The Hollow Hills

The Arthurian Saga, Book 2

De: Mary Stewart

Narrado por: Nicol Williamson

Merlin the Enchanter, prophet and visionary, adviser to kings: Here is the story of how he rears Arthur, the future Christmas King, in remote secrecy, safe from the warring kings and Saxons who plot against his father, King Uther. Told in the voice of Merlin himself, this tale bristles with all the suspense and intrigue of fifth-century Britain. Ambrosius is dead, having brought order and progress to the kingdom during his reign. Now the regional kings look to the succession, and Merlin watches and waits, always providing for the security of the boy his prophesies promise will become the greatest king of all.

©1990 Mary Stewart (P)2009 Phoenix

Unabridged please!

Unabridged please! This is a truly great story and it deserves a full length version.

Who Abridges and Epic Trilogy?

What did you like best about The Hollow Hills? What did you like least?

The Hollow Hills was performed very well but abridged? What a stunning choice. They kept the story line but it's like a commercial for the complete story. What a waste of the talents of both the author and the performer.

What about Nicol Williamson’s performance did you like?

The performer has a rich, nuanced voice that is perfect for an epic saga like this one.

Any additional comments?

I hope someone decides that this classic trilogy is worth the time and money to create in an unabridged version.

A lovely voice, but not the whole story

I don't buy abridged audiobooks as a rule, but I had to buy this one. Nicol Williamson has a fabulous voice and it's worth the credits to listen to him.

It's been years since I read The Hollow Hills, one of Mary Stewart's 4-book series about Merlin. This one covers the time from the birth of Arthur until his coming to the kingship. I think if you are very familiar with the entire book you will find this a disappointment, as most abridgements are.

It is a wonderful book, Merlin is always great.

What did you love best about The Hollow Hills?

Merlin, training Arthur to be the great king, Merlin would have been.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hollow Hills?

When he got the sword and set it up for Arthur.

What about Nicol Williamson???s performance did you like?

great expressions

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

yes

Any additional comments?

Have always loved the Merlin/Arthur story.

Wonderful! Where are parts 1 and 3?!?!?!

This is part of four books that Mary Stewart wrote about the Arthur ledgend. They are the best I have ever read and I am really disappointed that Audible only offers the second and fourth books. The Crystal Cave and The Last Enchantment would be well worth offering! Please complete the set, Audible!

Love Mary Stewart's 'Hollow Hills'.

'The Hollow Hills' is a captivating story of Merlins role in Arthur's conception and early years. I highly recommend this book. I read it again and again.

Abridged.

Unfortunately, this book was cut back by a great deal. I’ve been a fan of this series since I was a kid. I didn’t expect so much of the story to removed.

Yet another gutted Stewart abridgement

What disappointed you about The Hollow Hills?

That it was abridged. These abridged versions of Stewart's Merlin books are barely unsatisfying- the story feels gutted.

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

I like listening to pleasant men's voices narrating books, so I appreciated his voice. He acted out the scenes well, too.

What character would you cut from The Hollow Hills?

The question is what characters were cut from it that I didn't get to hear about :)

Any additional comments?

They should create full, unabridged versions of Renault's and Mary Stewart's books. These abridged versions are unsatisfying.

A hatchet job of a marvelous story

What disappointed you about The Hollow Hills?

Don't bother with this mess. The text was abridged to the point that all the charm, lyrical language, characterization, and everything else that made the book worth reading was gone. Read the actual book instead. It's well worth it.

Has The Hollow Hills turned you off from other books in this genre?

I will check carefully in the future to make sure I am buying the actual book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was fine. I wish he'd read the actual book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I would have loved an audiobook of The Hollow Hills. This was an audiobook of a poorly edited, mangled summary of the book. None of Mary Stewart's original prose survived.

Any additional comments?

A huge waste of a credit.

Never Buy Abridged

So many important details in this book were lost in the abridgement. Entire conversations were condensed into one or two prose sentences. The entire feel of the story is different. The basic storyline is there, but not the magic of Mary Stewart's writing. The narrator is very good, however, which is why I bought it. If I hadn't read the book, this would've been enjoyable.