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Brighton Rock
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Sublime
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Summary
An unabridged audio edition of Graham Greene's classic gang-war thriller. A gang war is raging through the dark underworld of Brighton. Pinkie, malign and ruthless, has killed a man. Believing he can escape retribution, he is unprepared for the courageous, life-embracing Ida Arnold, who is determined to avenge a death.... Read by Samuel West.
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What listeners say about Brighton Rock
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Abi
- 09-04-11
Excellent.
The narration of this audio book is excellent, a pleasure to listen to. The narrator has a cool voice of authority that really suits the story.
This is my first Greene novel, I had never considered reading him before but I was hooked from the opening sentence, which draws you right in. I won't say anything to spoil the story but it has a fantastic sense of doom hanging over it and you can actually feel pity for the most unlikable character.
29 people found this helpful
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- Ian
- 13-01-14
Reputations don't come easy!
Just as in any industry, good reputations don't come easy, that's why Graham Greene has a deserved reputation as a true great.
What a book, what a story, what characters! All as thick, chunky and wholesome as my old mothers home made soup! Like her soup, this story sticks to the ribs, it draws you in, gives warmth and before you know it, your there, deep in the story running with the plot and living with the characters.
Well narrated by Samuel West. A true literary classic.
22 people found this helpful
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- Helen
- 08-07-13
Breathtaking performance of this gripping novel
I've long been a fan of Graham Greene but had held off reading this book for years, because it was "too famous" and - I thought - would be spoiled by the film adaptations. And the story never really seemed like a Greene novel to me. I couldn't have been more wrong; this is Greene at his finest. Gripping, poignant, sinister, touching, comic, chilling - only Greene can deliver such a hard-as-nails story with such a tender economy of phrase.
Samuel West is utterly masterful - his voices are eerily evocative whist never straying into caricature, and his sombre tone is perfect for delivering those Greene gut-wrenching sentences. There were a couple of time towards the end where I literally gasped out loud and held my hands up to my face - punches packed with West's subtle and dark delivery. West clearly 'gets' Greene, and like any brilliant narrator, he delivers the story as if from the author himself.
The book left me quite unsettled for days, but in a brilliant and admiring way. The last line... I felt the floor give way beneath me...
31 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 28-02-11
Brighton Rocks!
A true classic and one of Graham Greene's best. Samuel West brings this alive and evokes all the flesh crawling muted horror of the book and film alike.
11 people found this helpful
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- stephen
- 28-09-13
West is Best
What did you like most about Brighton Rock?
Strong storyline skilfully written to carry you along nicely.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ida Arnold the kind hearted non-Catholic (unlike Pinkie and Rose) with confirmed moral views that lead her on to become the detective of the story.
Which character – as performed by Samuel West – was your favourite?
Spicer. For some reason I liked that simpleminded character. At the same time I think Samuel West's performance of all characters in the novel is excellent.
Any additional comments?
A good story well told.
9 people found this helpful
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- Eoin
- 28-06-16
Truly excellent
I bought this book as it was recommended as one of the top 20 audiobooks of all time by The Telegraph. I can certainly see why it made the list. The story itself is great, and alone would make the book a worthy read. But it was the writing that really blew me away here. It was so evocative and captivating. I feel compelled to physically read the book as well now.
Lastly, Samuel West's narration was just fantastic. I will certainly look out for him in the future.
8 people found this helpful
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- Steven
- 17-07-15
Concentration needed
Overall I found this book a good listen but I did find at times I needed to rewind to clarify what was going on. This was in part down to many characters being involved in the storyline most of the time & if concentration dipped I did lose the plot a bit.
That said it was well written (vague in places) & had a good middle & end I did find the beginning a bit of a chore.
7/10 for me but glad I have listened.
7 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer McCullough
- 02-12-16
Fabulous rendition
Samuel West narrated this brilliantly. Every character was unique. I just loved it.
It was a terrific story well told.
6 people found this helpful
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- James
- 05-02-11
Fantastic
What a great book. It is timeless. The narrator was easy to listen to. The story was gripping and the characters fascinating. I would highly recommend this book.
11 people found this helpful
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- Chris
- 12-04-11
Good book
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Audible - thank you for having such wonderful audiobooks in your site!
6 people found this helpful
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- Pita
- 29-11-11
Chilling classic novel. Authetically read
Brighton Rock is a superbly chilling novel. The characters are incredibly well developed and despite the main character Pinkie being an manipulative, murderous psychopath, Greene still manages to make the reader entirely enthralled in what happens to him. The plot is enthralling and the writing style shows Greene's genius. Samuel West's reading is entirely in character and only increases the enjoyment of this remarkable novel.
2 people found this helpful
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- Darby
- 07-10-15
Everyone involved at the top of their game.
This might be the best audiobook I've ever heard. It's almost certainly the best Greene (maybe tied with "The Third Man" but that wasn't his alone) and Samuel West does an incredible job with it.
1 person found this helpful
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- Nadia
- 03-12-12
One of the best writers of his time
Where does Brighton Rock rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Both the book and the performance are fantastic
Who was your favorite character and why?
Character portrayal is so convincing that you cannot put the book down. You know these people inside and out and want to read on. Rose's naivety and the complicated self-deprecating "boy" are superbly drawn.
Which character – as performed by Samuel West – was your favorite?
Both the boy and Rose.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
Any additional comments?
One of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. The only reason why I put 4 stars instead of 5 for the story is that I was more interested in the writing itself, which is matchless for the way the characters are portrayed. But even if you wanted a good story, this wouldn't let you down.
1 person found this helpful
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- Ilana
- 07-07-12
A Real Treat
A man calling himself "Fred" Hale is about to lose his life, and he knows it. He tries to put off the inevitable murder he knows he's brought on himself by befriending Ida, a curvy broad he's just met at a bar, and asking her to tag along for the day. But the second she's got her back turned, "Fred" disappears for good. Pinkie, a young sociopath barely out of his teens is the new gang boss, and one little murder is no skin off his nose, but he wants to make sure he's got his tracks covered, so he romances Rose, a waitress and just a kid, as she'd seen "Fred" that fateful day, and the last thing Pinkie needs is a witness. Rose falls head over heels for Pinkie's rough ways, so now Pinkie must decide between committing another murder or marrying the girl. But marriage is forever, isn't it? And with Ida sniffing around and asking lots of questions, things get harder and harder to keep under wraps.
An excellent novel by a writer who quickly became one of my all-time favourites, this story boasts a cast of wonderfully flawed characters, and the gripping tension doesn't let you go from beginning to end as the protagonists try to make choices between what they think to be right or wrong according to their own priorities, even as they fear the wrath of a God they're not sure how to serve. This version, as narrated by actor Samuel West is a treat not to be missed.
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- LaBaum
- 13-01-12
Evokes the time and place vividly
If you could sum up Brighton Rock in three words, what would they be?
Graphic, compelling, well written
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Yes. I needed to know how far Pinky was willing to go.
Which scene was your favorite?
Many of them, can't choose
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- ben
- 28-09-11
Great story, Great reader
I saw that this was a very popular book on the audible uk site, and thought I'd give it a go. Not disappointed at all. The reader , also, was wonderful. It is not a cheery story, but this story was written very well, and it came alive in your head.
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- Heather
- 26-10-12
I found it hard-going
What did you like best about Brighton Rock? What did you like least?
I have seen the movie but couldn't really remember it. I haven't listened to the end of this book as I lost interest. I might have another go at it one day. Perhaps I should see the movie again. It just didn't grip me. Perhaps I wasn't concentrating enough