Past Caring

By: Robert Goddard

Narrated by: Paul Shelley

Length: 19 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Why should distinguished Edwardian Cabinet minister Edwin Straford resign at the height of his career? Why does the woman he loves so suddenly reject him? Why, 70 years later, should people go to such lengths to prevent the truth coming out?

©2008 Robert Goddard (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Written in clear, resonant prose, Goddard's first novel, nominated for the Booker prize, is a poised telling of a complex tale....In one sense a historical thriller, and in another a romantic novel of a love affair gone disastrously wrong, this is, in any case, a wonderful read." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Psychological drama and intricate plot will entice readers." ( Library Journal)

Great Characters Coupled with Excellent Narration

What a great find. Highly recommend to anyone. The story is well thought out and crafted to keep you wanting more. The narration was excellent and complemented the story line and characters. I wish Goddard had more books of this length as options at Audible. This is one of the few books I have listened to that has little to no filler. A great balance of setting the scene, the environment, the characters and always emphasizing the intricate plot contained within the book. 6 stars if I could give it.

great storytelling and writing

What made the experience of listening to Past Caring the most enjoyable?

The complexity of the story and it was well read. Characters engaging as was the protagonistls

Could not put it down

I really enjoyed this book. The story was well paced, with tantalizing clues promising revelations just around the corner. Even though it was long-ish, I listened though it faster than usual. Like a lot of other books by the author, there were parallel stories progressing in the past and in the present, however this one the time gap between the two stories was within the lifetime of some of the main characters, which made things interesting. At first I though the opening scene was going to be the "past" part of this story, until I realized that this was his first novel, written a couple of decades ago.
The narrator was excellent, with the local accents being recognizable but not annoying.

Great mystery!

I stumbled onto this book by reading reviews of others. I'm so glad I did give it a try. I couldn't put it down and then after finishing I purchased Goddard's "Painting the Darkness" which was just as great. The author keeps you guessing and in suspense. I'm searching now trying to choose another book by Robert Goddard.

History mixed with a great story

What made the experience of listening to Past Caring the most enjoyable?

It was a complex story but had so many twists and turns you just had to keep listening.

What other book might you compare Past Caring to and why?

I don't think I have heard or read a book quite like this one.

Have you listened to any of Paul Shelley???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This master story teller is a master at accents and different voices.

Who was the most memorable character of Past Caring and why?

My favourite character was the narator, despite his flawed character and bad past.

Interesting premise but slow-moving

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It could have been a lot shorter. The central mystery is presented several times from different viewpoints. I'm not that good at guessing in mysteries but here it was pretty obvious where things were going. I also thought some of the characters weren't very realistic.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robert Goddard? Why or why not?

Maybe a shorter one to see if it was more tightly written. I did like the combination of history, politics and mystery.

Have you listened to any of Paul Shelley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narration was quite good, it definitely helped keep me interested.

Was Past Caring worth the listening time?

Not all of it. I am a fast reader on paper so I think that would have been a better format where I could have skimmed through parts.

Any additional comments?

You have to suspend disbelief that someone would write a memoir with long conversations reproduced verbatim.

What a tangle web we weave...

At one point of this story, the protagonist is advised “nothing is as it seems”. That is a vast understatement in this tangled web of deceit, double-dealing and revenge. As with my prior outing with Goddard, I must work at not giving away any of the plot as spoilers would be difficult to avoid. Suffice it to say that there are few truly good people involved, and they are put upon badly by the self-serving villains whose bad deeds flow into and escalate over six decades, erupting when a young history researcher is given a commission to look into a memoir found in an old villa. The narrative is liberally dotted with familiar names from Edwardian parliamentary politics, and I did have to pay attention to keep up with political issues that I had only a passing familiarity with.

I liked this story. It’s not a thriller but it is a mystery, very complex. It’s constructed like a puzzle, and Goddard gives us the pieces in a manner that we can work it out along with and sometimes ahead of the other players. The characters are well thought out and feel real to me. The history researcher at the center of the story was flawed, and proved himself slightly unscrupulous or at least pretty gullible at one point, but pulls himself together before it’s all over. The resolution was handled just right, leaving a question mark with one character in the final moments. I hope that the title of the book hints at how he will answer that question.

Took a while to get going, but when it did...!

This is my second Goddard, which is a good thing because otherwise I might have dropped it too soon. The truth is that I thought the historical background dragged down the first half of the book. I found it boring at times. The solution to the memoir's mystery seemed almost obvious -- certainly not enough of an enigma so as to justify the characters' intense interest in solving it! Still, having read another Goddard, I knew there had to be more to the story -- and there was! A lot more! The way in which the main character in the present (a very flawed, failed historian) and the main character in the memoir (a failed politician) seem to lead parallel lives...and the ways in which those two characters are also extremely different, is at the center of a spiraling tale of deceit and consequences. Loved the second half of the book; thought the first half was wanting...ergo the three stars.

WAY too long for the amount of plot.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It would have made a good read at three-quarters it's length.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robert Goddard? Why or why not?

Oh yes, this is first Robert Goddard that has disappointed me.

Did Paul Shelley do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Adequate. Rather 1960's BBC news voice.

Did Past Caring inspire you to do anything?

No. Took all my energy to get to the end!

Great

I really enjoyed this book. Had to rewind often as one cannot miss a word without missing out on some important bit.