I, Richard

By: Elizabeth George

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

Hailed by The New York Times as "a master of the British Mystery", award-winning author Elizabeth George is cherished by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first collection of short stories is an extraordinary offering that deftly explores the lengths to which people will go to get what they want most.

In these five original tales, George plumbs the depths of human nature as only she can. From the chilling tale of a marriage built on an appalling set of lies that only death can reveal, to the title story about a penniless schoolteacher whose ambition turns murderous, I, Richard is filled with page-turning drama and unmatched suspense.

Thanks to Inspector Thomas Lynley, a squabbling group of Anglophiles discovers a killer in its midst, but little help is on hand when a picture-perfect town is shattered by an eccentric new resident's horrifying pet project. And when a wealthy husband is haunted by suspicions about his much-younger wife, it becomes clear that a man's imagination can be his own worst enemy.

©2002 Elizabeth George (P)2002 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In her first story collection, eminent British author George presents five nimbly written and gripping tales, each with a stunning conclusion." (Publishers Weekly)
"Satisfying and memorable, this collection is highly recommended." (Library Journal)

A tremendous disappointment

I have always considered Sir Derek Jacobi to be one of the greatest actors of our time. His filmed performances are perfection, and every audiobook I've heard him narrate has always been exquisite storytelling. Until this travesty.

In this collection of short stories his narrations are brilliant, and his British dialects and characters come alive with realism. However, his American characters are laughable at best, and painful at worst. All of his male characters sound like caricatures of east coast "wise guys" patterned after Edward G. Robinson, and his female characters are insultingly abrasive, nasal, whiny floozies from the same genre. I cannot understand how the director allowed him to deliver these horrific performances, complete with gross mispronunciations of American proper names ("Savon" drug store, "Robitussin" cough medicine).

He returns to his predictable excellence in the last story, "I, Richard." Unfortunately, that is the last in this collection of five stories.

I cannot "unhear" the first four stories, as much as I would like to. Instead, I will re-listen to his brilliant Cadfael collection to try to restore his previous legacy in my mind, and continue to shake my head and wonder how this trainwreck of a recording was allowed to see the light of day.

Pedestrian, Predictable

Not for me.

Probably shouldn't have listened to this after binging on two Stephen King novellas. He's a master of story and character, and I never want his tales to end.

These overlong pieces plod to their endings, and I couldn't wait.

Mr. Jacobi was the only thing that made it all bearable.

Jacobi does a dreadful American accent

I have admired Derek Jacobi as an actor so I was eager to buy an audiobook with him reading. Big mistake. His American accent - especially his accent as an American woman - was so bad I had to stop.
Be sure to listen to a sample before you buy!