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The Long Ships

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The Long Ships

By: Frans G. Bengtsson, Michael Meyer, Michael Chabon
Narrated by: Michael Page
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Summary

Bengtsson's hero, Red Orm-canny - courageous and above all lucky - is only a boy when he is abducted from his Danish home by the Vikings and made to take his place at the oars of their dragon-prowed ships. Orm is then captured by the Moors in Spain, where he is initiated into the pleasures of the senses and fights for the Caliph of Cordova. Escaping from captivity, Orm washes up in Ireland, where he marvels at those epicene creatures, the Christian monks, and from which he then moves on to play an ever more important part in the intrigues of the various Scandinavian kings and clans and dependencies. Eventually, Orm contributes to the Viking defeat of the army of the king of England and returns home an off-the-cuff Christian and a very rich man, though back on his native turf new trials and tribulations will test his cunning and determination.

Packed with pitched battles and blood feuds, and told throughout with wit and high spirits, Bengtsson's book is a splendid adventure that features one of the most unexpectedly winning heroes in modern fiction.

(P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Action & Adventure Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Sea Adventures Adventure Royalty Viking Vikings Historical Fiction
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After the first few chapters I was ready to give up on this book due to the narration, I even checked my library to see if I had listened to other books read by Michael Page, because it seemed so bad. Thankfully I persevered, and as the story developed it also allowed the reader to develop too.

Ultimately I thought this was a great book, and would recommend it others who like this genre.

Great book after a difficult listen to start with

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Found the book a bit slow and boring to start but the enjoyment started, really enjoyed it because it was a little different to all he other Viking books I've listened to

Lucky Orm

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I really enjoyed this story. the travelling and adventures of a boy to man. the narrator was good.

FANTASTIC ADVENTURE

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I found the way that some of the words were pronounced was quite distracting - for example in UK English plait is generally pronounced 'platt', and the reader pronounced portage in the French manner, with a soft 'g'. Confusing!

Marvellous story, pronunciations a bit strange

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I am a native Swedish speaker and had read the original "Röde Orm" many years ago. I purchased this for my children to listen to because their swedish isn't that impressive but my own hopes were not that high. I was however very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the story immensely. The translation is spot on and catches the tone of the story exactly. Kudos also to the narrator Micheal Page for bringing the story to life. It is a long story but it never felt slow and when it finally ended I almost wanted to start over again.

Incredible translation

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