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Burning Bright

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Burning Bright

By: Tracy Chevalier
Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
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‘Tell me, then: would you say you are innocent or experienced?’

1792. Uprooted from their quiet Dorset village to the riotous streets of London, young Jem Kellaway and his family feel very far from home. They struggle to find their place in this tumultuous city, still alive with the repercussions of the blood-splattered French Revolution. Luckily, streetwise Maggie Butterfield is on hand to show Jem the ropes. Together they encounter the neighbour they’ve been warned about: radical poet and artist William Blake. Jem and Maggie’s passage from innocence to experience becomes the very stuff of poetic inspiration…

“A splendidly vital recreation of Georgian London.” SUNDAY TIMES

“A visual delight.” THE TIMES

“Burning Bright is an ambitious, impressively-researched novel…You can almost smell the smoke and mildewed clothes, see the gaunt, pock-marked faces of people struggling to survive and sense Jem's wonder as he gazes across the murky Thames to a perplexing world.” DAILY EXPRESS

“Those who admired Chevalier's atmospheric evocation of 17th-century Delft will find much to enjoy in her vivid reconstruction of late 18th-century London.” GUARDIAN

“Passionate and compelling.” INSTYLE©2007 Tracy Chevalier (P)2013 AudioGO Ltd. Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction
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Tracy is an excellent writer, and one of the best for historical and literary fiction. Some great characters in this one. The writing style felt reminiscent of Charles Dickens at times, although much more concise. Good narration.

Great story

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A long, drawn-out story, but the narrator’s voices were brilliant. It’s a story I didn’t know, and the author added brilliant period atmosphere.

Great narration and interesting subject

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The story of the people who encountered William Blake and who were also an important part of his world. A story of integrity, courage and humility of the everyman. Brought a tear to my eye on several occasions because of the authors ability to endear the reader to the characters who reflect our own humanity.

Tiger Tiger

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I have read several of Tracy Chevalier's books and, while I enjoyed them all, this one would not be my favourite. The story itself was good enough and is about a family who move from the English countryside to London, in part, to leave behind the memories associated with the death of one of the children but mainly to take up a promise made to the father that he would be employed by the owner of a circus - Philip Astley. Their time in London proves both interesting and sometimes hazardous and they eventuially return to the country. I found the voice of the reader grated at times - particularly when he was speaking Philip Astley's words: at one point it sounded like a bad imitation of Winston Churchill. I am sorry to be critical but it was my experience.

Not Her Best Work

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But excruciatingly painful to listen to the reader. It just sounded so wrong when he parroted women’s voices…

Not a bad story

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