The Snakes

A Novel

By: Sadie Jones

Narrated by: Imogen Church

"The Snakes is many things - a parable and an ancient drama where a father’s greed devours his children, a police procedural, an avid take on tabloid venality, and a bitter comedy, superbly observed, where behind a woman’s eyes she is ‘all movement inside herself, like a wasp in a glass.’ I admit that I’m still shaken by parts of this novel. Sadie Jones writes with pitiless aplomb and corrosive intelligence." (Louise Erdrich)

A chilling story and impossible to pause, The Snakes is Sadie Jones at her best: breathtakingly powerful, brilliantly incisive, and utterly devastating.

The new novel by Sadie Jones tells the tense and violent story of the Adamsons, a dysfunctional English family, with exceptional wealth, whose darkest secrets come back to bite them. Set mostly in rural France during contemporary times, The Snakes is an all-consuming listen and a devastating portrait of how money corrupts, and how chance can deal a deadly hand.

The Snakes exposes the damage wreaked by parents on children as observed by a new member of the family, Dan, a mixed-race man from Peckham who marries Bea, the daughter who refuses to take any of her father’s filthy money. But when Bea’s brother, Alex (who runs a shabby hotel in Paligny, France), dies suddenly in unexplained circumstances, the confusion and suspicion which arise bring other dark family secrets - and violence - to the surface. And none of the family, even the good members, go untouched.

©2019 Sadie Jones (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Narrator volume range ruined it

The story was good and very interesting and while the narration was soulful, it would quickly range between startlingly loud and almost inaudible. I couldn’t listen to it in my car because she basically whispers a lot of parts and I couldn’t even hear it above the sound of being in the car even on high volume, then she’d suddenly yell and I’d have to turn the volume down really fast. I couldn’t listen to it on my speaker in the kitchen because I couldn’t hear the whispering parts above the sounds of cooking. I missed a bunch of parts because of this. I could only listen on headphones in a quiet environment which made it hard to find time to get through the book. I normally don’t write reviews but this issue really frustrated me.

Stunning performance by Imogene Church

What kept me riveted to listening was Church’s amazing range of voices. I will look for her as a narrator in future works. She made the audio amazing

Couldn't stop listening!

One of the most engrossing audiobooks I've heard in a long time. Every scene is a subtle exploration of power dynamics: around wealth, class, violence, sex, language...you name it. OK, the french and American accents aren't great, but overall the narrator is a nuanced actress who positively nails it. The ending was shocking and at first disappointing...then I gave it some thought and realised it could be no other way. Be prepared to fold a lot of laundry or go on a long commute, because this book will NOT release you until the end.

Story made me mad

I hated the father...
Did not understand the mother...
Hated the way it ended...
I wanted to kill the killer...I hate men that beat on women...

Incredible, Scary, Poignant, Unforgettable

One of the greatest books I’ve ever read in my life.
It is filled with suspense, mystery, beauty.

But it is also filled with timeless and irrevocable truths about the world we live in.

I’ve not had an ending effect me quite so much ever.

The exceptional performance by Imogen Church only highlights the magnificence of this incredibly well told tale.

Five east stars, certainly worth a credit.

That ending…..

Quite possibly the rest of the book is sitting unpublished somewhere?

It’s not just that the ending is bad or not what I would have chosen, but the ending does nothing. It’s like getting loaded 75% and then dying.

Terrible ending

The story great, performance wonderful but the ending very sad and not expected and shocking.

Extraordinary!

I will be awhile regaining my footing after two days immersed in this all consuming novel. I could not stop listening; this one grabbed me and carried me away. Richly complex characters, dialogue that flowed like I was a fly on the wall, atmosphere I could smell, see and feel, soul shredding conflicts which are endemic to the human condition. Do not read any spoilers for this unique novel, just let Imogen Church take you on your personal journey with Bea and Dan. Bon voyage...

A tale of greed

Beautifully written, flawlessly narrated. The story is intriguing, interesting, and strangely relatable. The ending, however, was abrupt and disappointing, leaving many unanswered questions.

Listen!

Excellent story and writing. I recommend!
My only minor criticism is the American accent is a bad mash-up of regional stereotypes.