I wanted to like this novel, and although the narration is excellent, i committed the ultimate sin, and closed the book, prior to finishing it. The author's struggle with his belief system just wore me out. I tired of the love hate relationship with God, Lover, and Self. Again, and again the reader subjected to the melodrama of conflicted beliefs. One might say that the dark side of the text, what was between the lines railed against my own beliefs, and that after awhile, i just had enough.....perhaps.
This audiobook was a disappointment.

His tone of voice conveys the feelings and emotions so well that it makes you feel the torment and makes you sympathize with him all the way through this story. I found myself going back and listening again and again to some parts of chapters because they are said so painfully beautiful. With some audiobooks you drift off but not his one.

WIthin the top five!

I have a hard time thinking of any book that can compare. The writing is beautiful. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for every word.

No, I have not, but I will search for them now!

I feel blessed to have heard these words and this performance!

I listen to an eclectic mix, averaging a book a week and this falls in the top 5 of the last year alongside Matterhorn, Wolf Hall, Night Circus, Owen Meany, and Unbroken.

Bendrix is entirely convincing, you can feel his joy, his pain, his bitterness,

I had assumed I would hear Firth as a familiar screen actor and instead I was completely caught up in the characters and the story. Masterful narration.

Repeated itself. Love hate and God. all was said in the first 100 pages.

No way

No. Very little action

Listening to Colin Firth's narration of the story was well worth while. He did a superb job. I did not enjoy the story. I found the main character to be unlikable and self-indulgent, and I didn't care about him. The story is about the main character's obsession with his ex-girlfriend, a married woman. She -- the "object" of the story, was flat and unbelievable. Her husband was a cliche. The other characters are only sketchy, at best. The story is apparently a character study of the main character, so there is essentially no plot.

Maybe.

None.

No.

Depressing love story

There was nothing pat about this love story. Author very conflicted about love affair and his anger at the Catholic Church. The author based this book on his own love affair and was a Catholic.

In my opinion what makes Colin Firth such a good actor is that he treats each role as unique. I am under the impression this is the first audio book he has done and I think he prepared for his role and did a very good job. His voices were subtle but different. I listen to books as I swim. There were times when I was so depressed by the book that I got out of the pool early and there were other times when I was very glad I was swimming laps and no one could see me crying.

To me a good book is one that can move the reader (or listener) to anger or tears or any other emotion, and Mr. Firth has enabled the listener to do this.

God no, too depressing.

If you are looking for a feel good story, look elsewhere.

Colin Firth is a perfect match for the narrator and main character. Firth is an easily imagined embodiment of the self-centered novelist Maurice Bendrix, but he winningly takes on the voices of Sarah and Henry Miles, and Albert Parkis with equal skill and emotion.

The novel is efficiently written, smoothly transitioning between the present and remembered past, with Sarah's journal serving to provide a glimpse inside her thoughts, desires and motivations. There are many interesting twists and turns along the way. A subtext of discussion of religion, humanity, god and church provides further opportunity for thoughtful reflection. A wonderful book and enjoyable performance.

Colin Firth! There is no better and he completely adds to the tone of the story. The story itself is intriguing until it gets to the motivations of the object of the affair. That part seems unrealistic, bordering on silly.

Cannot say, I have only listened to this story.

In our hours of pain and grief, we all want to believe.

The man with the son, who did the investigating. He demonstrated human frailties & love.

Sarah.

I enjoyed this read & the voices.