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Title: Exit the Actress

Author: Priya Parmar

Narrator: Charlotte Parry

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-11-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Exit the Actress marks the promising debut of historical-fiction author Priya Parmar.

Following her discovery selling oranges outside of Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, Ellen Nell Gwyn leaves behind a life of poverty to become a theatre star. Soon she is mistress to the libertine king Charles II. And though their love is true, gossip-mongers and court politics threaten to tear their romance apart.

Critic Reviews:

"A real triumph. A vivid imagining of the restoration London of Charles II with Nell Gwynn as a powerful and engaging heroine set in the busy world of the theater. This debut novel captures the glamorous world of the amoral court and the struggle of the city. Priya Parmar is a writer to watch." (Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl)

"Clever... a delight... irresistible... I loved this book." (Sharon Kay Penman, author of Devil's Brood)

"Nell is irrepressible, spunky, delightful: who wouldnt fall in love with her? Her story unfolds through diary entries, letters, news announcements, recipes. Its a tasty and often amusing confection, sure to please. I absolutely adored it. (Sandra Gulland, author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun)

Members Reviews:

Not as good as I had hoped

My favourite genre of book is always historical fiction, especially of a royal nature. I have read books which tell of the same two characters and unfortunatlely, although this author has a wonderful descriptive style, I found the diary format very off putting as I was reading it. I did not like it jumping around from her diary, to letters between the king and his sister, and reviews from the theater critic.

My heart was with Nell and I wanted it all from her point of view. This toyed with my emotional connection with this book.

I would recommend it as a beautifully written piece however.

Lovely portrait of Restoration Period England

Nell Gwyn is perhaps one of my favorite scandalous ladies from British history. Not only group up from nothing a climb her way into the king's bed, but she did virtually all of it based on her personal wit and charm. Not only that, but she was the darling of the London stage for much of her career in a time where woman were still considered second-class citizens. The Restoration Court of Charles II is also a fascinating period to read about, with its lavish ways, mistress rivalry and Charles II's many liaisons.

While I wouldn't say that Exit the Actress is my favorite novel of Nell, but its certainly one of the most beautifully written and uniquely presented. In author Priya Parmar's tale of the actress, Nell lands a job selling oranges to patrons at a local theatre. Happy that she does not need to resort to prostitution, Nell grabs the attention of the theartre's owners with her wit and charm that seems to cast a spell on patrons, which lands her a role in the company. As she grows into a well-loved actress, Nell eventually catches the eye of Charles II.

Parmar succeeds in painting a fascinating portrait of the period, and of Nell -not just a witty woman, but a human woman who grows up on stage, deals with love and loss, and finds a life that she loves.