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The Steep Approach to Garbadale
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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What listeners say about The Steep Approach to Garbadale
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Overall
- Jane
- 20-06-07
Very enjoyable
I really enjoyed listening to this. The plot unfolds gradually, moving both forwards towards the family vote over whether or not to sell off their company, and backwards to fill in the past and explain how the protagonist, Alban, came to be who he is. It's absolutely beautifully read: the reader manages to give a different voice to each character without falling into caricature. There are some very funny moments (Fielding giving a powerpoint presentation to the two elderly aunts was stand-out for me). My one reservation was that the ending wasn't really all that revelatory. I got the impression that it was meant to be a shock - it certainly seemed to surprise Alban - but I'd figured out the family secret a good while earlier.
Overall then, I'd say this is one of the best-read audio books I've encountered in a while, but not the best Iain Banks I've come across.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- N. Price
- 22-12-07
Good novel, superb reading
Often funny and always engaging, 'The Steep Approach to Garbadale' is a beautifully written romance cum mystery cum family saga. Ultimately, the solution to the mystery is pretty predictable and if I were being very harsh I would say that the parts of this novel are better than the whole, but these are quibbles. The vivid characters and their interactions are the main thing and this reader certainly found himself engrossed in their stories and caring deeply about their fates.
I heartily agree with what has already been said about Peter Kenny's superb reading. It really is a tour de force, as he gives each character their own voice, perfectly reflecting their age, sex, social background and national or regional accent. It's a joy to listen to him and he perfectly brings out the humour in the comic set pieces. He deals admirably with more subtle scenes and emotions too. Wonderful stuff.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall
- John
- 07-09-07
One of the best audio books
This proved one of the most memorable listens of the past year and highly entertaining. The novel has a journey of personal discovery, a complex family saga, big business, alternative values and lifesyles, intrigue and a spice of good sex. However, the best feature is the superb reading by Peter kenny with a range of voices that presents the characters and situations to best effect. Very entertaining and comic in places - the maiden aunts are a delight and the failed Powerpoint presentation a lovely culture clash.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Martin
- 03-02-10
Steep approach
I thought I would enjoy this one more than I found I did. It seemed a bit slow to unfold and I took quite a while to complete listening to this one. I would have to rate it as just OK, not a bad listen but not a page turner either, pretty much the story of one mans life, which I found not too interesting at times.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Marie
- 24-04-10
Good story, great narration
Peter Kenny's narration is superb as some of the other reviewers have mentioned. He beautifully renders personality, mood, accent, age and gender for all the diverse characters from Scottish hard man to dotty maiden aunt. The story is good - I didn't mind the narration hopping about and I think it actually added to the story. I did find it dragging a bit in the final quarter, hence the 4 stars rather than 5. I might have skipped a few pages had I been reading rather than listening. It's quite an episodic book, but the episodes are linked together by a common thread and the central character is likable and interesting enough to continue to engage. Overall, well worth the listen.
2 people found this helpful
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- Plinkyplonkywinkywonkydonkey
- 14-07-14
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this book
Would you listen to The Steep Approach to Garbadale again? Why?
I'd give it a few years and listen to it again.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The grandmother - could picture her so well.
What about Peter Kenny’s performance did you like?
Well cast for the narration - he put definition into the characters and his voice is easy on the ear
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes but one has to live a little too.
Any additional comments?
After listening to the Wasp Factory, I was wary of Iain Banks's warped imagination. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this story. He might have been warped but he also had a keen eye for human nature and brought his characters to life without making them clichéd.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jacqueline Curbishley
- 07-07-14
Not the usual Iain Banks.
If you could sum up The Steep Approach to Garbadale in three words, what would they be?
Brilliant. Sensitive. Absorbing.
What did you like best about this story?
It's detailed descriptions of places and people kept me enthralled from the first words. The way it is arranged in flashbacks is never confusing and I listened to it until late in the night, something I never do. It's very much a keeper and I am sure I will listen to it again. Not being a fan of science fiction, this was an Iain Banks I had never imagined and the first of his books I have ever bought as I always thought of him as a science fiction writer.
What does Peter Kenny bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Peter Kenny gave voices to the characters that made them unforgettable. Alban's voice is still in my head. Kenny's accents were flawless.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It certainly was. I refused an invitation to a concert because I couldn't bear to leave it.
Any additional comments?
Although I had guessed the ending, it didn't detract in any way from the book itself.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Ivan
- 03-12-08
the tale of a family
once you get into it it is an absorbing tale of the family. there are lots of flashbacks which can some times confuse the listener.
but it is still an absorbing tale of dysfunctional family with a twist in the tail.
1 person found this helpful
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- RStreet
- 14-02-19
Not Banks’ best work.
This is essentially a less interesting & poorer copy of The Crow Road. Similar protagonists, and not a lot really new or novel in this story. I love Iain Banks’ earlier novels, but this one doesn’t do it for me. I’d recommend The Crow Road or The Wasp Factory instead.
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- smcvit
- 16-09-14
Great portrayal of characters
What about Peter Kenny’s performance did you like?
Iain Banks always writes a great story, but I was particularly impressed with Peter Kenny's characterisation. As this was a family gathering, there were a significant number of characters, all needing a slightly different vocal representation. I thought Peter managed this really well, providing subtle distinctions for each.
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Overall

- Daniel
- 23-08-09
Entirely enjoyable. More AudioBooks by Iain Banks?
A great story line with enjoyable reading. This kept me listening non-stop ... then I started it over to listen a second time. Great character development.
But why aren't there more Iain Banks books recorded on Audible.com???
11 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Andrew C
- 14-01-08
Well performed
The book is entertaining, if a little self-indulgent in parts. It provides a funny insight into families born into money and the family firm. It's not a book I expected from Iain Banks, so don't go looking for sci-fi.
A recurring theme is unrequited love, and the message seems to be that one can delude oneself for a long time about the qualities of a past love. It is clever in that even while the characters are claiming to not have certain character flaws, they are in fact demonstrating them.
The narrator is excellent - he has really thought about how to best perform the book. The audio quality is also among the best on audible.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Anette
- 08-01-08
the steep approach to garbadale
very british, very funny and intelligent. beautiful reallife charcters and a swinging end
- pleasure to listen to, especially the scottish parts.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Timothy
- 13-06-09
Quality
Great Narration, great story. It´s clever and unpretentious. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would heartily recommend it.The narration is superb.
4 people found this helpful
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- Eleanor
- 06-03-12
Really wonderful
Any additional comments?
Alban -- a sweet but broken, a wonderfully flawed and human character -- is in a war of attrition with his grandmother, the mater familias of large, wealthy family/business. At the age of 35, he is forced to come to terms with his life and his family. A great story, full of pitch perfect detail and dialog -- some passages are surprisingly, laugh-out-loud funny. Kenny does a great job with different UK accents, subtly positioning each character in terms of age, class and personality (his American and mid-Atlantic accents are kind of grating).
2 people found this helpful
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- Sherri Koehler
- 17-02-19
Female Voices Mixed Success
Sometimes I felt the characterization of the women's voices worked, at other times though, particularly for the younger female voices, it really didn't work at all.
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- Tim P
- 06-08-18
One of my favorites
I'm a huge fan of Iain Banks, and Garbadale plays right to what I like about so many of his books. Here we have the story about a big, weird Scottish family with secrets stretching back many years.
This is not my favorite of his novels but if you like others I don't think it will disappoint.
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- PJ
- 13-09-17
Lovely story superlative narration
A slight departure from the norm for me, a romantic Iain Banks book.
The story was interesting, had the usual Banks dialogue, wry Humour and just a touch of pathos.
The narration was just brilliant.
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- george
- 20-02-12
A non SF story by Iain Banks.
Where does The Steep Approach to Garbadale rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Near the top. It's a good story. The actor reading it does a very good job. It's an enjoyable listen.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Steep Approach to Garbadale?
Tough question to answer.
Have you listened to any of Peter Kenny’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I think I have, but I'm not sure. He's very good.
Who was the most memorable character of The Steep Approach to Garbadale and why?
I listened to the story about a month ago. The lead character is the most memorable, but it's told from his pont of view, so that's no shock.
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Overall

- amazonshopper
- 16-03-08
NOT BAD
I HAVE READ ALL OF BANKS FICTION AND WISH MORE WAS AVAILABLE ON AUDIO ESP. AUDIBLE.
THIS WAS ENTERTAINING, BUT IT READ A LITTLE BETTER THAN WHEN I LISTENED TO IT. CHECK IT OUT.
2 people found this helpful