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

What a delightful story!

In these days when the "Haves" don't seem to know the meaning of the word "enough," it just seems good to have a story about a "Have Not" who does know. Also, it is so often true, though not often enough acknowledged, that the most generous and honest people are those who don't seem to have much to give. Keith Stewart is one of those people. He knows just what he needs to be happy and doesn't go grasping for more. He knows what his duty is and takes it seriously, even though it takes him far outside of his comfort zone.

Another reviewer compared the theme of this book to Lord of the Rings, and I can definitely see that. It also occurred to me that there's a touch of It's a Wonderful Life in there, as well. Of course, George Bailey wanted to get out of "Dodge" and couldn't, while Keith Stewart wanted to stay but had to leave for a while. Along the way, though, it was revealed just how many lives he had touched without knowing it.

I had tears in my eyes at the end of this book, but they were not sad ones. (Except for the ones that were sorry the book was over.)

Highly recommended!!!

Englands finest story teller.

Would you listen to Trustee from the Toolroom again? Why?

Yes. Great attention to detail. Everything a part of living.

What other book might you compare Trustee from the Toolroom to and why?

Round the Bend. As Nevil Shute developes his characters they seem to very beliveable.

What does Frank Muller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice for each different character is great.

If you could rename Trustee from the Toolroom, what would you call it?

Would never attempt that.

Duty and Obligation

Do you have any additional comments?

How far would you go to fulfill an obligation? Travel to the farthest reaches of the earth? Give up your comfort, risk your life? That is what Keith Stewart does when his sister and her husband leave their daughter in the care of Keith and his wife for a trip half way around the world that ends in tragedy. In my opinion, this is the best of Nevil Shute's books. It was also one of his last.

great story!

It's a story of the little guy persisting, and with the help of friends he wasn't aware of, making a great accomplishment. Made me want more, and I'm on my 5th Shute book, and all are great stores.

An amazing community and adventure!

Would you consider the audio edition of Trustee from the Toolroom to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Trustee from the Toolroom?

There were many. It's hard to say just one. I believe my most memorable would give the plot away. I will say, I would have sent him money if I knew where to find him.

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

I have not.

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

NO. I wanted to prolong the story and savor the reading.

Any additional comments?

Frank Muller did a very good job with all the accents. He made the characters come to life. Nevil Shute did a great job at writing this book so that the characters could be brought to life. Thank you both.

A Surprise

This book was a surprise, in that I had never heard of the author. It was an excellent story, masterfully read by Frank Muller.

An Unexpected Delight!

Thank you, Audible, for making this a daily deal. I don't know how this author or this book would otherwise have crossed my path, and I'm so happy they did.

This is a charming story about a salt-of-the-earth good guy, Keith, who is great at building and creating things with his hands on a small scale (a "miniature mechanic"). He is thrown a few curve balls, from ending up with his orphaned niece he can barely afford to take care of to needing to make world travel he definitely cannot afford, but he finds a way to make the most of it with an engineer's ingenuity and practicality, not to mention his standard kindness and humility. I don't want to give away the story, but I can promise it is very entertaining, with amusing dialogue and a nice picture of the time period (~1960's). The narrator is excellent, moving among various British and American dialects with ease.

A great little story

What made the experience of listening to Trustee from the Toolroom the most enjoyable?

In a world of blockbuster thrillers and high drama (which I greatly enjoy), this quiet, quaint little story is like a relaxing little island vacation.

Surprisingly Good Listen

I thought I knew Nevil Shute as a dry, humorless author. Not true in this case. The concept of this book is wonderfully imaginative, sensitively written with a good deal of tongue-in-cheek. I'm off to see what other Shute novels are available. I thank Audible for making this too tempting to resist.

First Audio Book

Best audio book still. Fantastic narrator Frank Muller. The humor and the dignity and the compassion in this novel is a delight and so satisfying, especially during these stressful “woke” times. Just rest and read.