Our Noble Selves audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Kate Atkinson’s comic mystery sends a war-scarred journalist into the build-up to the 1951 Festival of Britain. The prose is the star, which tips it, narrowly, to print.
Read it on Kindle
Read Our Noble Selves, but only just. The Wall Street Journal praises Kate Atkinson’s “immaculate prose style”, and a book this rich in period detail is easier to savour on the page, where you set the pace. The audiobook is a close second: listeners rate Rupert Penry-Jones’s reading 4.8 out of 5, and the UK edition adds a bonus conversation with Atkinson.
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The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Rupert Penry-Jones | Kate Atkinson and Rupert Penry-Jones credited |
| Length | 9 hours 57 minutes (9h 57m), unabridged, with a bonus conversation | 9 hours 42 minutes (9h 42m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 6h 38m | about 6h 28m |
| At 2x | about 4h 59m | about 4h 51m |
| Audio publisher and date | Penguin Audio, 10 September 2026 | Random House Audio, 15 September 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £13.79 on Audible UK | $20.70 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £10.99 on Amazon UK | Not listed |
| Doubleday hardback, 352 pages, 10 September 2026 | Doubleday hardcover, 352 pages, 15 September 2026 | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.8 from 147 ratings | Performance 4.65 from 107 ratings |
The UK edition, read by Rupert Penry-Jones, is the one scored. The US edition also credits Kate Atkinson, but we couldn’t confirm that she reads any of the novel. It runs 15 minutes shorter, which matches the UK edition’s bonus conversation, so it looks like the same reading without the extra.
A Canadian listing (Bond Street Books, Rupert Penry-Jones, 9h 42m) and a Books on Tape library CD set also exist. “In Conversation with Kate Atkinson: Our Noble Selves” (34 minutes) is a separate recording, not the book. Ratings and prices checked 5 November 2026. Prices change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 5 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
Our Noble Selves
Kate Atkinson
- Genre
- Historical fiction, comic mystery
- First published
- September 2026
- Length
- 352 pages (hardback)
- On audio
- 9 hrs 57 mins (UK), Rupert Penry-Jones
- Series
- None: a standalone, not Jackson Brodie
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Checked, not a factor here (12)
The praised, detailed prose (7) gives reading 7 points, and nothing scores for listening. That puts it at 64%, a close call that edges to print. A clear-cut verdict needs more than 7 points on one side.
Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 5 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Rupert Penry-Jones, Penguin Audio, 2026, 9h 57m, unabridged
- Critic review
- No critic review of the audiobook found yet
- Alternatives
- US Random House Audio edition, crediting Kate Atkinson and Rupert Penry-Jones (9h 42m)
- What you miss
- Nothing structural. You lose only the chance to linger over the prose at your own pace
What this book actually is
Our Noble Selves is Kate Atkinson’s new standalone novel. Harry Flynn, a journalist scarred by his war in the Far East, joins the team preparing the 1951 Festival of Britain, and becomes a suspect when a woman he spent the evening with goes missing.
It was published by Doubleday on 10 September 2026 in the UK and 15 September 2026 in the US. It is not part of the Jackson Brodie series. Critics call it a comic mystery: the Wall Street Journal calls it a “splendid historical farce”, though Harry’s memories of the war, including time as a prisoner of war, give it a serious side.
The case for reading it
The writing is the main reason to read. The Wall Street Journal praises Atkinson’s “immaculate prose style”, and the Guardian notes how much detail she packs in. On the page you can slow down for the jokes and the period texture, or go back over a passage that rewards a second look.
NPR says Atkinson “seamlessly shifts time frames”, and reviewers describe several characters’ storylines running in parallel. That is easier to keep hold of in print, though other reviewers say it reads in order.
The case for listening to it
Rupert Penry-Jones reads the whole novel, and listeners rate his performance 4.8 out of 5 on Audible UK. It is a comic book with a big cast, and a good reader brings out the farce.
The UK audiobook ends with a bonus conversation between Penry-Jones and Kate Atkinson, which you don’t get with the hardback. At under ten hours it is also a manageable listen.
The audiobook in detail
Rupert Penry-Jones reads the UK edition from Penguin Audio, released on 10 September 2026, unabridged, in 9 hours 57 minutes including the bonus conversation with Kate Atkinson.
The US edition from Random House Audio runs 9 hours 42 minutes and credits both Penry-Jones and Atkinson; we couldn’t confirm that Atkinson reads any of the novel itself. No critic has reviewed the audiobook yet.
Who should ignore this verdict
If you mostly listen, or you enjoy a well-read comic novel, the audiobook is close behind: this is a narrow call, resting on the prose. Choose print if you like to linger over sentences.
Kindle
- 352 pages (UK hardback)
- Savour the prose at your own pace
- About 6 hours to read (our estimate)
Related verdicts
The Thursday Murder Club
A comic British mystery with an eccentric cast.
Hamnet
Literary historical fiction praised for its prose.
Small Things Like These
Short historical fiction set in the last century.
Lessons in Chemistry
A witty mid-century novel with a sharp voice.
The Keeper
A literary mystery with the opposite verdict.
Birnam Wood
Satirical literary fiction.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the Our Noble Selves audiobook?
Rupert Penry-Jones reads the UK audiobook, which also includes a bonus conversation between him and Kate Atkinson. The US audiobook credits both Rupert Penry-Jones and Kate Atkinson.
How long is the Our Noble Selves audiobook?
9 hours 57 minutes in the UK edition, including the bonus conversation, and 9 hours 42 minutes in the US edition. The UK edition takes about 6 hours 38 minutes at 1.5x and 4 hours 59 minutes at 2x (calculated).
Is the Our Noble Selves audiobook abridged?
No. Both the UK and US audiobooks are unabridged.
How many pages is Our Noble Selves?
The UK and US hardbacks both have 352 pages. There was no UK paperback as of November 2026.
Is Our Noble Selves a Jackson Brodie book?
No. It is a standalone novel about Harry Flynn and the 1951 Festival of Britain.
When did Our Noble Selves come out?
It was published in the UK on 10 September 2026 and in the US on 15 September 2026, with the audiobook out on the same days.
What is Our Noble Selves about?
In London in 1951, war-scarred journalist Harry Flynn joins a team preparing the Festival of Britain and becomes a suspect when a woman he spent the evening with goes missing.
Is Our Noble Selves funny?
Critics describe it as a comic mystery: the Wall Street Journal calls it a “splendid historical farce”, while Harry’s war memories give it a serious side.
Should I read or listen to Our Noble Selves?
Read, but only just. Critics praise Kate Atkinson’s prose, which is easier to savour on the page. If you prefer audio, Rupert Penry-Jones’s reading is well rated, and the UK edition adds a conversation with Atkinson.
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