The Quick

A Novel

By: Lauren Owen

Narrated by: Simon Slater

Length: 18 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London

1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural world populated by unforgettable characters: A female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling "Doctor Knife". But the answer to her brother's disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and most bloodthirsty, men in England.

In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction's most dazzling talents.

Named one of the Top-10 Literary Fiction Books of the Season by Publishers Weekly

©2014 Lauren Owen (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist." (Kate Atkinson, best-selling author of Life After Life and Case Histories)

"A cracking good read.... Owen takes the gothic conventions of the vampire novel in a refreshing new direction." (Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches and The Book of Life)

"Reading the blurbs on the dust jacket of Lauren Owen’s first novel - from such luminaries as Kate Atkinson, Hilary Mantel, and Tana French - readers might think they’re about to embark on a high-handed version of the Gothic novel, full of metafictions and literary allusions. These do appear, along with some beautiful language, but by Page 100, when the first neck is about to be bitten, The Quick drops its cloak and becomes a good old-fashioned vampire novel.... [It’s full of] wonderful inventions, while still providing the torn collars and hungry looks the genre demands.... What fun." (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice)

Not bad but not for me.

It was well written and the narrator was amazing. However, it was a bit confusing when it switched between different characters' angles. It was not bad but did not appeal to me personally.

28 chapters before this book sings

Really painful for over half just to get into the story . Once your there with Liza it's so engaging you can't stop . The entire sister part is puzzling & I thought confusing & unresolved . The end made made me feel like this was just a huge set up for the next book . I'm still thinking about returning it a full day later .

Not my cup of tea

It's a book about vampires and I would have NEVER picked it up unless I was not set to meet with the author, Lauren Owen later this year in Yorkshire- precisely where the heroes of this book are originally from. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the book more than o could have expected, due to the beautiful, very thoughtful writing. Each word seem to be selected and enjoys standing in its own place: it's not whirl dance of elaborate meaning and twists, but orderly exhibition of words, pleasant in its elegant simplicity. The plot is rather nice; characters were a bit dull, but quite believable. The narration by Simon Slater was excellent! All in all, if vampires are your cup of tea, you won't be disappointed.

not my favorite

this book started out really slow. At times it was kind of hard to follow and pretty boring. In the end it was kind of pointless.

Disappointing

Characters are well developed but the story is a little dark and ends up going nowhere
A lot of potential but fizzles out halfway through.

It failed to entertain me and felt scattered

Would you try another book from Lauren Owen and/or Simon Slater?

I enjoyed Simon Slater's narration and would enjoy listening to more from him. I will also give other works by Lauren Owen a listen, but this story felt like the author had great plans and then didn't know what to do with it when they got it there.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect was that of the "monster hunters" and "Dr Knife". The least interesting were the failed/ruined relationships throughout the book.

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

I have not listened to Simon Slater prior to this, but his vocal style is enjoyable.

Was The Quick worth the listening time?

In my opinion it was not. It tried to be many different things when it should have just picked a core personality and grew it into something. At many times it felt like it was structured similar to be Bram Stokers Dracula with its many stories/letters/journals from different characters perspectives helping to tell the narrative, but I wasn't made to feel for any of these characters. What could have been unique and interesting characters and story arcs are just abandoned to wrap up the novel with a relationship of circumstance which withers and dies much like the story.

Mixed Reaction

Well. I wouldn't want to not recommend this book. It's good, and it kept my attention throughout. But as others have said, it takes a kind of left turn part way in, and I wasn't aware that I was going to be reading "that" kind of book. Still, I kept reading, and it's a good story in the end. At times, it was a little confusing, but it might have been less so if I'd been reading the book instead of listening. The narrator is fantastic -- switching accents effortlessly. He did a wonderful job. So, recommended. I'm looking forward to this author's next effort.

The Quick: A Novel

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Well, it would have to have a cohesive storyline, continuity of action, and be a lot less confusing ... and alas, less boring. I found it a waste of my time. Very disappointed. The narrator was great, which is the only reason I followed it to the end.

Any additional comments?

It's just not a very interesting story. Seems more like someone decided to try to copy other popular vampire stories, but utterly failed.

Gosh

What would have made The Quick better?

What would have made The Quick better? Less words.

Would you ever listen to anything by Lauren Owen again?

Don't know. I'm sure there will be Book 2, but will probably not read it.

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

Narration is great. Wasted on this book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The last 5th if the book

Any additional comments?

None

Could have been so much better

Very slow to get to the main story. Good details and some interesting side characters but overall it just never got that interesting for me. The ending dragged on and never really went anywhere sort of matching the long, unnecessary beginning. The writing was good but after finishing, it all just felt like a wast of time.