book, but it continually toyed closer and closer to sex with underage boys. I know in England that it's legal to have sex with young men as early as 16, but this book even crosses that boundary, and tries to paint it as fun and flippant.

I believe the author to be perverted, there is no celebration of true love between men of legal age. It relishes in perverseness. It really bothered me, and I couldn't finish the last quarter of the book. The plot sucks, by the way, and it's extremely long winded most of the time.

I actually got my money back from Audible after writing them an email explaining my issues with it. They were nice about it. Save your money and your credits, pass this one by.

Smutty, self-absorbed and pointless

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I think there may have been an idea related to identity hidden somewhere in this book, but if so it was safely concealed beneath episode after episode of meaningless sexual encounters described in graphic detail.

I came away from this book feeling disappointed and repelled by both the characters and the author. If there was a point to this story, I really don't know what it was.

Would you ever listen to anything by Alan Hollinghurst again?

No

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

Angered by the image of gay men presented in this book.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste your money on this one.

Literate, but nothing happens

It’s a well written novel but I found it quite plodding. I didn’t care about the characters. The central story was interesting but it would meander for pages and pages before getting back on track. I stopped listening after 3/5s of the book because I didn’t care what happened.

Interesting but...

I kind of enjoyed it, I spent most of the time facinated by the lifestyle of the era (1970's) and the research into the days of the time before. I kept expecting their posh bubble to burst but disappointingly it is not the point of the story, then again any point would have been good. Unless the point is that posh lives are pointless.

Pointless and Plotless

I did actually listen to the whole book because I waited in hope of some twist or purpose to the story .... sadly there was none. I purchased because it won the Man Booker prize, I have to say I have no idea why.

I think as others have said this is more of a gay porn novel and as I straight person I found it over the top (probably 1/3 of the book was gay sex), I only tolerated it in the hope the story had some interesting twist around Charles Nantwich... but sadly no .. and well it just ends with no reason, although I was very happy about this in many ways.