Trustee from the Toolroom

By: Nevil Shute

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Keith Stewart, a retiring and ingenious engineer, could not have been happier in his little house in the shabby London suburb of Ealing. There he invented the mini-motor, the six-volt generator, and the tiny Congreve clock. Then a chain of events sweeps him into deep waters and leads him to his happiest discovery yet.

©1960 Heather Felicity Norway and Union Trustee Company of Australia, Ltd. (P)1988 Recorded Books, LLC

A fine combination of story and narration

A story for all the tinkerers and engineers. Well written and expertly narrated by Frank Muller.

Humble Goodness - a Rich Read

Shute has created another main character who, despite flaws, acts on the needs of another and has an adventure of every kind. So well told, so well performed, I just kept listening to it over and over. Rich, wonderful, inspiring and delightful.

Comfort Food For Your Ears

I know it sounds horribly boring, a book about good people trying to do kind things, but Nevil Shute’s Trustee From The Toolroom charmed me and made me feel good about being human. And that is a lovely thing.

The story concerns Keith Stewart, a gifted machinist who makes his living writing for a hobbyist magazine called Miniature Mechanic that teaches other hobbyists how to make projects in their home machine shops. That's a little nook of civilization I never knew existed and Shute explores it wonderfully.

Though disappointed that they could not have children, Keith and his wife live modestly and contentedly in a poor suburb of London. When his sister and brother-in-law die in a boating accident near Tahiti, they are willingly tasked with the role of raising their daughter.

To recover the modest money left for the little girl's education, Keith must leave the comfort and safety of his home and bum his way around the world to his sister's shipwreck. In his travels, he discovers that, because of his articles in Miniature Mechanic, (and his generosity in taking the time to answer readers' letters) he has a vast network of friends and admirers everywhere eager to help him in his quest.

Listen, I love listening to Jack Reacher and Harry Bosch kicking ass. I love the violent naval battles in the Master And Commander books, but sometimes it's nice to read a book about nice people doing nice things. I was charmed.

Good book

Any additional comments?

I liked this book. I didn't love it, but it was a good read/listen...entertaining, perhaps a bit predictable, but the characters were likable and I enjoyed it.

Loved it!

Excellent narration, brilliantly descriptive and heart warming in its sense of life. I couldn't stop listening for each new encounter the main character had gave my heart swell with happiness.

Just let it unfold. It is wonderful.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, different and wonderful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Keith. A good man.

What about Frank Muller’s performance did you like?

Great accents.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me think good thoughts about good kind men.

Just a touching and beautiful story.

Nevile Shute is a charming writer and this is the story of a very decent man. I read this story straight through. I am very much looking for engaging stories that are moderately paced and do not involve much violence. This story was impossible for me to "put down."

I also enjoyed "A Town Called Alice" by the same author. I liked this one even more, though. "A Town Called Alice" seemed to have more of a plot. I have listened to lots of Eckhart Tolle and I am much more interested in a novel that just helps me to be present. Listening to audiobooks really silences the thoughts in my mind and helps me to achieve a state of "presence."

I love an audio book that has a great narrator that sounds like a friend just reading me a story. I am not looking for a book that has a sense of urgency or that is clever or that is building to some surprise ending. If you are looking for a friend to read you a nice story about a nice man this one is for you!

Loved this book

I was hooked. Kept waiting door the next adventure to unfold. I always look for this author since his books are captivating in a low key way.

Typical, Wonderful Shute

Thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all Shute's novels. It's a wonderful look into an ordinary man's life and how he handles an extraordinary challenge. The narration is truly superb, with several accents handled with amazing dexterity. Shute's humor in this book really shone. Can't imagine anyone not enjoying this lovely story.

Great book

Loved this story. Feel good plot and ending. The story of a simple hard working man who achieves the best thing in life, happiness.