Asylum

By: Patrick McGrath

Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

From our most celebrated writer of the psychological thriller comes this nerve-wracking yet eerily beautiful work of erotic obsession and madness. In the summer of 1959, Stella Raphael joins her psychiatrist husband, Max, at his new posting: a maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane. Beautiful and headstrong, Stella soon falls under the spell of Edgar Stark, a brilliant and magnetic sculptor who has been confined to the hospital for murdering his wife in a psychotic rage.

But Stella's knowledge of Edgar's crime is no hindrance to the volcanic attraction that ensues - a passion that will consume Stella's sanity and destroy her and the lives of those around her.

©1999 Patrick McGrath (P)2008 BBC Audio

Critic reviews

"The book is hypnotizing, with its own strange but darkly convincing pace and style; and the way in which nature and climate are woven into the fabric of the bizarre couple's strange love is masterly." ( Publishers Weekly)

Ian McKellen kept me going

The story is interesting, though the characters are all the worst. None of them are likeable, and you walk away from everything not feeling any sort of sadness or emotion for anyone except confusion and annoyance. Ian McKellen's voice was basically the only thing keeping me listening to it.

EXCELLENT STORY & NARRATION!

I could not stop listening. Absolutely loved this book... for all the interior revelations and thought processes revealed in the main characters... and for it being a story so off the beaten path. I was fascinated and would often replay snippets so as to not miss subtle clues and descriptions that contributed to a fuller understanding of the characters.

Enjoyed it

It was unexpected. The narration was so good. Very unique story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes psychological suspense.

an excellent book

This book is well written and well narrated. It has excellent character development and an excellent storyline. If you were in a book club discussion everyone would have a strong opinion of the main character, Stella. This book provokes discussion on human character like selfishness, love, flaws, judgement.

if this book was published during the height of Elizabeth Taylor's career, it would have been made in to a movie and she would have played Stella.

Some darned good narration!

Sir Ian McKellen did an amazing job of narrating this tale of doomed but passionate love and sexual obsession! It was so good I will probably give it a listen again.

romance

calm book good to fall asleep to. nothing too crazy or scary for it's name. I would call it " madly drawn to love.

It couldn't be prevented...

This was a beautifully told story of the choices that seal our fates. As you listened on (to the wonderfully performed tale) you wanted to pull her back from her choices. Not everyone though, wants to be helped. With each decision she added another nail. How sad you feel for the rest of the characters who wish they could save her from herself.

I believe it reveals what can happen when a marriage is not nurtured

It may be an exaggeration but definitely when a woman is ignored by her husband she may take up with anyone that makes her feel attractive. Clive is really the villain in the story in my opinion. Instead of treating Stella he wants to marry her once again causing great harm to her mental state.

loved it

loved it. I was never bored with the story. the tragic twists of it made it even better. I loved how the point of view changed but was so effortless that it didn't break the story weirdly like other books and stories do.

Annoying clicks

Enjoyed the reading except from time to time there were annoying clucks like a recorder turning off and on.