Spilling the Beans
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $5.81
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Clarissa Dickson Wright
About this listen
As a privileged child, shooting and hunting were the norm, and pigeons were flown in from Cairo for supper. Clarissa's mother was an Australian heiress; her father was a brilliant surgeon to the Royal family. But he was also a tyrannical and violent drunk who used to beat her and force her to eat carrots with slugs still clinging to them.
Clarissa was determined and clever, though, and her ambition led her to a career in the law. At the age of 21, she was the youngest-ever woman to be called to the Bar. Then disaster struck when her adored mother died suddenly. It was to lead to a mind-numbing decade of wild over-indulgence. Rich from her inheritance, in the end Clarissa had partied away her entire fortune.
It was a long, hard road to recovery, along which Clarissa finally faced her demons and turned to the one thing that had always brought her joy: cooking. Now at last she has found success, sobriety, and peace. With the stark honesty and the brilliant wit we love her for, Clarissa recounts the tale of a life lived to extremes. A vivid and funny story, this audiobook is as moving as it is a cracking good listen.
©2007 Clarissa Dickson Wright (P)2007 Hodder and Stoughton AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Rifling Through My Drawers
- By: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Narrated by: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As celebrated cook and champion of the countryside, Clarissa recalls episodes from her life and describes her encounters with everyone from local farmers to Women's Institutes, supermarket managers to greyhound coursers. A lover of local traditions, she has attended events from the Whitstable Oyster Festival to the Hungerford Hochtide. In a world of political correctness, Rifling Through My Drawers is a breath of fresh air and proves once again why Clarissa is one of the nation's true treasures.
-
-
An entertaining storyteller!
- By Bodie9 on 12-23-17
-
Clarissa's England
- A Gamely Gallop Through the English Counties
- By: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Narrated by: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author of Spilling the Beans, takes her personal journey around the different regions of England.The quintessential Englishwoman Clarissa Dickson Wright takes us on a personal journey through the country of her birth. From Cornwall to Cumbria, Norfolk to Northumbria she brings her extraordinary knowledge, huge passion, forthright opinions and inimitable wit to the distinctive history and regional character of every corner of England.
-
-
Definitely recommended
- By John S. on 10-09-13
-
Sipsworth
- By: Simon Van Booy
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the English village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. Helen retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit. Then, one cold autumn night, a chance encounter with an abandoned pet mouse on the street outside her house sets Helen on a surprising journey of friendship.
-
-
A charming antidote for your troubles.
- By Pamela J Wollum on 07-02-24
By: Simon Van Booy
-
This Much Is True
- By: Miriam Margolyes
- Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of memorable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure. Now, at last, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played.
-
-
Simply Brilliant
- By Stuart Huddart on 09-21-21
By: Miriam Margolyes
-
My Life in France
- By: Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia Child embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.
-
-
What a pleasure!
- By Sara on 07-03-08
By: Julia Child, and others
-
All Creatures Great and Small
- The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor
- By: James Herriot
- Narrated by: Nicholas Ralph
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients. For 50 years, generations of readers have flocked to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.
-
-
The narrator, Nicholas Ralph, is perfect
- By C. Beaton on 01-28-21
By: James Herriot
-
Rifling Through My Drawers
- By: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Narrated by: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As celebrated cook and champion of the countryside, Clarissa recalls episodes from her life and describes her encounters with everyone from local farmers to Women's Institutes, supermarket managers to greyhound coursers. A lover of local traditions, she has attended events from the Whitstable Oyster Festival to the Hungerford Hochtide. In a world of political correctness, Rifling Through My Drawers is a breath of fresh air and proves once again why Clarissa is one of the nation's true treasures.
-
-
An entertaining storyteller!
- By Bodie9 on 12-23-17
-
Clarissa's England
- A Gamely Gallop Through the English Counties
- By: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Narrated by: Clarissa Dickson Wright
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author of Spilling the Beans, takes her personal journey around the different regions of England.The quintessential Englishwoman Clarissa Dickson Wright takes us on a personal journey through the country of her birth. From Cornwall to Cumbria, Norfolk to Northumbria she brings her extraordinary knowledge, huge passion, forthright opinions and inimitable wit to the distinctive history and regional character of every corner of England.
-
-
Definitely recommended
- By John S. on 10-09-13
-
Sipsworth
- By: Simon Van Booy
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the English village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. Helen retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit. Then, one cold autumn night, a chance encounter with an abandoned pet mouse on the street outside her house sets Helen on a surprising journey of friendship.
-
-
A charming antidote for your troubles.
- By Pamela J Wollum on 07-02-24
By: Simon Van Booy
-
This Much Is True
- By: Miriam Margolyes
- Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of memorable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure. Now, at last, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played.
-
-
Simply Brilliant
- By Stuart Huddart on 09-21-21
By: Miriam Margolyes
-
My Life in France
- By: Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia Child embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.
-
-
What a pleasure!
- By Sara on 07-03-08
By: Julia Child, and others
-
All Creatures Great and Small
- The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor
- By: James Herriot
- Narrated by: Nicholas Ralph
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients. For 50 years, generations of readers have flocked to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.
-
-
The narrator, Nicholas Ralph, is perfect
- By C. Beaton on 01-28-21
By: James Herriot
Critic reviews
Related to this topic
-
Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
-
-
Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
By: Michael Pollan
-
How ADHD Affects Home Organization
- Understanding the Role of the 8 Key Executive Functions of the Mind
- By: Lisa Woodruff
- Narrated by: Lisa Woodruff
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you walk in a room to organize and find yourself paralyzed and overwhelmed? Do you find yourself spending money on organizing solutions that don't work? Organizing isn't easy. And having ADHD doesn't make it any easier. But it doesn't have to be impossible.
-
-
Good but not great
- By Jennifer on 06-17-17
By: Lisa Woodruff
-
Declutter Your Home, Train Your Brain to Be Organized with Self-Hypnosis, Meditation and Affirmations
- By: Joel Thielke
- Narrated by: Joel Thielke
- Length: 48 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Motivational Hypnotherapy's Joel Thielke is a world-renowned hypnotherapist and author who has helped millions of people worldwide. This powerful hypnosis program is designed specifically to increase motivation and the focus to clear away clutter, let go of possessions you don't need, and create a stress-free zone for yourself. This is the perfect program for listeners of any age, no matter your level of hypnosis experience. We recommend listening to this audiobook for 21 days in a row to get the most out of your listening experience.
-
-
Game changer
- By Jessie on 11-13-19
By: Joel Thielke
-
The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told
- By: Jay Cassell - editor
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 32 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Follow the trails of hunters - the original storytellers - as they interpret signs, examine tracks, and chase and catch their prey (or fail to). Listeners can curl up with the best authentic hunting fiction and non-fiction, bringing the great Mount Kenya and the prairies of the American Bison into your living room. From Theodore Roosevelt and Gene Hill to Rick Bass and Charles Dickens, remember classic hunting tales and discover new stories of hunters’ luck, camaraderie, and use of smarts on the trail.
-
-
A broad collection of hunting tales
- By Elaine on 06-21-15
-
How Dogs Love Us
- A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain
- By: Gregory Berns
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.
-
-
misleading title
- By Cindy on 08-06-15
By: Gregory Berns
-
History of Bourbon
- By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Is bourbon the quintessential American liquor? Bourbon is not just alcohol - the amber-colored drink is deeply ingrained in American culture and tangled in American history. From the early days of raw corn liquor to the myriad distilleries that have proliferated around the country today, bourbon is a symbol of the United States. This course traces bourbon's entire history, from the 1700s, with Irish, Scottish, and French settlers setting up stills and making distilled spirits in the New World, through today's booming resurgence.
-
-
Expected a lot more about bourbon
- By Wes on 04-14-20
By: Ken Albala, and others
-
Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
-
-
Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
By: Michael Pollan
-
How ADHD Affects Home Organization
- Understanding the Role of the 8 Key Executive Functions of the Mind
- By: Lisa Woodruff
- Narrated by: Lisa Woodruff
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you walk in a room to organize and find yourself paralyzed and overwhelmed? Do you find yourself spending money on organizing solutions that don't work? Organizing isn't easy. And having ADHD doesn't make it any easier. But it doesn't have to be impossible.
-
-
Good but not great
- By Jennifer on 06-17-17
By: Lisa Woodruff
-
Declutter Your Home, Train Your Brain to Be Organized with Self-Hypnosis, Meditation and Affirmations
- By: Joel Thielke
- Narrated by: Joel Thielke
- Length: 48 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Motivational Hypnotherapy's Joel Thielke is a world-renowned hypnotherapist and author who has helped millions of people worldwide. This powerful hypnosis program is designed specifically to increase motivation and the focus to clear away clutter, let go of possessions you don't need, and create a stress-free zone for yourself. This is the perfect program for listeners of any age, no matter your level of hypnosis experience. We recommend listening to this audiobook for 21 days in a row to get the most out of your listening experience.
-
-
Game changer
- By Jessie on 11-13-19
By: Joel Thielke
-
The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told
- By: Jay Cassell - editor
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 32 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Follow the trails of hunters - the original storytellers - as they interpret signs, examine tracks, and chase and catch their prey (or fail to). Listeners can curl up with the best authentic hunting fiction and non-fiction, bringing the great Mount Kenya and the prairies of the American Bison into your living room. From Theodore Roosevelt and Gene Hill to Rick Bass and Charles Dickens, remember classic hunting tales and discover new stories of hunters’ luck, camaraderie, and use of smarts on the trail.
-
-
A broad collection of hunting tales
- By Elaine on 06-21-15
-
How Dogs Love Us
- A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain
- By: Gregory Berns
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.
-
-
misleading title
- By Cindy on 08-06-15
By: Gregory Berns
-
History of Bourbon
- By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Is bourbon the quintessential American liquor? Bourbon is not just alcohol - the amber-colored drink is deeply ingrained in American culture and tangled in American history. From the early days of raw corn liquor to the myriad distilleries that have proliferated around the country today, bourbon is a symbol of the United States. This course traces bourbon's entire history, from the 1700s, with Irish, Scottish, and French settlers setting up stills and making distilled spirits in the New World, through today's booming resurgence.
-
-
Expected a lot more about bourbon
- By Wes on 04-14-20
By: Ken Albala, and others
-
Mycophilia
- Revelations From the Weird World of Mushrooms
- By: Eugenia Bone
- Narrated by: Aimee Jolson
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Mycophilia, accomplished food writer and cookbook author Eugenia Bone examines the role of fungi as exotic delicacy, curative, poison, and hallucinogen, and ultimately discovers that a greater understanding of fungi is key to facing many challenges of the 21st century.
-
-
Absolutely awful, insufferable, racist author
- By Rs 🦇 on 11-25-19
By: Eugenia Bone
-
Free Your Home of Clutter, Clear up Your Life with Hypnosis, Meditation, Relaxation, and Affirmations
- The Sleep Learning System
- By: Joel Thielke
- Narrated by: Joel Thielke
- Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Clean up the clutter in your home and clear out worry from your life with this guided meditation and relaxation program, from certified hypnotherapist, Joel Thielke. It's as easy as turning on the tracks and falling asleep! The Sleep Learning System is specially designed to work with your subconscious mind during your sleep cycle.
-
-
Good results so far!
- By Dawn A. Mccain on 02-10-15
By: Joel Thielke
-
The Triumph of Seeds
- How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses & Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History
- By: Thor Hanson
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enlightenment and cottonseed help spark the Industrial Revolution. And from the fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat.
-
-
Delightfully simplistic!
- By Adrian on 03-30-16
By: Thor Hanson
-
Secretariat
- By: William Nack
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1973, Secretariat, the greatest champion in horse-racing history, won the Triple Crown. The only horse to ever grace the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated in the same week, he also still holds the record for the fastest times in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He was also the only non-human chosen as one of ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the Century".
-
-
Loved It - But It Is Not Just About A Super Horse
- By Julie on 06-10-12
By: William Nack
-
Puppy Training in 7 Easy Steps
- Everything You Need to Know to Raise the Perfect Dog
- By: Mark Van Wye, Zoom Room Dog Training
- Narrated by: Mark Van Wye
- Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you’re anything like most new puppy parents, it won’t take long to realize that your fuzzy little bundle of joy can also bark, chew, jump, and mysteriously get into A LOT of trouble around the house. Don’t panic - slowly remove the shoe from your pup’s mouth and open this book, because it’s time to start successfully training.
-
-
Straight forward and engaging
- By Katherine Rodman on 06-04-20
By: Mark Van Wye, and others
-
Decoding Dogs: Inside the Canine Mind
- By: Ellen Furlong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ellen Furlong
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They might be our best friends, but we often have no idea what they are thinking. Peer inside the fascinating world of the mind of the dog with associate professor of psychology Ellen Furlong of Illinois Wesleyan University. Ever wonder how the same nose that always manages to find the worst-smelling place in the park to roll around can also be trained to sniff out cancer, bombs, and even endangered plants and animals? As you embark on a penetrating look at the canine brain, you’ll break down the unique ways dogs think and feel.
-
-
Dogs!
- By Anonymous User on 08-19-20
By: Ellen Furlong, and others
What listeners say about Spilling the Beans
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nyce
- 07-28-18
Triumphant
Amazing,
I’m so glad I purchased this version- the emotion Clarissa had in her voice describing Jennifer’s last days had me in tears. Bravo Clarissa- your legacy lives forever!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AppleCedAR
- 04-05-14
Clarissa is a Character in the Truest Sense
What made the experience of listening to Spilling the Beans the most enjoyable?
The honesty was brutal. She lived a fascinating life and hit the highest highs and lowest lows in her time with us.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Clarissa Dickson Wright of course. She was truly, one-of-a-kind.
What three words best describe Clarissa Dickson Wright’s voice?
Droll: aptly humorous and timely without trying. It is genuine and earnest. And yes... funny.
Sensitive: clinical at early on, but you feel the heartache when her heart aches.
Resilient: few have the staying power that Clarissa states as matter-of-fact. Simply stated, it was the way it was.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The point where this "tough one" relates the loss of her dog due to the depths of alcoholism was incredibly moving to me. For all of Clarissa's strength, there is a most fragile heart revealed in moments like these.
Any additional comments?
"Spilling the Beans" is an easy listen and a brief one too. I enjoyed it. Perhaps more so because I was new to her story. I arrived here not as an ardent fan rather knowing her merely as one of "The Fat Ladies" and casually so. Upon getting wind of who this woman actually was, I realized that this was a woman of depth with a compelling story to tell. At that, I wasted no time finding this book and am glad for it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris M
- 03-16-23
if you love TFL you will will appreciate this book
it's so short, but I enjoyed every minute. the narration was superb and I highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- chef lolo
- 07-01-15
Refreshing and inspirational!
Inspire of her many challenges, Clarissa always presents her life with a sense of hope and delight. An excellent story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Janis
- 03-19-16
a good read about her life .inspirational
many parts left me laughing out loud and also tearing up. she is an inspiration to those with fought beginnings
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!