Mary

Modern dialog in a period novel

Revisado: 02-04-18

Any additional comments?

This was a mildly enjoyable novel of the type I enjoy. The story was good, but the dialog was out of sync at times with a 1920's English country house. I found it jarring. There are others, such as the Royal Spyness or Daisy Dalrymple, that I enjoy very much. This was a shade off.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Wonderful Christmas Story -

Revisado: 12-24-12

Any additional comments?

I have both copies of this -- the narration by Elaine Stritch is better. It's my favorite of the two. If you're going to purchase one -- get that version. I love the story, love the sentiment. And it's pretty darn funny, too! It's an annual tradition at our house.

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

great children's story

Revisado: 07-23-12

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I've loved this book since i read it to my daughter many years ago. It's a cute story with lots of humor.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Howie the dog. He's a great narrator.

What does Victor Garber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good characterization.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Laugh-out-loud moments when the cat and dog are dealing with the "vampire" bunny.

Any additional comments?

A fun listen for the whole family.

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Not for the faint-hearted

Revisado: 02-01-11

I had to give up on this about halfway through part 1. The graphic descriptions of murders and tortures (both contemporary and medieval) got to me. The plot started out well, and the narration was good, but I just couldn't get through the gore. I like thrillers, but this was a bit too graphic for my tastes.

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Hard to Follow

Revisado: 01-29-10

I was halfway through part 2 of this 3-part book before I got comfortable with it. If you stick with it, you'll probably enjoy it. The author made is a more difficult read/listen than it needed to be, by refusing to use any attribution for quotes other than "he said" -- or nothing at all. When there are 3 men talking, it's hard to determine who said what. The narrator did a pretty good job of differentiating the various characters, but lack of attribution didn't help the flow of the story. And it's written in the present tense, which I found annoying (it was 500 years ago). That being said, this is an interesting and sympathetic portrayal of Thomas Cromwell, who is usually shown as one of the major villains of Henry VII's reign. It also shows Thomas More in a less-than-saintly light. The story only takes us to More's execution, so doesn't show Cromwell's eventual downfall.

If you're interested in this period, you'll find the book worthwhile. If Tudor England is new to you, I'd advise starting somewhere else.

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A good story, well read.

Revisado: 11-03-09

If you liked Sepulchre and Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, you'll like Ysabel. I liked this book very much. It's similar to Sepulchre and Labyrinth - a tangling of characters from different times (although from a much earlier period). Set in the same region - Provence. Narrative is well written and moves along, and the descriptions of the earlier history is very interesting. Characters are well defined. Kate Reading does a good job of portraying all the voices -- even the men.

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A good listen

Revisado: 10-26-09

I thought this was a very good book. I have listened to/read and liked other books by the author. Since most of the books about the Romanov daughters seem to be about Anastasia, this has a different viewpoint. Although this is fiction, her descriptions of the era and family ring true. The reader was new to me, but did an excellent job.

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Not as good as Relic

Revisado: 03-02-09

I was somewhat disappointed with this one. It had too many parallels to Preston/Child's Relic (which is one of the best of this genre). Same basic plot, same characters (though not as well developed). Scott Brick does his usual fine job of narration.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Good non-fiction book

Revisado: 08-15-08

I've read several of Allison Weir's non-fiction biographies, and they're all meticulously researched, very detailed, and well written. This is no exception. It's a much a biography of John of Gaunt as of Katherine Swynford, probably because there is more detail about his life, and most of the information available on Katherine is through John. If you're interested in this period of English history, you'll probably find the detail interesting, but there was a lot more detail about the architecture than I wanted.
If you're looking for something along the lines of Anya Seton's novel, you'll be disappointed, as it is a detailed account of Katherine's life, but is presented as "just the facts." I found Weir's note about Seton and her novel that is at the end of the book quite interesting. The narrator was just right.

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A good listen

Revisado: 04-07-08

This is one of those historical epics that was written in the 50s and 60s. If you are a fan of historical novels, and of ancient Egypt, this is highly recommended. Good story, good narrator.

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