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The Gates

By: John Connolly
Narrated by: Jonathan Cake
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Publisher's summary

Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund, Boswell, are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween - which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Road.

The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with the underworld, but when they unknowingly call forth Satan himself, they create a gap in the universe. A gap in which a pair of enormous gates is visible. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out....

Can one small boy defeat evil? Can he harness the power of science, faith, and love to save the world as we know it?

Bursting with imagination, The Gates is about the pull between good and evil, physics and fantasy. It is about a quirky and eccentric boy who is impossible not to love, and the unlikely cast of characters who give him the strength to stand up to a demonic power.

John Connolly manages to re-create the magical and scary world of childhood that we've all left behind but so love to visit. And for those of you who thought you knew everything you could about particle physics and the universe, think again. This novel makes anything seem possible.

©2009 John Connolly (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

What listeners say about The Gates

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Douglas Adams reads A Brief History of Time and...

then falls asleep and has a bad dream because his head is using the book as a pillow but it is hard and has raised lettering on the cover giving him Imprint Discomfort in addition to a crick in his neck. Tons of fun and a lovely elementary particle physics primer :D

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

As a lover of the Book of Lost Things

I realize that this is a series, as opposed to The Book of Lost Things which was a stand alone book. That being said there was a great deal of similarity in the main characters. I really enjoyed this book but get the feeling this was only a teaser and further exploration into the series might make me more attached.

The book is well written, as most of John Connolly's books are. I sincerely enjoyed the naration. I was not overwhelmingly attached to the characters and honestly wish there had been far less footnotes in physics. To me they were distracting and at times irrelevant.

Otherwise, I sincerely enjoyed this book and will likely purchase the second book!

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Fabulous!

Wonder! Fantastic! Funny! Loves it the narrator rocked it!!! One you shouldn't miss. I just can't wait to start number two.

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The Gates

LOVED IT! Rather Pratchett like story of the Cern collider and the opening of the hell gate.Naration by Jonathan Cake was excellent!

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perfect narrator

This is such a fun story. I've read it before, but listening to it was a delight. The narrator is pitch perfect in every sense. He hits just the right tone.

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Only Upset When it Ended

Where do I even start? Everything about this book is fantastic, right down to the quirky narrator who managed to make it sound like each character actually had his/her own voice even though it was just him. This is the kind of dry British humour I love, and I had to struggle not to laugh out loud, as I listened to it at work and would have looked like a lunatic. A very honourable mention must be given to the character 'Nurd' (scourge of the five deities) for his ineptitude, his misplaced superiority complex, and his adorable bond to the main character Samuel. And I can't end this review without the respectful hat tip to the endlessly entertaining "footnotes" that were always hilarious and often genuinely interesting. Bravo!!

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What a fun book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was suspenseful and clever. It is suitable for the young and the young at heart!

The audio performance was exceptional!

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Love it!

This book reminds me of something by Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett - which is great! I’ll be looking for his next book.

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Great Story!

While this may be considered Y.A., the story is very entertaining. There were many times I laughed. I also found it educational in parts, which I wasn't expecting. Great narration too!

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Great narration and well written!

I loved the characters and plot. The book has great British humor. I caught myself laughing out loud while listening to it on my headphones.

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