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The Book of Forgotten Authors

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The Book of Forgotten Authors

By: Christopher Fowler
Narrated by: Christopher Fowler
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Absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder. It makes people think you're dead.

So begins Christopher Fowler's foray into the back catalogues and backstories of 99 authors who, once hugely popular, have all but disappeared from our shelves. Whether male or female, domestic or international, flash-in-the-pan or prolific, mega-seller or prize-winner, no author, it seems, can ever be fully immune from the fate of being forgotten. And Fowler, as well as remembering their careers, lifts the lid on their lives, and why they often stopped writing or disappeared from the public eye.

These 99 journeys are punctuated by 12 short essays about faded once-favourites, including the now-vanished novels Walt Disney brought to the screen, the contemporary rivals of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie who did not stand the test of time, and the women who introduced us to psychological suspense many decades before it conquered the world.

This is an audiobook about books and their authors. It is for book lovers, and is written by one who could not be a more enthusiastic, enlightening and entertaining guide.

©2017 Christopher Fowler (P)2017 Quercus Editions Ltd
Art & Literature Authors Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Sherlock Holmes
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Critic reviews

"Joyous...fascinating." (Cathy Rentzenbrink)
"I love it! A real gem." (Joanne Harris)
"Will have the inevitable effect of sending readers in search of these intriguing lost names." (Barry Forshaw)
All stars
Most relevant
I have not enough time to explore all the previously ignored or unknown....so little time...so little time.


So many books and so little time. some old and half forgotten friends and some new.

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Never a list.
This collection of essays on the forgotten authors is magical. They include much loved writers from my childhood, who I can't believe are out of print, and the most diverse and interesting people.
I've made notes and even wishlisted a few but I now have to buy the paperback version (I think with added chapters) to refer back to.
I adore Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May books but I must go read the rest of his work. I can't have him worrying he'll only be remembered for those, masterpieces though they are.
I think this is his first bash at narration but he is an expert already! His humour and the passion for his writers is evident all the way through. His voice is clear and animated. (My daughter thought he was Neil Gaiman when she overheard earlier. Don't tell Chris.)
This book sent me back to the library of my youth and the dozens of Jean Plaidy's and Peter Tinniswood's I devoured. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and shall be seeking out a lot of these authors.

Captivating !

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It is a really good books of forgotten authors to listen to on audible on phone

Good authors

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"The Book of Forgotten Authors" is a wonderful and entertaining volume full of reading inspiration and little-known literary fun facts. Lots of the authors mentioned are more out of fashion rather than forgotten - most notably Margery Allingham and Barbara Pym. However, there are still lots of new names and titles worth looking up - especially if you love nothing more than scouring shabby second-hand bookshops and dusty libraries in search of new gems to read.

Fowler never disappoints.

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wish I had some good ones and I don't think I can get it on the list of things I can do it for you to get it in the office

thanks for your help

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