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News of the Dead
- Narrated by: Sheila Reid, David Monteath, David Rintoul
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
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News of the Dead
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
To tell the story of a country or a continent is surely a great and complex undertaking, but the story of a quiet, unnoticed place, where there are few people, fewer memories and almost no reliable records - a place such as Glen Conach - may actually be harder to piece together. The hazier everything becomes, the more whatever facts there are become entangled with myth and legend....
Deep in the mountains of north-east Scotland lies Glen Conach, a place of secrets and memories, fable and history. In particular, it holds the stories of three different eras, separated by centuries yet linked by location, by an ancient manuscript and by echoes that travel across time.
In ancient Pictland, the Christian hermit Conach contemplates God and nature, performs miracles and prepares himself for sacrifice. Long after his death, legends about him are set down by an unknown hand in the Book of Conach.
Generations later, in the early 19th century, self-promoting antiquarian Charles Kirkliston Gibb is drawn to the Glen and into the big house at the heart of its fragile community.
In the present day, young Lachie whispers to Maja of a ghost he thinks he has seen. Reflecting on her long life, Maja believes him, for she is haunted by ghosts of her own.
News of the Dead is a captivating exploration of refuge, retreat and the reception of strangers. It measures the space between the stories people tell of themselves - what they forget and what they invent - and the stories through which they may, or may not, be remembered.
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What listeners say about News of the Dead
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- Q
- 25-02-23
An enlightening book despite the name.
Robertson has a rare talent of story telling in a historical context and making his characters real.
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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
- DJ
- 24-10-21
The past is still with us now
This incredibly well crafted and fascinating novel spans more than 1000 years of beautifully written history and legend. The descriptions of highland life are so vivid that you feel Glen Connacht must actually exist, as we are led from the Middle Ages up to the present day where the challenges of climate change , displaced people and Corona virus replace those of warfare within the U.K. and the stripping of people from the Glens by highland Lairds
The Audible production is read beautifully with three voices that fit perfectly to the text. This is truly worth listening to for the quality of the story, and despite the moments of haunting sadness
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Carey McEvoy
- 18-05-23
Beautiful ending
I quite enjoyed the first 90% of this book, but the final part was unexpected, beautiful and eclipsed the rest of it
Left me with that feeling you get when you finish something amazing - took it from 3/5 to 5/5
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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
- Gordimhor
- 12-09-22
Near flawless
Multilayered and rewarding story fine simple clear prose and well performed. Warm vivid Excellent
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Bookthrower
- 28-09-21
Compelling in parts but disconnected and preachy
This book is three stories in one-a contemporary tale told by an old lady, an early 19th century one told by a rather unscrupulous young man, and an ancient and possibly legendary one about a supposed saint . Of the three, I found the modern one the most compelling, the characters in it the ones I could relate to best. It stretches from the second world war until today, and,though fiction, is based on real historical events, with parallels in things that are happening today. It is touching and ultimately hopeful.
The 19th story seemed to be peopled by a collection of frustrated and in some cases disfunctional characters, who mostly either came to a disasterous end and / or remained in their futile situations, making a rather dismal listen. The story of the saint/hermit, who may or may not have existed, may or may not have lived where he was said to have lived, may or may not have performed terrible deeds and extreme self-mortification alongside miracles and heroic acts of kindness, I could not see the point of at all, except that it provides an excuse for the 19th century. story to take place.
The stories are linked in that they all take place in the same Scottish glen. Other than that, I failed to find much link between them : they seemed disconnected. Perhaps, though, that is meant to be a theme of the novel -people being connected or disconnected, finding or not finding their "place."
Place is an important theme in the novel. It is especially important to the old lady, who believes she is "blessed" because she has found her place before she dies.
The old lady's story has messages for us about the present day. and the treatment of refugees and migrants. Messages are more palatable and more to effective when they are implicit in a story. The global warming/planet saving message, by contrast, is put into her mouth as a series of occasional lectures (as is so often the case with green issues.) Perhaps that is the only way it can be done, but it is a pity.
I would have found this more satisfying if the the three stories and sets of characters could somehow have intertwined and gelled together more.
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3 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
- Amazon Customer
- 20-08-21
A very special listen
The prose is lyrical and beautiful and the narration perfect. A wonderful audiobook, the voices are still with me.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kirsty G.
- 23-01-22
Another must read from James Robertson
I cried and laughed and think I lost myself in News of the Dead.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- parahandy
- 02-06-23
Roller coaster ride
This book is a fantastic journey through time and place. It begins as a gentle ride and ends beautifully… what happens in between is an adventure! Most of all it is beautifully written with a joyful use of the Scots tongue
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Gerard
- 10-08-21
Good till the final section - the dumb lass
Some good episodes set in the 19th Century. However, terribly let down by the lengthy and seemingly disconnected episode of the dumb lass. I found this tedious beyond words and pointlessly appended to the main story. Infuriating nonsense. It made me want to return the book rather than listen to it again as I’d half thought to do. Sheila Reid does her best with the maudlin nonsense of the final episodes.
I’d have given the book 4 stars without the last section. I know that others feel quite differently about the en d section. I can offer only my opinion.
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3 people found this helpful