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Once Upon a River

The spellbinding Sunday Times bestseller

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Once Upon a River

Written by: Diane Setterfield
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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Random House presents the audiobook edition of Once Upon a River, written by Diane Setterfield and read by Juliet Stevenson.

THE LONG-AWAITED, SPELLBINDING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING THE THIRTEENTH TALE, A 'MISTRESS OF THE CRAFT OF STORYTELLING' (Guardian).

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.

Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.

Is it a miracle?

Is it magic?

Or can it be explained by science?

An exquisitely crafted multi-layered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.

(c) 2019, Diane Setterfield (P) 2019 Penguin Audio

 Fairy Tales Fantasy Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Mystery
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Critic Reviews

A story, no matter how cleverly it is structured, lives or dies on the vividness of its characters. Setterfield, a true storyteller, makes us care about all her players in this beguiling novel.
Exploring themes of storytelling, parenthood, science and society on the cusp of change, this is a richly evocative novel.
Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale, came out in 2006 to wide acclaim. She made her mark by delivering her own take on the classic romantic mystery novel, infused with the spirit of Jane Eyre, Rebecca and The Woman in White. Once Upon a River continues to demonstrate her mastery of the Gothic genre in a way that will appeal to modern readers...Setterfield knows how to make the words sing. It is worth taking a journey down the Thames with her.
Once Upon a River is magical, in every which way...it's the power of her storytelling that allows readers to suspend disbelief, and draws them through each tangled, dazzling chapter...This riverine novel has the mood and feel of a ghost story told late into the night, and will win over readers who enjoy a touch of age-old enchantment.
I was completely spellbound by this book. Numerous strands of the same story are skilfully woven into a magical web from which I, as a reader, had no desire to escape. Setterfield’s prose is beautiful, dark and eerily atmospheric, and her rich cast of characters convincingly illustrate the best and worst of humanity. Utterly brilliant! (Ruth Hogan,bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things)
Once Upon a River is one of the most pleasurable and satisfying new books I've read in a long time. Setterfield is a master storyteller, her language flowing with a dark magic very like the river at the heart of her tale: swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat and read it! (Madeline Miller,Orange Prize-winning author of The Song of Achilles and Circe)
I so didn't want to leave the world of Once Upon a River but now I have and I'm bereft of the company of country folk and river spirits. This charming story about stories and the mystery of life & death captured my heart. A truly extraordinary book. (Dinah Jefferies)
Her characters are so vivid, one feels as though one has met them, spent an evening in their company, telling stories around the hearth...Setterfield is a master storyteller herself, giving us all the depth and plot and richness of the great narrative novelists. This is dazzling, alive, all-consumer writing: one reads each page greedily, the beautiful sentences shining like jewels under the pulling current of the tale itself.
A satisfying, thickly characterised tale that plunges you into an evocatively realised historical setting. You care for its characters.
A finely drawn cast and bravura storytellling.
All stars
Most relevant
I didn't know much about the story when I picked up this book. I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. Every chapter leaves you wanting more. It's so well written. The mystery, the details, the characters. Everything is impeccable. Lastly, I don't think I can commend the narration well enough. It's utterly beautiful. Juliet Stevenson is truly a artist. You can feel the story taking place around you. You feel like a spectator. His voice got me teary eyed towards the end. Everything about this book is just beautiful.

Gripping story. Beautiful narration.

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It was so brilliantly written and the story was so captivating that it kept me hooked 1st page to the last. And what's better? Even the back-stories of every character was so so good! Loved it!

What an amazing story!

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This was a fun listen. The author has a humorous writing style and Julia's narration bring the characters to life. She is one of the few narrators who can do voices of all genders with equal perfection.

The story was captivating for the most part, although the last one hour felt a bit drawn out. The author wanted to tie most of the story threads into near little bows. It was endearing, although really not necessary.

It was fun to enter the minds of Victorian time people, when many of our common scientific phenomenon were not discovered yet or had barely been researched. The banter between characters was hilarious and insightful. I really enjoyed those conversations.

Overall, it's a good one time listen and I think everyone would enjoy it. :)

A fun and engaging story of life by a river

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It was a heartfelt book.The story has a strong core of melancholy and it adds to its serene pace.A good book becomes a good book by pure detailing and this work is full of it.
 Each character is flushed out  immaculately and the background of an all seeing river compounds to its poignant tone. There is an air of mystery to it but more than the mystery what really works out is its charm.
The author has shown such deftness in dealing with her characters and we really feel for them.
like all the good stories it talks about love and she has done it with lot of love.
I perused the audible version of it and I have to tell you it was absolutely blissful. Her country English dialect and heartfelt narration moved me to tears.
It talks about loss of a chid and recovery of her , to put it  bluntly but it talks about a lot more than that.
Beautifully written and wonderfully narrated Once upon a river is a gem of a novel.Let this river sweep you away.You wont regret it one bit.

Great read

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