The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
A Novel
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The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
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Narrated by:
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Juliet Stevenson
About this listen
Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction
“Wonderful...completely transporting.” (Madeline Miller, New York Times best-selling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles)
"Historical fiction at its finest, combining myth and legend with the brutal realities of the past.... Comparisons will be drawn to the works of contemporary authors Sarah Waters and Michael Faber...but The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock has more in common with the novels of Dickens and Austen." (Irish Times)
In 1780s London, a prosperous merchant finds his quiet life upended when he unexpectedly receives a most unusual creature - and meets a most extraordinary woman - in this much-lauded, atmospheric debut that examines our capacity for wonder, obsession, and desire with all the magnetism, originality, and literary magic of The Essex Serpent.
One September evening in 1785, Jonah Hancock hears an urgent knocking on his front door near the docks of London. The captain of one of Jonah’s trading vessels is waiting eagerly on the front step, bearing shocking news. On a voyage to the Far East, he sold Jonah’s ship for something rare and far more precious: a mermaid. Jonah is stunned - the object the captain presents him is brown and wizened, as small as an infant, with vicious teeth and claws, and a torso that ends in the tail of a fish. It is also dead.
As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlors and brothels, all of London is curious to see this marvel in Jonah Hancock’s possession. Thrust from his ordinary existence, somber Jonah finds himself moving from the city’s seedy underbelly to the finest drawing rooms of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of the coquettish Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on - and a shrewd courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting sparks a perilous liaison that steers both their lives onto a dangerous new course as they come to realize that priceless things often come at the greatest cost.
Imogen Hermes Gowar, Britain’s most-heralded new literary talent, makes her debut with this spellbinding novel of a merchant, a mermaid, and a madam - an unforgettable confection that explores obsession, wonder, and the deepest desires of the heart with bawdy wit, intrigue, and a touch of magic.
©2017 Imogen Hermes Gowar (P)2018 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Imogen Robertson
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 172
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 139
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Story4 out of 5 stars 140
In the year 1780, Harriet Westerman, the willful mistress of a country manor in Sussex, finds a dead man on her grounds with a ring bearing the crest of Thornleigh Hall in his pocket. Not one to be bound by convention or to shy away from adventure, she recruits a reclusive local anatomist named Gabriel Crowther to help her find the murderer, and historical suspense's newest investigative duo is born.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not The Best, But Not Too Bad...
- By MJ on 01-13-13
By: Imogen Robertson
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Venus
- By: Jane Feather
- Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 31
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4 out of 5 stars 30
The last thing Lord Nicholas Kincaid expected to see in the gloom of a London tavern was a vision of loveliness. And when she led him to a bedchamber with a come-hither smile, there was no question of resisting - until he realized the lying wench meant to render him senseless so the landlord could rob him blind!
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4 out of 5 stars
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Mispronounciations abound!
- By 🌿🌸Susynne🌸🌿 on 07-16-14
By: Jane Feather
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Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
- By: Gregory Maguire
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 338
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 294
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Story4 out of 5 stars 294
Gregory Maguire proves himself to be “one of contemporary fiction’s most assured myth-makers” (Kirkus Reviews) with Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, his ingenious and provocative retelling of the timeless Cinderella fairy tale. Perhaps best known for his dark and breathtaking Oz series The Wicked Years—including the novel Wicked, which inspired the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical—Maguire is a master at upending the ordinary to help us see the familiar in a brilliant new light.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Very Human Story!
- By SamiJo McQuiston on 05-02-18
By: Gregory Maguire
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Cover Her Face
- By: P. D. James
- Narrated by: Penelope Dellaporta
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 808
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 692
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Story4 out of 5 stars 684
Headstrong and beautiful, the young housemaid Sally Jupp is put rudely in her place, strangled in her bed behind a bolted door. Coolly brilliant policeman Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard must find her killer among a houseful of suspects, most of whom had very good reason to wish her ill. Cover Her Face is P. D. James' electric debut novel, an ingeniously plotted mystery that immediately placed her among the masters of suspense.
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3 out of 5 stars
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OK but...
- By NoelleJ on 11-14-14
By: P. D. James
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The Irish Healer
- A Novel
- By: Nancy Herriman
- Narrated by: Amanda McKnight
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 50
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4 out of 5 stars 45
1830s London is rich with promise ... and fraught with peril. Rachel Dunne and James Edmunds are about to discover that love is too. Rachel Dunne has always been a healer ... until she’s accused of causing the death of a child under her care. Acquitted but shunned, she flees Ireland in search of a new life, convinced that she’ll be fine so long as no one in London learns of her disgrace - or forces her to ever sit at another sickbed.
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3 out of 5 stars
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should have a Christian/Religion tag
- By Wendy on 07-06-12
By: Nancy Herriman
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One Touch of Scandal
- By: Liz Carlyle
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4 out of 5 stars 38
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a safe position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious - and possibly dangerous - Lord Ruthveyn.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Boring What Happened
- By Cindy Johnston on 10-13-10
By: Liz Carlyle
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The Unseen
- A Novel
- By: Katherine Webb
- Narrated by: Clare Wille
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 48
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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Story4 out of 5 stars 44
A vicar with a passion for nature, the Reverend Albert Canning leads a happy existence with his naive wife, Hester, in their sleepy Berkshire village in the year 1911. But as the English summer dawns, the Cannings' lives are forever changed by two new arrivals: Cat, their new maid, a disaffected, free-spirited young woman sent down from London after entanglements with the law; and Robin Durrant, a leading expert in the occult, enticed by tales of elemental beings in the water meadows nearby.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book!
- By Dana on 09-03-12
By: Katherine Webb
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How to Tame Your Duke
- A Princess in Hiding, Book 1
- By: Juliana Gray
- Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 279
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 249
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Story4 out of 5 stars 245
England, 1888. Quiet and scholarly Princess Emilie has always avoided adventure, until she's forced to disguise herself as a tutor in the household of the imposing Duke of Ashland, a former soldier disfigured in battle and abandoned by his wife. When chance draws her into a secret liaison with the duke, Emilie can't resist the opportunity to learn what lies behind his forbidding mask and find out what adventure really means. The duke never imagines that his son's tutor and his mysterious golden-haired beauty are one and the same.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Don't miss this Exciting New Trilogy
- By 🌸DARA on 09-16-13
By: Juliana Gray
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Jack Maggs
- By: Peter Carey
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 91
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 40
With scars on his back and silver in his pocket, the huge figure of Jack Maggs strides across the rich landscape of 19th century London. As this enigmatic man moves through its streets and houses, his single-minded quest to find his son will engender love, deceit, and vengeance in the lives around him.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Jack Maggs
- By Kathleen on 04-04-05
By: Peter Carey
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Tulip Fever
- By: Deborah Moggach
- Narrated by: Rula Lenska
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 298
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 272
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Story4 out of 5 stars 269
Seventeenth-century Amsterdam is a city in the grip of tulip mania, basking in the wealth it has generated. Sophia’s husband Cornelis, an ageing merchant, is among those grown rich from this exotic new flower. To celebrate, he commissions a talented young artist to paint him with his young bride. But as the portrait grows, so does the passion between Sophia and the painter; and as ambitions, desires and dreams breed an intricate deception, their reckless gamble propels their lives towards a thrilling and tragic conclusion.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very interesting book
- By Kevin Crumpton on 01-31-17
By: Deborah Moggach
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To Taste Temptation
- Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 437
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 314
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Story4 out of 5 stars 310
Britain’s high society—le bon ton—loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they’re giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated by Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved It
- By Cathie on 10-26-10
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
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All the Ever Afters
- The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother
- By: Danielle Teller
- Narrated by: Jane Copland
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 265
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 229
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 231
In the vein of Wicked, The Woodcutter, and Boy, Snow, Bird, a luminous re-imagining of a classic tale, told from the perspective of Agnes, Cinderella’s "evil" stepmother. We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we? As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story...
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not what I was expecting...
- By IonyWinter on 07-15-19
By: Danielle Teller
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The Earl's Mistress
- MacLachlan Family & Friends, Book 10
- By: Liz Carlyle
- Narrated by: Carolyn Morris
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
Women rarely refuse the wicked Earl of Hepplewood, whose daring exploits are only whispered about. But when his new governess answers his proposition with a slap, then stalks out, references in hand, Hepplewood finds more than his face is burning. Isabella Aldridge has brains, bravado, and beauty - but the latter is no use to a servant. Her circumstances are desperate, and with Hepplewood's words ringing in her ears, Isabella realizes she must barter her most marketable asset - her body.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Healthy BDSM in a historical romance? HOT!
- By bluestatereader on 07-06-16
By: Liz Carlyle
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Once a Duchess
- Crimson Romance, Book 1
- By: Elizabeth Boyce
- Narrated by: Rachael Beresford
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 164
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 142
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 141
Isabelle Lockwood was a duchess, until her husband of only a few months wrongfully divorced her for adultery. Since then she's been a pariah, living in anonymous exile to escape the prying eyes and wagging tongues of the town. More than anything, Isabelle longs for a family of her own, and so has to marry again. But society is ruthlessly unforgiving. To clear her name, Isabelle must face down her past - and the man who broke her heart and ruined her completely. Marshall Lockwood, Duke of Monthwaite, was blindsided by his young bride's infidelity.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Listen, Wonderful Story
- By Kirsten Wilson on 05-01-18
By: Elizabeth Boyce
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About a Rogue
- Desperately Seeking Duke
- By: Caroline Linden
- Narrated by: Beverley A. Crick
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 224
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 202
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 202
Bianca Tate is horrified when her sister Cathy is obliged to accept an offer of marriage from Maximilian St. James, notorious rake. Defiantly, she helps Cathy elope with her true love and takes her sister’s place at the altar. Perched on the lowest branch of his family tree, Max has relied on charm and cunning to survive. But an unexpected stroke of luck gives him an outside chance at a dukedom - and which Tate sister he weds hardly seems to matter. Married or not, Bianca is determined to protect her family’s prosperous ceramics business, even when Max shows an affinity for it.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Story through internal thoughts and over-telling
- By Laurie S on 08-01-21
By: Caroline Linden
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Miss Marley
- A Christmas ghost story - a prequel to A Christmas Carol
- By: Vanessa Lafaye, Rebecca Mascul
- Narrated by: Josie Dunn
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Orphans Clara and Jacob Marley live by their wits, scavenging for scraps in the poorest alleyways of London, in the shadow of the workhouse. Every night, Jake promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’, and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it despite the terrible price. And so Jacob Marley is set on a path that leads to his infamous partnership with Ebenezer Scrooge. As Jacob builds a fortress of wealth to keep the world out, only Clara can warn him of the hideous fate that awaits him if he refuses to let love and kindness into his heart....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Perfect Christmas read
- By A. Speller on 12-24-18
By: Vanessa Lafaye, and others
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The Essex Serpent
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Perry
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,136
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,030
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,030
When Cora Seaborne's brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one. Wed at 19, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive 11-year old son, Francis, and the boy's nanny, Martha.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Unbearable Narrator
- By ACB on 06-08-17
By: Sarah Perry
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The Janissary Tree
- A Novel
- By: Jason Goodwin
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 417
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 288
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Story4 out of 5 stars 291
It is 1836. Europe is modernizing, and the Ottoman Empire must follow suit. But just before the sultan announces sweeping changes, a wave of murders threatens the balance of power in his court. Who is behind them? Only one intelligence agent can be trusted to find out: Yashim Togalu, a man both brilliant and near-invisible in this world. You see, Yashim is a eunuch.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Interesting premise, annoying narrator
- By Phillipa Somerville on 09-18-07
By: Jason Goodwin
What listeners say about The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- SD
- 05-25-19
Disjointed and undeveloped
It strikes me that this story suffers from lack of a good editor. The writing comes off as an early draft: the plot lines either leap around or fizzle out, character's are superficial, events are contrived , and concludes abruptly with questionable resolution. Overall, an incredibly disconnected "story".
Juliet Stevenson's wonderful narration heightens an underbaked tale.
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