The Owl Service

By: Alan Garner

Narrated by: Wayne Forester

After hearing scratches in the attic, Alison discovers a dinner service covered in an intriguing floral owl pattern, and a series of events are set in motion that will change her life forever. Alison, her step-brother Roger, and Welsh boy Gwyn are forced into a cyclical replay of the tragic Welsh legend of Blodeuwedd, in which a woman is turned into an owl as a punishment for betraying her husband.

The Owl Service is a fabulous, multi-layered book of mystery and suspense, but also a contemporary musing on love, class structure and power.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2008 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Garner's remarkable writing is simple and straighforward without one wasted word. He lets the audience figure things out through action and dialogue. Characters are well defined. Experienced narrator Wayne Forester is superb. Not only does he take on the voices of disparate characters with practiced ease, he also manages it so seamlessly and immediately that it seems as though there must be two speakers." (SoundComentary.com)

For Anyone Who Loves Myth

Garner has thought deeply about myth, but instead of producing a commentary, he has written a novel, thrilling and wise, that links Welsh legend to teen angst and the gulf of adult worry that gapes before the young. This book is never straightforward in how it treats the old stories, but it never loses its way as it guides you deep into the feelings of its characters. A good example of a "kids" book that dares to do things few "adult" books could pull off.

This is a top-quality recording. The reader paints the characters well, and has complete command over the various Welsh and English voices the story calls for.

missing chapters!

disjointed because a few chapters were omitted. There really wasn't a benefit to skipping over these.

Chapter 17 is completely missing from recording

Would you try another book from Alan Garner and/or Wayne Forester?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

The performance of this book is very good, but the apparently accidental omission of an entire chapter is inexcusable. Chapter 17 is short but contains key exposition, and the rest of the book is confusing in its absence. If you purchase this audiobook, you should have a print copy handy if you don't want to be confused by the missing chapter.

Great story, excellent narrator, but...

I loved this story, and I think anyone who likes Welsh myth would enjoy it. I also thought the narrator was very good; he is especially excellent with dialogue and character voices - never any question who was speaking.

The only caveat has been mentioned in other reviews - chapter 17 is completely missing, and unless there's some confusion in numbering chapter 13 isn't there either. It should not be considered unabridged, and the missing bits are much too crucial to the story to have been left out. I still recommend this wonderful story, but purchase the book and read along or you may find yourself a bit lost.