The Historian

By: Elizabeth Kostova

Narrated by: Justine Eyre, Paul Michael

Length: 26 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor", and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of: a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.

The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known, and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself, to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.

What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed, and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign, and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.

©2005 Elizabeth Kostova. All Rights Reserved. (P)2005 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

• 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year, Adult Fiction

"A bloodthirsty delight....Both literary and scary, this one is guaranteed to keep one reading into the wee hours." (Booklist)
"Along with all the fascinating historical information, there's also a mounting casualty count, and the big showdown amps up the drama by pulling at the heartstrings at the same time it revels in the gruesome. Exotic locales, tantalizing history, a family legacy and a love of the bloodthirsty: it's hard to imagine that readers won't be bitten, too." (Publishers Weekly)
"The Historian is artfully constructed and atmospheric." (Washington Post Book World)

Marvelous book and performance

What a great book and reading! I had this book at home for a while, but didn't start reading it because it is such a large volume. When I saw that it is available on Amazon, I was very excited. I love Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I was wondering if this story would be great as well. It is marvelous and so well performed. Both narrators were fantastic! Buy it and listen to it. You won't be sorry.

Vampire chasing through the cold war

I like unabridged books, so I'm always ready to sit through 20+ hours of narration. And I was pleasantly surprised that this was a vampire story; I actually didn't read the description too closely. I love the story's slow unfolding through europe in the cold war era, the woman narrating had a beautiful voice. And the account later in the novel of dracula describing his library was exquisite. It did drag at times, and the constant retelling of Vlad's real life atrocities was a bit much at times. Also, I didn't quite buy the mother's reason to abandon her family for more than a decade. But I did enjoy the journey, and the tale was enjoyable to listen to.

like taking a history class

and I mean that in the best possible way! The author is good at delivering all the necessary background without slowing down the story.

good but a little too long

good book but it lost me for a bit- not a full on page Turner

Even more amazing 15 years after first reading

What did you love best about The Historian?

This book was my favorite in 2002 at the tender age of 18 and green to the world, and formal learning. Adventure in my eyes. Now at 34, with a young son and more life experience than I could have ever imagined, this book still rings true in my heart. The language unbelievably beautiful. The characters jump off the page at you. I could not stop listening even though I had read it once before. The story was even better now, digested with an older mind. Just wonderful.

What did you like best about this story?

Words can not quite capture the way I feel about this book and what I liked best. I loved it all.

Have you listened to any of Justine Eyre and Paul Michael ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not, but they did a profoundly remarkable job. Loved both. Perfect. I read the book the first time, so the wrong voices would have really ruined it for me.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What? That's not my job. I wish I could just write a straight-forward, un-guided review.

Any additional comments?

If you love books, if you may not be a historian yourself but treasure little trinkets of the past, if you are in need of an international adventure and have always wanted to travel but never had the chance...this is the book for you. If you are a mother, or a daughter with an academic mind...buy this now!

Not you'r typical reheated story. It grabs you.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Historian to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the printed version of the story so I can't say that it is. However as I've said in my previous reviews, I believe both have their places. The audible books allow me to continue listening to books when I'm not able to read. Like in the car on my way to and from work. In todays hustle and bustle world this is a nice reprieve.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved that it was told from a different perspective. It wasn't the same old reheated storyline. You get the story for the perspective of the past and from a couple of different people. It was quite fascinating. I really enjoyed it.
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What does Justine Eyre and Paul Michael bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think it's always interesting to hear a different voice to the monologues. When you read you create them in your head yourself. When they are read to you someone else creates them. It's quite different. When it's done right, it's very successful and can make an audio book even more enjoyable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was quite long and it's quite an involved story so I wanted to take small breaks from it so I could keep the story lines fresh and think about them.

Any additional comments?

This book is well worth the purchase. It's an old tale, but told in such a new way that you definitely want to read/listen to it and see where it takes you. It was really well done. Take the chance and get the book, you won't regret it.

Very Enjoyable

I loved the story and the narration was the icing on the cake. I enjoyed all of it, even the "dull and overly descriptive" parts.

good read

I really liked this book and the readers. I am going through the unabridged version for the second time, I liked it so much, which given the topic, was a pleasant suprise.

I really enjoy the historical background blended into the story and I liked the readers very much. I would recommend this book highly.

Excellent

A new take on an old story. Very well written. The narration was an ease to listen to.

Revisiting the Historian

What an absolutely spectacular book by a gifted storyteller... I read the paper book when it was first released and I enjoyed it then. All these years later Justine Eyre and (especially) Paul Michael made it new again. Bravo!!!