Reviews
By the way - Richard Matthews is Robert Whitfield is Simon Vance
(just in case you were confused)
AN UNPARDONABLE CRIME Andrew Taylor
Read by Simon Vance
Simon Vance does a lovely job of making the complex sentences and bygone words of the period writing style easy to listen to. Both his English and his American characters sound right, which is an impressive feat. And the large cast, from English boys to East End women to a middle-aged black Canadian servant, are believable.
OBSESSION Katherine SutcliffeRead by Richard Matthews
As Richard Matthews drags us through the muck of insanity, self-pity, alcoholism, martyrdom, self-discovery, and treachery, he imbues the diverse characters with every nuance of shallow realism called for in the text. Where the plot teeters on the brink of the ridiculous, Matthews snatches it back to the safety of entertaining, if never believable, romance.
PHINEAS FINN Anthony TrollopeRead by Robert Whitfield
Whitfield also finds a rewarding, energetic pace for this 1869 tale of the political, moral, and romantic ups and downs of an Irishman in the British Parliament. The polished excitement that animates Whitfield's reading comes across richly and compels the listener's attention.
THE LAMENTS George HagenRead by Richard Matthews
The beauty of this audiobook lies in the author's creativity and in the narrator's attention to detail--Hagen's family is an oddly universal one, in spite of all their eccentricities, and Richard Matthews masterfully brings each character to life, right down to the children's accent shifts as they move from one country to the next.
THE PRINCES OF IRELAND : The Dublin Saga Edward RutherfordRead by Richard Matthews
Some listeners may find this book less involving than his others, but narrator Richard Matthews does his best--which is very good--to keep us interested. He blends an attentive, well-paced narration in his attractive English baritone with a range of Irish accents that delineate character and class--everything from Druid priests to warrior queens to twentieth-century farmers experiencing potato famine. Matthews is particularly skilled at heightening the narrative drive of the story with an intense, dramatic reading that is never overdone. He makes this book well worth hearing, despite its daunting length.
TELLER OF TALES : The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle Daniel StashtowerRead by Richard Matthews
Richard Matthews's smooth British narration does justice to the man, his times, and particularly his acquaintances, sliding as he does into mild accents, such as Scottish or Irish, as the character on hand requires.
A HISTORY OF HEAVEN Jeffrey Burton RussellRead by Simon Vance
The ultimate "lofty" topic is brought within grasp in this beautiful reading by British-born actor Simon Vance. . . . . . Vance, whose audio repertoire includes works by Eric Ambler, P. G. Wodehouse and a biography of Oscar Wilde, articulates Russell's scholarly words with such crisp elegance that the subject is made accessible, and listening is a little slice of heaven.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HAPSBURG TIARA Alan VannemanRead by Simon Vance
Vance's narrative technique, best described as "excess within control," is most evident in scenes of Dr. Watson's torrid affair with a conniving countess. The explicit language sounds almost incongruous with his proper tone. Every character receives enough differentiation to remain identifiable without compromising the subtlety of Vance's delivery.
CROME YELLOW Aldous HuxleyRead by Robert Whitfield
Robert Whitfield's unabridged reading of Huxley's first novel is a triumph of one man's vocal capacities. Crome Yellow introduces many ideas Huxley would explore in fuller and more exact detail later, but Whitfield's vocal acrobatics in portraying the cast of characters assembled at an English country estate for a summer vacation in the 1920's makes for dazzling aural entertainment. Otherwise fatuous goings-on become intriguing shenanigans, and the characters' psychological portraits are rendered accurately through the unique voices Whitfield assigns them. With each change of the five cassettes, the listener is more captivated.
ANTIC HAY Aldous HuxleyRead by Robert Whitfield
Whitfield's voice is fun to listen to, and he uses that playfulness to complement Huxley's biting, satiric prose. He reads marvelously, pacing the story well and using his firm, deep voice to capture the irony and hypocrisy within the book. This is not one of Huxley's better-known novels, but Whitfield makes it notable.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENVENUTO CELLINI Benvenuto CelliniRead by Robert Whitfield
Whitfield brings Cellini's autobiography to life, fluently rolling Italian and English words off his tongue and capturing the flavor of the tale. Cellini tells of his adventures, his encounters with DaVinci and Michelangelo, the Medicis and other famous people of his era. The minute details recounted by Cellini are gracefully read by Whitfield, who breathes life into this fascinating autobiography.
BARNABY RUDGE Charles DickensRead by Robert Whitfield
And reader Robert Whitfield is an absolute joy, making this long and complex work accessible and entertaining. Whitfield distinguishes with charm and consistency among the huge cast of characters--emphasis on that last word. . . . . . Clearly Whitfield enjoys reading this novel as much as we enjoy listening to it
CASANOVA John MastersRead by Robert Whitfield
Through subtle changes in tempo and mood, Whitfield accurately captures both the spirit of Casanova and the integrity of the author
CASINO ROYALE Ian FlemingRead by Robert Whitfield
Britisher Robert Whitfield takes a suitably urbane approach, sounding as if he is attired in white tails and sipping a very dry martini between takes.
DR. NO Ian FlemingRead by Robert Whitfield
Robert Whitfield's polished voice is an enchanting accompaniment to Fleming's exotic settings and stories. His English accent is as smooth as a dry martini--shaken not stirred--and he slips into other accents (West Indian and African American in LIVE & LET DIE, German in GOLDFINGER, and Chinese in DR. NO) as easily as the fictional 007 slips out of a dangerous situation and into the bed of a beautiful woman.
LONDON MATCH Len DeightonRead by Robert Whitfield
Robert Whitfield's reading of LONDON MATCH will have the listener wishing that the great espionage game had gone on forever. Whitfield's narrative voice is easy, his voices true and unvarying. British Whitfield handles Deighton's multinational cast effortlessly--even when they all appear together in a scene
THE CHRISTMAS STORIES Charles DickensRead by Robert Whitfield
Robert Whitfield's narration allows listeners to recognize how much Dickens wrote for the ear. Whitfield reads these stories like he is telling them beside a winter fire. His voice rises and falls with Dickens's rhythms, and it's easy to imagine Dickens acting out the eccentric and vivid characters that fill every story.
DIE ANOTHER DAY Raymond BensonRead by Robert Whitfield
Who better than Robert Whitfield to breathe new life into 007? Whitfield exhibits an exacting British accent; an ability to fluently shift between a myriad of characters, all within a breath; and a gift for painting pictures with words. Whitfield's talent adds another dimension to the consummate secret agent--Bond, James Bond.
THE ENDLESS KNOT : Song of Albion Book 3 Stephen R. LawheadRead by Robert Whitfield
Making very strange place and character names sound commonplace must have been quite challenging, but Robert Whitfield has completely mastered them. Lawhead's character, an Oxford student, becomes Llew Silver Hand, High King of Albion, a Celtic other world. With the help of his queen, Goewyn, he mends the fabric between the modern world and Albion. Whitfield pours life and emotion into the characters and moves listeners "out of this world." He portrays high action and romance with equal finesse. This work is a successful combination of science fiction, fantasy, and romance, with an outstanding narrator.
THE FACE OF BATTLE John KeeganRead by Robert Whitfield
Robert Whitfield's reading matches the grace, intelligence, and pathos of Keegan's prose. Whitfield's voice is deep and serious, but not ponderous. He sounds like an English academic without sounding pedantic. Reading this work is no easy task. Keegan's prose is filled with lengthy sentences and dotted with foreign words and phrases, but Whitfield offers a flawless reading.
RIDE WITH ME Thomas B. CostainRead by Richard Matthews
Richard Matthews's narration is punctuated by versatile accents, ranging from refined French and English to Cockney and Indian patois, and never misses a beat or nuance. As Frances Ellery and Robert Wilson charge into battle, Matthews picks up his pacing and follows along, keeping the listener enthralled.
CASTLES OF STEEL : Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea Robert K. MassieRead by Richard Matthews
The writing is lucid, and the narration, by Brit Richard Matthews, is precise and compelling.
INTELLIGENCE IN WAR : Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda John KeeganRead by Richard Matthews
Richard Matthews narrates these skillfully; his flowing British accent perfectly complements Keegan's rich prose. Together, writer and reader engage the listener with the book's argument.