JG

Fascinating Book, outstanding performance

Revisado: 08-24-24

Vidal is one of the few historical novelists worth reading IMO. His dialogs are never out of place and time, not ruined by instances of modern vernacular. Not sure if people in that time would have said, “crypto Democrat,” (a spinoff from Gore’s fatal blow in the Buckley/Vidal final debate). But not a show stopper for me. The reader has the perfect curmudgeon’s voice for Burr and closely follows Vidal’s speaking cadence and style. All in all, very enjoyable. Nice twist at the end!

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Quite a story!

Revisado: 06-13-24

Amazing story, well told. All kinds of insight. Easily understandable reader for a change. Definitely worth the listen.

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Five stars - no shortage of betrayals from all sides

Revisado: 05-20-24

This is the third audio book I’ve enjoyed by Ernle Bradford. I constantly referenced a detailed map of Constantinople at that time period that shows the districts, geography, fortifications, palaces, and notable places mentioned in the book. The map really made the audiobook come alive. Who ever heard of a place named Blachernae? So many interesting details. What a jaw-dropping story of massive deceit, savage cruelty, a crumbling empire, and gullible adventurers on the primrose path to disaster.

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Favorite writer and favorite actor as reader

Revisado: 04-26-24

I’ve been a fan of this story, (and the movie), since forever. It captured my imagination in high school. The great Shakespearean actor, Kenneth Branagh is outstanding. This is a keeper!

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Excellent and so interesting.

Revisado: 04-25-24

Wonderful book and an excellent reading. So much of Bill’s amazing story brought back forgotten memories. I had many of the records he’d produced and engineered. These days in my humble home recording studio, Pro Tools software enables me to do things that were impossible dreams for us as musical kids in the 70’s. So every bit of Bill Schnee’s book was absolutely interesting to me on many levels. Those were the days!

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Balzac can’t help being Balzac

Revisado: 03-20-24

Excellent performance. I’ve always enjoyed Balzac’s writing style. BUT there some moments of shocking soapbox bigotry which are enough for most modern listeners to toss this one aside. In that respect, he’s not unlike Mark Twain or Sir Walter Scott. Those were his times, but that doesn’t make it alright IMO. Be advised. Still, there’s entertaining insight into French small town lives in the early 1800’s.

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Mind blowing history

Revisado: 09-21-23

I suggest opening Google Maps and finding the sites on Malta where the action takes place. It makes it come alive. Amazing what went on and the intensity of the belligerents. Real life saga. What a story!

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Better story than Lolita? But is this his only theme?

Revisado: 07-13-23

Knowing what we know now and how bad it’s always been, I’m repelled by such “old guy pedophilia” stories that were evidently acceptable to write about in Nabokov’s time (Thomas Mann was also fascinated with pedophile stalking). I almost put this book down in disgust, but stayed with it because the writing style is so good. The story finally took off with new surprises. Some didn’t find any morals in the story. It’s shadenfreud and yet satisfying that Albinus (Humbert) really got his comeuppance. Moral: mature men and women ought not be fools and get involved in such rotten business.

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This story is repeated in our own age

Revisado: 07-03-23

Interesting historical characters, well developed. Another example of the corrupting influence of sudden military power; at the same time an amazing look into the mind of the evolving (devolving?) mind of Julian. Also of current interest, the theological friction between early Christians, the Hellenists, and even Priscus, the atheist. Human nature has changed so little. Vidal’s historical novels are terrific. I especially appreciate his attention to actual detail and believable dialog. Too many other modern historical novelists ruin an otherwise interesting subject by inserting modern phrases and culture; a critical reader/listener immediately KNOWS that “nobody spoke using words like that back then.”

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