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About this listen

Malcolm George Galbraith is a large, somewhat clumsy Scotsman. He’s being forced to leave the woman he loves behind and needs to explain why.

So he leaves her a handwritten note on the kitchen table (well, more a 300-page letter than a note). In it, Malcolm decides to start from the beginning and tell the whole story of his long life, something he’s never dared do before.

Because Malcolm isn’t what he seems: He’s had other names and lived in other places. A lot of other places. As it gathers pace, Malcolm’s story combines tragedy, comedy, mystery, a touch of leprosy, several murders, a massacre, a ritual sacrifice, an insane tyrant, two great romances, a landslide, a fire, and a talking fish.

©2020 Unbound (P)2022 Unbound Fantasy Magic Comedy Tear-jerking Funny
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Took a while to get into but loved it. Zeus was very entertaining in a devilish way!

Outstanding story

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Set in the north of Scotland, the book is a love letter from Malcolm to his darling Bessy. Well, more of an explanation as to why she’ll never see him again, because he’s actually Heracles and vengeful Zeus has finally caught up with him. Very funny throughout and runs at pace. Great characterisations make conversations easy to follow. Don’t understand why Andy has asked the narrated to pronounce Minoan the way he does. Let’s assume Andy knows more than the rest of us.

Very funny love letter

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Andy Hamilton writes some of the best comedy on BBC radio 4 so it's no surprise that he can rattle up a great novel too. Pin sharp observations about humanity, some really in depth knowledge about classical mythology and a curiosity about what happens when a person is functionally immortal. Well worth my monthly credit, but I had to knock a star off because the narrator repeatedly pronounced the word "Minoan" as "Minion" so when talking about the Minoan army it gave me an image of lots of little yellow guys in dungarees. I'm not sure if it was written that way as an intentional joke but it irritated me enough to pull me out of the story every time.he said it (and there was a LOT of reference to the Minoans). All that being said, if you like Andy Hamilton's radio and TV work, such as Old Harry's Game and Outnumbered you'll love this

Engrossing and thoroughly funny

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It was a reasonably interesting shortish story, but if I hadn't known as written by Andy Hamilton, I wouldn't have guessed. I was hoping to pick up some elements of his manners of speech in it, but didn't hear much. I suppose that's a sign of a good writer.

I didn't benefit from it being written long hand as it's an audiobook

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I’ve long been a fan of Andy Hamilton, sadly I thought this to be not his best work despite high hopes. So much so I would not recommend it. I didn’t finish listening to the whole book. And have in fact returned it. Hopefully I shall enjoy his next book

Not his best work

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