A House in St John’s Wood
- Author Matthew Spender
- Narrator Laurence Kennedy
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 27 August 2015
- Run Time 14 hours and 10 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Autobiography: arts and entertainment, Autobiography: general, Autobiography: writers, Biography and non-fiction prose, History, Literary companions, book reviews and guides, Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Memoirs, Reportage, journalism or collected columns.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only €4.95.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- €9.95
- €8.95
- €7.95
- €6.95
- €5.95
Listen to a sample
What to expect
An intimate portrait of Stephen Spender’s extraordinary life written by Matthew Spender, shifting between memoir and biography, with new insights drawn from personal recollections and his father’s copious unpublished archives.
Stephen Spender’s life was a vivid prism on the twentieth century. Having met Auden and Isherwood at Oxford, he joined the early vocal critics of Hitler participated in the Spanish Civil War. His efforts there became distracted by the need to save his lover from being shot as a deserter, and by the outbreak of the Second World War he was judged unfit to fight. He served instead as a fireman and later produced propaganda for the war effort – establishing a mysterious connection with the Foreign Office which has generated much speculation until now. Examining the growth of Spender’s literary reputation and his later encounters with the CIA, this book sheds new light on his career.
Always susceptible to the allure of young men, Spender remained married to his second wife, Natasha Litvin, but continued to believe in male relationships as an essential creative inspiration. In tension with Natasha’s career as a musician after the birth of their two children, a considerable creative tension developed in the household. Stoical in her suffering, Natasha began to agonise over their marriage during her close friendship with Raymond Chandler.
Insightful and revelatory, ‘A House in St John’s Wood’ is the portrait of a marriage, a movement and a father whose complex brilliance continues to be felt widely – and among those closest to him.
Critics Review
'It's hard to overstate how bravely honest Matthew Spender's book is ... brilliantly paced ... the book also matters in its own right for its insight into how we are all shaped by the strangeness of the families we find ourselves inhabiting ... a remarkable book' Observer
'This thoughtful and often astonishingly beautiful memoir ... is exploratory, analytical, often critical, occasionally disloyal but ultimately a deeply moving work of filial pride, an attempt to try to work out not only the truth about his extraordinary parents but also himself' Evening Standard
'Painfully honest ... With a son's harsh condescension he spells out Stephen's failings and blind spots, while not forgetting his generosity of spirit ... He writes with such insight and intelligence that it feels wholly authentic. And by widening his field of vision beyond the family home to explore issues of culture, gender and politics then and now, he makes it our business, too' Blake Morrison, Guardian
'Eye-popping' Daily Mail
'An outstanding piece of writing, full of wonderfully sharp judgements... a memoir written in such a thoughtful, congenial, matter-of-fact style that it is only after putting it down that one begins to take in the full oddity of the Spenders' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
'A disarmingly eccentric book ... which combines a memoir of his parents ... with ruminations on the gilded world in which they disported' Literary Review
'Scrupulously even-handed ... Matthew Spender is a far more accomplished and engaging prose writer than his father, with a distinct personal voice'TLS
'The first fully frank biography of his father' Tatler
'The heart of this book is filial and emotional. And very moving' Financial Times
'Told with extraordinary force and honest and is intensely interesting' The Oldie
'My God! What a childhood. What insight' Stephen Frears
More from the same
Narrator
About xigxag and the x-book®
Discover the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed to simplify finding, purchasing, and enjoying your favourite books in audio format. Our flexible pricing model makes bestselling audiobooks affordable, offering the best audiobook deals without the need for a subscription. You can also give the perfect gift with our convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
A core differentiator of xigxag is our groundbreaking listen-and-read x-book® technology, which delivers a truly immersive digital book experience. This unique innovation seamlessly combines the audiobook, text, and images into a brilliant, integrated format, complete with exclusive audiobook features and a next-generation digital reading experience. Our growing x-book selection is easily discoverable by looking for the distinctive purple x-book® ribbon, or by simply filtering your search by ‘x-book’.
Beyond our technology, xigxag is committed to sustainability and ethical practices, ensuring a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we stand as a leader in audiobook innovation and a compelling alternative to big tech. Our commitment extends to delivering extraordinary customer service, provided by our friendly UK support team.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, gain insights from honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. You can download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere, guaranteeing the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.