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The Butterfly Man
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
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The Butterfly Man
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Publisher's summary
On November 7, 1974, a young English nanny named Sandra Rivett was murdered in London's West End. Her employer, Lord Lucan, was named as her attacker. It was widely assumed he had mistaken her for his wife. Lord Lucan disappeared the night Sandra
Rivett died and has not been seen since.
Henry Kennedy lives on a mountain on the other side of the world. He is not who he says he is. Is he a murderer, or a man who can never clear his name? And is he the only one with something to hide?
Set in Tasmania, Africa and London's Belgravia, The Butterfly Man is an absorbing novel about transformation and deception.
Editorial reviews
Humphrey Bower delivers a poignant performance of Heather Rose’s riveting crime novel The Butterfly Man, which is inspired by a true story. On November 7, 1974, Sandra Rivett, a nanny employed by Lord Lucan, was murdered in London. The police believed Lucan mistook her for his wife, killed the young woman in cold blood, and then vanished. Novelist Rose creates an intriguing scenario: On a mountain in Tasmania lives a man who claims his name is Henry Kennedy. Is he Lord Lucan? Just what happened the night of November 7th?
Critic reviews
"An intriguing take on the Lord Lucan mystery and the theme of deception." (Australian Women's Weekly)
"Rose's lyrical melding...is masterful. Intriguing as the real-life events of the Lucan story are, Rose transforms it into something far more substantial." (The Australian)
"The success of this exquisitely crafted novel is that it is difficult to remind oneself that it is a work of imagination." (The Sunday Tasmanian)
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What listeners say about The Butterfly Man
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Henry Slofstra
- 09-06-17
A good book, raised to excellent through narration
Where does The Butterfly Man rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
One of the best of the 20 or so audiobooks I have enjoyed so far.
What did you like best about this story?
I had liked how Humphrey Bower narrated 'the Great Gatsby' and so I browsed his other readings. The narration was very convincing, and brought you in to the emotional lives of the various characters, but especially that of Henry Kennedy. There's plenty to think about in terms of people's secret lives and their past, through the contrast between Kennedy and the unravelling of the past and motivations of his lover and others.
Which scene was your favorite?
One of my favourite scenes was Kennedy asking his friend Jimmy to administer traditional indigenous funeral rites, and Henry's expression of his motivations in so doing.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It passed the time on a number of very long drives.
Any additional comments?
In summary, a good story, good characters, thought provoking, profound, but not hard to follow, and above all, an excellent performance by the narrator. What else could you want?
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dee Garza
- 11-24-22
Excellent
Humphrey Bower is masterful in his performance. The story is rich and deep. Do not miss this one.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L Campbell
- 10-29-12
This audiobook has changed my life!
What made the experience of listening to The Butterfly Man the most enjoyable?
Listening to the Butterfly Man, I loved the scottish accent of the Protagonist. I also enjoyed when he changed to the English accent of Lord Lukin. I loved hearing the accents of his Indigenous friend, Jimmie and also his one true love, Lil. Lil's daughter and grandson 's accents were also beautifully read.
What did you like best about this story?
This is a story about Hope. It made me realise that we not only can create a new present and future, we can also create a new past and start all over again as a totally new person.
What does Humphrey Bower bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Humphrey Bower adds colour and richness to the story by his reading of the novel and we as the audience hear all the different accents of the characters.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I think the most moving part of the story was when Lily ( or Lillay) told her story of her shocking past in Vietnam. It made me realise that it may be better to just close the door on bad memories of our past and just start again as if it never happened. Often we have the best chance of a better, happier life if we can close the door on past painful experiences instead of reliving them.
Any additional comments?
This is an outstanding book and the best way to experience it is listening to it as an audio book.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- fromm-mom
- 11-30-07
Arizona
Just about anything Humphrey Bower reads is worth listening to. Coupled with the authors that he chooses to read for, one has a perfect match.
This particular story is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. Although I knew all about the Cray Brothers, I was not familiar with the other historical facts in this novel. I enjoyed that fact that it leaves you guessing (especially if you listen to the credits at the end!)
If you enjoy this, you will also like Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- SuperLuckyCat
- 12-03-09
Loved everything about this story
I absolutely loved this story. I loved the writing, how it was so melodic. It makes you completely absorbed with what happens to Henry. I could listen to this book once a month. It's deep, it's stimulating, whole paragraphs are put together so well, they just roll off the tongue. Humphrey Bowers does each accent perfectly. I love his Scottish brouge. I would love to see more from this author. I highly recommend this listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Pamela
- 06-04-11
Engaging
I love Humphrey Bower as a narrator and as usual he made this story come alive. While it made me cry - I was facinated by the story.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Sylvia
- 08-03-09
Don't bother with your time or money
I finished the book but it was hard. I'm still wondering what the point of the book was or what it was that made me want to listen to it. The redeaming quality is Humphrey as the narrator!
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