Andrea

Awesome story and awesome performance!

Revisado: 07-26-19

I read this years ago and realized it was one of Georgette Heyer’s better titles and now with a stellar listening experience, this book is outstanding.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Unassuming Main Characters!

Revisado: 06-08-19

I listened to the eAudio edition, and I have no problem with Matthew Lloyd Davis’ performance. I’d listen to him again. He did a good job, particularly in differentiation of different speech patterns among people from various parts of London and class differences between the MCs. I really cannot stand generic British accents, but thankfully, this was not the case here.

I’m a big fan of KJCs work, but her writing, story-telling skills, and fabulous period detail all eclipse two of the dullest MCs I have ever seen!

I really understand what KJC was going for, with Clem, the boarding-house operator and Rowley, the professional “preserver” (ie Taxidermist) and creating a romance of two unassuming fellows in dirty, foggy, Victorian London, I really do. However, even KJC with her mad skillz couldn’t make these two dull-dogs interesting. I still kiss her ring, but these two fellows were upstaged by everything else in the story, including Clem, the half-caste, Indian-presenting, bastard son’s ugly cat.

I still adore KJC—she’s a goddess, for heaven’s sake! On to the next one in the series!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Audible Elevates the Ordinary to the Sublime!

Revisado: 11-14-17

Audible listening experience elevates an ordinary read to the sublime!

I consider myself to be a super fan of the historical romance author Georgette Heyer, but some of the titles of her oeuvre are better than others.

When I read this book, “The Reluctant Widow” for the first time years ago, unlike my favorite titles by this author that I return to again and again, I didn’t think I’d ever reread this one.

Later, I saw the Audible edition for this title at at low price and boy am I glad that I bought it!

Thanks to an inspired performance by narrator Cornelius Garrett, the Audible edition of this book is probably my favorite audiobook to listen to. Unlike the regular book edition, that I didn’t think I’d ever read again, I listen to this all of the time. The various voices that Mr. Garret uses for the cast of characters are spot-on and truly entertaining. He is a very, very gifted voice actor.

Audible has transformed my opinion of this book!

“AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY”

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Great Audio of a Gay Fiction Classic

Revisado: 05-31-17

Peter Firth does a really good job with this as narrator.

EM Forster finished this novel in 1914 but it was published posthumously in the 1970s because love between men at the time this was written was not at all accepted and was illegal in England. I also think that the Oscar Wilde scandal was still relatively fresh in people's memories as well.

Lest anyone think that the titular character is some great guy or some fellow with sensibility to the "finer" things (a stereotype) think again. He's very conscious of of his class and status, perhaps unlikable and with the exception of his sexual orientation, completely unremarkable.

I think it is Forster's genius to create an "invert" character that is completely average or even mediocre, but to show his journey as a "gay" man of a bygone era.

This book deserves its place as a great gay fiction classic.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

An Outstanding Listening Experience!

Revisado: 04-10-17

Sian Philips, gave a brilliant performance in reading this book!

She was a joy to listen to in using her skill as a actress to create a variety of pleasing voices for the characters with expert delivery!

This story is an old favorite of mine from Georgette Heyer's romances.

I'm going to check to see if Sian Philips has performed/read any other of this author's titles and promptly buy them!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

3 Strikes, including audio that is abysmal

Revisado: 03-27-17

3-Strikes:

1) Poor writing quality of the book itself

2) Terribly edited audio with repetition of sentences like skip/scratches in a vinyl record. This audio is so terrible, that I think audible/Amazon shouldn't sell it. I seriously thought of calling customer service to request a refund!

3) Subpar audio narration: The narrator sounds like he's, well...reading. I don't like a narrator who "just" reads. I can read a book aloud myself without paying for an audiobook.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Fantastic!!!

Revisado: 06-17-16

The story and Sam Spade the detective were both absolutely amazing!

This dramatization had high production values and was like listening to a movie.

I now see what the appeal of listening to radio dramas before television.

Edward Herrmann was outstanding.

I'm going to look around for more dramatizations from "Hollywood Theater of the Ear."

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña