Listen to a sample
The Tortoise And The Hare
Virago Modern Classics (Book 218)
- Narrator
- Rose Robinson
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Publish Date
- 23 April 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 17 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Imogen, the beautiful and much younger wife of distinguished barrister Evelyn Gresham, is facing the greatest challenge of her married life. Their neighbour Blanche Silcox, competent, middle-aged and tweedy - the very opposite of Imogen - seems to be vying for Evelyn's attention. And to Imogen's increasing disbelief, she may be succeeding. With exquisite elegance and irony, The Tortoise and the Hare reveals that in affairs of the heart, the race is not always won by the swift - or the fair.
INTRODUCED BY HILARY MANTEL
'The perfection of its tone and prose is matched by an anguished wit' AMANDA CRAIG, GUARDIAN
'Wonderfully sinister, so enchantingly written and so sad. Everyone should read it' JILLY COOPER
'A subtle and beautiful book . . . Very few authors combine her acute psychological insight with her grace and style' HILARY MANTEL
Critics Review
-
As smooth and seductive as a bowl of cream
Sunday Times
-
The perfection of its tone and prose is matched by an anguished wit
Guardian
-
My best book of almost all time is The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins . . . wonderfully sinister, so enchantingly written and so sad. Everyone should read it
-
One of my favourite classics. Elegant and ironic, its continuing charm lies in its quirky and enigmatic love story which becomes more beguiling with each re-reading
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Deliciously subtle . . . A lost world of tweeds and twin-sets . . . a classic novel of the fifties
Daily Mail
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Elizabeth Jenkins, Introduction by Hilary Mantel
- Narrator
- Rose Robinson
- Duration
- 9 hours 17 minutes
- Release Date
- 23 April 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405567800
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Classic fiction: literary and general, Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Romance, Family life fiction / Stories about family
Synopsis
The re-dipping of dishes was a small matter, but the emotional texture of married life is made up of small matters. This one had become invested with a fatal quality.Imogen, the beautiful and much younger wife of distinguished barrister Evelyn Gresham, is facing the greatest challenge of her married life. Their neighbour Blanche Silcox, competent, middle-aged and tweedy - the very opposite of Imogen - seems to be vying for Evelyn's attention. And to Imogen's increasing disbelief, she may be succeeding. With exquisite elegance and irony, The Tortoise and the Hare reveals that in affairs of the heart, the race is not always won by the swift - or the fair.INTRODUCED BY HILARY MANTEL 'The perfection of its tone and prose is matched by an anguished wit' AMANDA CRAIG, GUARDIAN 'Wonderfully sinister, so enchantingly written and so sad. Everyone should read it' JILLY COOPER 'A subtle and beautiful book . . . Very few authors combine her acute psychological insight with her grace and style' HILARY MANTEL
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.