The Transit of Venus

I discovered The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard—or, really, it found me—one afternoon in college. A dusty UK edition of the novel, with a scuffed and slightly torn jacket, had miraculously winged its way to a bookseller’s remainder table in California. From the opening pages, I quickly realized I’d tripped upon one of the richest reading experiences of my life. I’ve been pressing this majestic novel into friends’ hands ever since. The novel is by turns funny, satirical, romantic, thrilling, tragic. Here’s a love story on a grand scale that tracks the wayward journeys of planets and countries, friends and lovers.

What a delight then to offer our readers this exclusive audio excerpt of The Transit of Venus, read by actor Juliet Stevenson, who you may know from her work in Truly, Madly, Deeply and Bend It Like Beckham.

In this chapter, we find young Caro having suffered setbacks in her love life and career. She is reeling from a mighty blow to her pride. England is also back on her heels, yet on this bright morning everything might change, must change. One has only to look out the right window.
        —Carol Edgarian

AUDIO