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Rose Madder

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Rose Madder

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Blair Brown
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About this listen

Roused by a single drop of blood, Rosie Daniels wakes up to the chilling realisation that her husband is going to kill her. And she takes flight - with his credit card.

Alone in a strange city, Rosie begins to build a new life: she meets Bill Steiner and she finds an odd junk shop painting, Rose Madder, which strangely seems to want her as much as she wants it.

But it's hard for Rosie not to keep looking over her shoulder. Rose-maddened and on the rampage, Norman is a corrupt cop with a dog's instinct for tracking people. And he's getting close. Rosie can feel how close he is getting....

A brilliant, dark-hued fable of gender wars, a haunting love story, and a hold-your-breath triumph of suspense, Rose Madder is Stephen King at his electrifying best.

©1995 Stephen King (P)2011 Penguin Audio USA Domestic Thrillers Fantasy Horror Psychological Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Fiction Scary

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I wasn't sure about this book when I saw it in the listings as the subject matter didn't really appeal to me. However I've only actively disliked one of Stephen King's books and I noticed that he was also one of the narrators for this edition so I decided to take the plunge with this month's credit.

It's one of the faster times I've got through a longer audio book and I listen to a lot of them. The story line didn't (and doesn't in hindsight) seem to be that fascinating or convincing to me but obivously it was as I've had to come back for another book and I'm not due another credit for ages!

It was also extremely well read which is as important (if not more so) that the actual book. I've had some great books from Audible which I've given up on after an hour or so as the narrator was so irritating (either too 'flat' or to excitable)that I couldn't focus on the story. I've had others (such as the first 5 books in Terry Brooks - Landover series) where the narration has made the story alive for me. This is one of the latter. With a great combination from the two readers effectively splitting the two 'sides' of the book.

Surprisingly 'unturnoffable'. Very well read

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I have loved this book for years and the audio version is excellent. The only criticism I would make is the incidental music, added no doubt to prolong the suspense but I found it intrusive.

Great writing needs no music

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The narration is excellent and I love the story but it was spoiled somewhat by the musical interludes. They were loud and drowned out the story in some parts.

Excellent narration

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I'd not read this one before, and was slightly put off by other reviews. Sure, Kings narration grates a little at times but in this instance I thought it perfectly fitting for the monsterous Norman. This book was addictive, at times hard to listen to, horrifying in places, keeping me hooked till the end. Brilliant narration from both readers. I felt it great both main characters were voiced by different people. One of my favourites so far..

An unexpected thrill.

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What did you like most about Rose Madder?

Rose Madder is a great story, well written and very interesting. Having Stephen King read the part of Norman made it even more interesting. I really enjoyed this recording

What does Blair Brown bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I absolutely loved the way Blair Brown read this. I will be looking for more audio books that she has done. She brings Rosie (both of them) to life and you can really hear the other characters in the book. This has been the best reading of a book I've experienced so far.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I only listen to audiobooks when I'm commuting and as I spend a lot of time in the car, I try not to do too much driving when I'm off work. I found myself going for unnecessary drives on days off so I could hear a little more of the story. Loved it.

Any additional comments?

At the end of each chapter, there is a blast of music (mercifully short but quite discordant). It plays over the last few lines of text. Occasionally, I found that they drowned out the reading - this was my only issue with this audiobook. I thoroughly recommend it.

Absolutely loved this book

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