Lakeman

Top notch real-life thriller

Reviewed: 07-03-23

I read the author’s book A Spy Among Friends recently, a superb explanation of the Kim Philby scandal. This one is just as good. Skilfully written, it reads like a novel and will keep you gripped from start to finish. Highly recommended.

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Decent thriller

Reviewed: 01-25-20

Perhaps a little formulaic but hey, what’s wrong with the tried and tested? It’s what you do with it that counts, and Connelly is skilful enough to do plenty. But it’s the narration that does it full justice. Superbly performed.

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1 person found this helpful

Good biography, poor narration

Reviewed: 01-02-15

Orwell was a fascinating man, and this is a very solid biography. But as an audiobook, i was disappointed. The narration is lifeless, making the book sound far more dull than it should. The strange sing-song rendition constantly reminds you that this is just a book being read aloud by a bloke in a studio, rather than a story being told. Sounds like he's going through the motions, never fully engaged with the text. In retrospect, I would have enjoyed the printed version more. Clearly, this is a subjective view. Others may like the way it is read.

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7 people found this helpful

The best audiobook I've heard

Reviewed: 01-02-15

I don't blindly scatter 5 star reviews around, but this audiobook gets top marks. I'd heard people talk about this book for years, but never read it. Not everyone was complimentary, but even the detractors conceded that it had a certain elusive narrative quality that set it apart.

I finally bought the audiobook about 18 months ago, and have just listened again to the whole thing, for the 3rd time now.

Art, including literature, and including audiobooks, is totally subjective -- it barely needs saying. So there is no criticism or sneering from me towards anyone who doesn't enjoy this audiobook, and/or this story. But I must say that for me, an audiobook fan, New York Trilogy is the best. The narrative, weaving through reality and delusion, is both thrilling and disturbing, and so evocative of hidden corners of our our own lives. The clincher though is the magnificent narration. I say without hesitation that the world-weary tones of Joe Barrett turns from a very good book into a magnificent audiobook.

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24 people found this helpful

A stately masterpiece. Not for the impatient.

Reviewed: 05-03-13

If you could sum up A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement in three words, what would they be?

Profound, multi-layered.

What did you like best about this story?

The brilliantly sharp humour, and the ever deepening insights of both protagonist and indeed reader as the narrative unfolds. A marvellous portrait of an era long gone. To be compared with Brideshead Revisited.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

The different voices and the sense of wistfulness that Powell intended.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No! Certainly not.

Any additional comments?

I don't blame those people who complained they were bored. It is not for everyone. This is a cerebral slow burner of a tale spread over 12 novels and about 40 years. It's not for those who like a rollicking, tumultuous incident-packed plot. It just aint that sort of work.

For those with time, patience, and an interest in English social history, this is a glorious and profound experience.

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5 people found this helpful