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Marie
Editor reviews
Allan Quatermain may be British born, but that doesn't stop him from loving Marie Marais, a Boer maiden in South Africa. Nor does it stop her from returning his love, although their marriage ends in tragedy born of racial hatred. Shelly Frasier transitions easily among British, French, Dutch, and American accents in her sober performance of this classic, sometimes within the scope of the same character. While this occasionally leads to confusion, her thoughtful narration of the sad and frustrating story keeps the listener riveted from one distressing scene to the next. While the cultural disputes of 1830s Africa seem insurmountable, Frasier's compassionate portrayal of Haggard's text makes the listener yearn for a peaceful solution.
Summary
Allan accompanies the ill-fated Pieter Retief and the Boer Commision on an embassy to the Zulu despot, Dingaan. Villains attempt to kill Allan and rob him of his wife. The unfortunate mission ends in a blood-curdling massacre. Written at a time when slavery was widespread, Marie portrays characters and views reflective of its era.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Browsing
- 22-02-14
Confusing narration!
Any additional comments?
The narrator switches between British/French/Dutch/American accents for the same character and sometimes even in a single sentence! This is very strange and makes it highly confusing to understand which character is speaking, since the same character switches between four different accents. I could not listen to more than a couple of chapters of this book, as a result.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 18-04-19
One of Haggard's Best
This is one of the best Allan Quatermain books. If you enjoyed King Solomon's Mines, you we definitely enjoy this book. The narration is very good.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Damian
- 19-11-17
As a huge fan of
Alan Quarrtermain King Solomon's Mines and just about any Victorian adventure novel,, I was a little bit taken aback by the choice of a female narrator Orso swashbuckling a hero. And although I enjoyed the book, it was clearly an after thought by the author who, having run out of adventure, decided to try a little romance. For those Alan Quartermaine fans who prefer his tough guy sidekicks and rampaging battles, this is not the first choice
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 15-08-16
Haggard At His Best!
Would you listen to Marie again? Why?
Absolutely, this is easily one of his best novels.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Marie?
Without a doubt the raid on the Marais property. You could feel every thrown spear and every bullet shot. Fantastic!
Have you listened to any of Shelly Frasier’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes, She is impeccable. She is superb in her reading, not too melodramatic, just right. One of my favorite narrators.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, unfortunately real life got in the way.
Any additional comments?
Please produce more of the Quatermain novels for Audible. There are only about five so far. Please record the others.