Anonymous

Get inside the head of Samuel Pepys!

Reviewed: 06-09-15

What made the experience of listening to The Diary of Samuel Pepys the most enjoyable?

The combination of dramatization and reading directly from the diary.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sam's boy servant Will is hilarious, he plays the fool, but is smarter than he lets on. He tells chilling ghost stories and has opinions on current affairs such as war and politics that he makes known. He is part of the family and loves the Pepys, at one point he uses all the money he has to buy a diamond necklace for Mrs. Pepys. It must have taken him years to save for.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

It has to be Sam as you feel like you are in his head listening to his consciousness talk directly to you as he experiences life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Love in the time of the Black Death"

Any additional comments?

The book vividly brings upper middle class London to life in the 1660’s. The events that took place during that time shaped British history forever are told with intimate eye witness accounts, the restoration of the Monarchy, the exhumation of Oliver Cromwell and his “execution”, the great plague of 1665, the fire of London in 1666 amongst others. Samuel’s relationship with King Charles II and James Duke of York is a fascinating side story, both knew him personally and respected his work with the Navy. He describes his formal and informal meetings with them. During the great fire both the King and Duke are on the streets with Sam trying to figure out the best way to tackle and stop the spread of the fire. They are all concerned with the welfare of the people of London and willing to do physical work themselves to stop it. You learn about the character of all of them.

Sam’s diary was meant to be for his eyes only and he holds none of his feelings back, he does write some of his adulterous liaisons in French, but they are easy to interpret. He was a hardworking and intelligent man dedicated to his job, he loved drinking in the taverns and going to the theater, he also had compulsions to cheat on his wife that he acted on and yet still loved her dearly. One of my favorite sections towards the end in October 1668 is when Sam is finally caught cheating on his wife, it’s compelling domestic drama and it’s real, it really happen, you can picture yourself in the room “and after supper, to have my head combed by my wench Deb, which occasioned the greatest sorrow I knew in this world, for my wife, coming in the chamber suddenly; did find me embracing the girl with my hand under her petticoats; and indeed, I was with my hand in her cunny. I was at a wonderful loss upon it, and the girle also."

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3 people found this helpful

Long live Charles III

Reviewed: 05-07-15

I am a Jacobite. I would have thrown myself in front of a flying bullet for Charles Edward Stuart. An incredible man with an astonishing story. Expertly written and narrated.

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4 people found this helpful