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The Scar
- New Crobuzon, Book 2
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Series: New Crobuzon, Book 2
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
A colossal fantasy of incredible diversity and spellbinding imagination. Damian Lynch narrates China Mieville's British Fantasy Award-winning novel of human cargo bound for servitude in exile.
A pirate city hauled across the oceans.... A hidden miracle about be revealed.... These are the ingredients of an astonishing story. It is the story of a prisoner's journey. Of the search for the island of a forgotten people, for the most astonishing beast in the seas, and ultimately for a fabled place - a massive wound in reality, a source of unthinkable power and danger.
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Scar
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 13-04-13
not too bad
I wasn't sure about carrying on with this series because I had mixed feelings about Perdido St Station (long, exhausting but ultimately quite satisfying). I should say that The Scar is not at all a sequel to the previous book, it's simply set in the same world with the occurrences from Perdido only peripheral comments to this story. In The Scar, I liked some of the concepts, and many of the characters had potential but they never really followed through. For all that the story should have been epic, it actually all felt a bit pointless by the end. The narrator was ok but I much preferred the chap who did the previous novel. I think his grandiose style better suited the story. In summary, it was ok, some good bits, some tension but, to be honest, I was a bit indifferent about the fate of the characters by the end. I'd say it's worth a credit if you enjoyed the Bas Lag setting but I wouldn't put it at the top of your wishlist.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- scotty
- 29-04-12
A Stunning, Thought Provoking Read
China Mieville has got to be one of the hardest working authors I've ever read. He puts stunning little side plots and nuggets into his fiction that would be a whole novel to a lesser writer! Anyway...
The Scar is a fascinating story that develops around a lady running away from her home city and finding a city like she never dreamed. Full of danger, intrigue, the strange and familiar it calls to our heroine (Bellis) and she is torn between love and fear of her lost home.
When the chance comes to betray her new, floating, home in Armada she does but ultimately is a pawn in a larger game. The small cog in a larger wheel is a recurring theme in CM's work and is appealing as a starting point for character development. On the subject of characters, the diversity, depth and sheer imagination of CM's vision is amazing.
My only criticism of CM's stories is, and please bear in mind I'm a fan of Perdido Street Station, Iron Council and The Scar, that I never like the way the stories end. It's my personal opinion only.
This is a great, sweeping, imaginative story that will take you from the familiar ie politics (Mr Mieville like the theme) to philosophy to religion and beyond, all in an easily accessible 'steampunk' past-present.
Give it a try, you'll enjoy!
6 people found this helpful
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- haydn lillywhite
- 16-02-17
A great series of books let down by the narration
I love China Mieville but I can't recommend the audiobooks.
There seems to have been a lot of odd choices when it comes to the narrators and I feel Damian Lynch's reading style, even voice, doesn't really suit the theme.
I've read a lot of similar sentiments about this and his other audiobooks in the series and that is what spurned me to write this short comment and confirm what others have said.
4 people found this helpful
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- Andy
- 09-04-14
Compelling story, poor narration
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
The story is great but Lynch seems to struggle to handle what sounds like a clumsy sight reading of the text.
What did you like best about this story?
As usual Mieville's work crackles with great ideas, weird landscapes and a rich, deep world building
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The contrast between the dialogue, which pops with personality, and the narrative which stumbles under a stilted delivery of two to three sentence chunks really grates after a while.
Did The Scar inspire you to do anything?
Sadly, it inspired me to stop listening
4 people found this helpful
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- Neil
- 01-04-17
Appalling choice of narrator
After the superb experience of listening to perdido street station I immediately went on to buy the sequel. If only they had kept the same reader. Damien Lynch's narration has no sense of awe, drama or any real emotion stronger than mild boredom. It's as if this is the first time he has read the text and is unaware of the power of the words he is speaking. Shame, this book deserved more. Definitely one to read rather than to listen to.
3 people found this helpful
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- Geoff Bows
- 04-02-20
Truly fantastic story ruined by terrible narrator
This is one of my favourite China Mieville story’s and I downloaded it despite having read the book twice. The narrator should, however, stick to reading children’s books.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- "night-nurse"
- 21-11-11
Good overall, but.....
Good overall, but there is some very careless editing where several passages are read twice (presumably due to the reader making an error such as using an incorrect inflection the first time which has subsequently not been edited out)....only a sentence or so each time, but detracts from an otherwise enjoyable listen.....
2 people found this helpful
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- Katie Price
- 14-04-16
Sorry to say ...
What disappointed you about The Scar?
This is just not read well: I've thought about this a lot, and I think the problem is that he doesn't sound as though he believes what he's reading (always tricky, of course, with Mieville's amazing worlds). It sounds as though he's reading a children's story..Harry Potter maybe, where the grown-ups know it's not real ...
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Scar?
I love Mielville's writing and the battle scenes are excellently written.
What didn’t you like about Damian Lynch’s performance?
see above
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
disappointment, I think
1 person found this helpful
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- Dr Steve Mc
- 22-02-21
Many imaginative and interesting ideas but
Too many wonderful names and concepts go unexplained. Narrator Damian Lynch good but not as engaging as Jonathan Oliver, voice of Perdido Street Station. His glottal stops when not speaking in character, limited expressive emotional range and odd emphases (or lack of) made it difficult to like or empathise with the characters. Gave up half way through. Great cover design though.
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- Rh
- 22-09-20
Didn't mind the narrator, great story
I enjoyed this book, although I'm glad that I'd realised that it was not really a true sequel to Perdidot Street Station. Unlike many other reviewers, I didn't mind the new narrator, although he had a different style and I wish he had made sure that he pronounced some of the made up words in the same way that the previous narrator did. Also, I am confused as to why they chose a male narrator when the main voice is female. Still, they may have had their reasons.
The Scar feels like it had more direction to the plot which was nice, and as with other works, the world is rich, strange and well developed. Overall very enjoyable.
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- Matt
- 19-11-12
Fantastic story let down by subpar rendition
Damian Lynch couldn't ruin one of my favourite books for me, but he gave it a real go. He stumbles and brachiates through the sentences as if each one were a tongue-twister (although, to be fair, it IS Miéville), reading nouns as verbs and verbs as nouns and not really betraying any understanding of what he's reading. Perhaps the most troubling part is that a disturbing number of these errors, even when picked up on and re-read by Mr Lynch, have not been edited out (I counted five untouched gaffes in one unhappy half-hour), possibly due to the soporific monotone in which the story is read. China Miéville is one of my very favourite authors, and I'm quite sad to see Mr Lynch has been further involved in the presentation of his works, not least of all because, of those books, The Scar would seem to be the MOST hospitable to Mr Lynch's tendency to give every character with an accent a Caribbean lilt. Susan Duerden's performance of Embassytown was vastly superior, and I'd hoped I'd get to hear her as Bellis Coldwine. No such luck. Boo.
1 person found this helpful