The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Official Blurb

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo is an adventure novel and one of the author's most popular works. He completed the work in 1844. The story takes place in France, Italy, islands in the Mediterranean and in the Levant during the historical events of 1815-1838 (from just before the Hundred Days to the reign of Louis-Philippe of France). It deals with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy and forgiveness. The book is considered a literary classic today.

My Review

If I start by saying that I'd been holding off listening to this book until a single-reader version came along, you'll realise it is a book I wanted to hear, and that I wanted to hear done properly. This is actually the third version of the book put out by Librivox, but the first solo version.

It is 56 hours long. Fifty Six! The reader, David Clarke is excellent and pitches a great French accent that brings the text to life.

I stopped listening after 18 hours. Even David's wonderful reading could not induce me to continue listening to this so-called classic. With reference to this book, the word "classic" means long. It does not mean good.

It started so well, with the protagonist being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and a great prison escape. Then...then...Well then lots of boring stuff happened to characters that I didn't feel for nor care about. Was the author paid by the word, it sure felt like it Rambling, disjointed, lack of plot, lack of emotion and in the end, after an investment of 18 hours I realised life's too short for this book.

Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 0/3

Total Score 5/9 (Only count this score, if you think it fair when I didn't finish it!)

Listen to the first chapter 

Download it from the Librivox

Peace Lord of the Red Planet by Steven H. Wilson

Official Blurb

Shepherd Autrey is a Quaker, a physician, and a man deeply disturbed by the madness around him as the War Between the states bears down on his America in 1863. Dared by a friend to take an active role, Shep volunteers to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of Sherman’s scorched earth campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. There he runs foul of a Confederate recruiting drive and fi nds himself hanged by the neck from a tree. Awakening in a strange land which can’t possibly be earth, Shep is plunged into battle and saves the life of an alien warrior prince. Hailed by bloodthirsty killers as the bravest man alive, Shep combats his conscience, his flagging faith, and an ever-growing number of people who want him dead.

My Review

The title and the blurb suggest that this might be set in Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom world. Even the civil war link to the red planet suggests it may be a Barsoom story. Sadly I have to report it is nothing of the sort.

The world that the protagonist is pulled through to is Red, but its not aliens with six arms on the planet but men. Yes they do have flying boats and fight with swords over a mostly desert world but its not Barsoom. I was severely disapointed.

The story started so well , Shep the protagonist is an appealing character and the opening chapters put him in some really interesting situations. Sadly it does not stay that way. The story gets exceptionally preachy. At one point two consecutive chapters focus almost entirely on various characters trying to convince the protagonist that his Christian based anti-homesexual sentiments are wrong. Two chapters!

The end of the story was also a dispointment. Instead of building to a big battle or highly adventurous final climax it resolved with lots of explaining what happened in the past rather than showing us the action.

In the end, I was very disapointed, I kept listening hoping it would get better, be more what I had been hoping for.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Total Score 5/9

Dont bother downloading it from Podiobooks

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