JOHN

Superb reading of great book.So many characters, so many voices , how does Simon Vance do it?

The reader is caught up in the folly, inevitability and tension of this march to war from the first page when the dramatis personae of the conflict to come parade in seeming unity at the funeral of the English king. The emotions are held through to the wonderful Afterword that concludes the book and which captures in a few paragraphs the tragic 4 years that followed these 30 days of August and the aftermath of those 4 years.What a fine achievement.

An engrossing unfolding of an almost unbelievable story of human ability to cope and deal with what hard nature served up.I heard the last part of the story on a plane & my not silent weeping may have disconcerted my fellow passengers.The reading was just completely in accord with the story being narrated.Thanks.

Michael Maloney is fine reader & he & the author keep interest up through all this good but not very good book. Do not approach expecting another " Birdsong" but those who are taken by novels of the Great War will want to read this.

The story is heart rending,not a word out of place McCullers; beautifully realised by the readers for all characters but especially Frankie, Berenice( Ruby Dee) & John Henry.

I recently finished "A Dance To The Music Of Time" read by Simon Vance & thought that reading skills could not get much higher.Now I pick up this.This is not a marathon read as Vance's was but this is a superb reading of this great short comic novel.It is a 'laugh out loud' book & reading so do not read in church.

It is hard to imagine a better or more appropriate reading of this extraordinary timeless book.Powell's seemingly endless line of colourful people are all invested with their own voice by Vance.What a dance to share!

Provocative & absorbing.Why didn't Selby do the reading? he is the one to read his work.