What Red Was

By: Rosie Price

Narrated by: Eleanor Tomlinson

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Random House presents the audiobook edition of What Red Was, by Rosie Price. 

‘Kate Quaile,’ he said. ‘I like your name.’

Kate frowned. ‘How do you know my name?’

Through their four years at university, Kate and Max are inseparable. For him, she breaks her solitude; for her, he leaves his busy circles behind. But loving Max means knowing his family, the wealthy Rippons, all generosity, social ease and quiet repression. Theirs is not Kate’s world. At their London home, just after graduation, her life is shattered apart in a bedroom while a party goes on downstairs.

What Red Was is a startling debut novel. It explores the effects of trauma on mind and body, the tyrannies of memory, the sacrifices involved in staying silent, the courage of a young woman in speaking out. And when Kate does, this question: whose story is it now?

©2019 Rosie Price (P)2019 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"I think this is the best debut fiction I've ever read...I'm still in awe of it, I think about it all the time. If you like David Nicholls, Tessa Hadley, Elizabeth Day, Meg Wolitzer, Donna Tartt, then pre-order this book. It's exceptional." (Pandora Sykes, The High Low) 

Powerful

I struggle with how to review this book; it’s like a powerful, acutely observed, beautifully written punch in the face.

Gritty Read

Wow, that was for a large part of the book an uncomfortable read. A tale that started with so much promise descended into pain, so much pain. One tiny criticism was, I felt, the liberal use of the c word, but on the other hand the author I'm sure felt it was needed to convey the raw humiliation and pain. Everyone should read this book of only to understand what it feels like to go through this hell. Hope the author will in time write another novel.

Awful

I don’t know where to begin. First of all I specifically got this book because I love the narrator and her voice, namely Eleanor Tomlinson however with this book I’m sorry to say the narration was awful. Then you have the book. This book is thoroughly depressing, boring as hell and in a word...dismal! The characters are flat and insipid and just downright irritating.

You know a book is a disaster when you finish reading/listening to it and you feel horrible, like annoyed kind of horrible. I stuck with it until I couldn’t stick with it anymore. I think I will stop here - I have said enough. I did not like this book at all.

Great Book

No matter what, it is a must read if you enjoy modern novels tackling taboo areas.

Great listen

Very much enjoyed is book. The only problem was it used up my monthly Audible credit in a day. Also very well read

Realistic portrayal of how the experience impacts

A good portrayal of how the experience covered impacts people. I think perhaps the author has overstated support and belief in even privileged circumstances. Otherwise superb.

Gripped in what red was

Felt her journey within all of them, entirely hooked like an addiction to know how they would all fare.

Excellent

There were some really insightful moments and it was beautifully written and beautifully read. However there were also some paragraphs that could have done with some edits. There is little left for the reader to interpret as ever thought, movement and choice of the protagonist and every minute and image surrounding her is explained enormous detail and given meaning. It leaves nothing to be thought about afterwards as all the thinking is already done on the page. I will definitely read Price’s next work but hopefully she’ll allow the reader to do some of the work next time.