Defending Jacob

By: William Landay

Narrated by: Eric Meyers

Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Andy Barber's job is to put killers behind bars. So when a boy from his son Jacob's school is found stabbed to death, Andy is doubly determined to find and prosecute the perpetrator. Until a crucial piece of evidence turns up linking Jacob to the murder. In the face of every parent's worst nightmare, Andy and his wife Laurie will do anything to defend their child. Because, deep down, they know him better than anyone. Don't they?

©2012 William Landay (P)2012 W F Howes Ltd

Satisfyingly detailed and intriguing

I enjoyed Defending Jacob very much. I first listened to this book three years ago, and had managed to forget enough key details to be still captivated the second time around. (This is not intended as any criticism of the author or story line. Forgetting books is a skill I encourage in myself!)
Beautifully narrated, there are plenty of plot twists as well as clues, so all preferred styles should be catered for.
Particularly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good court room drama.

Insightful family and community drama

A very well written and narrated novel (which almost felt like a true account) of what a family and a community goes through, when this kind of incident occurs.

It draws the reader/listener in fully. I felt as if I were right there, with the family during dinner or breakfast discussions, driving to court, feeling their emotions. Frustration, concern and worry over their uncommunicative youngster became my own. I felt the pain of the murdered boys family, felt the ostracising and blame by the community.

One feels the tension between the mother's willingness to see hard truths yet still love her son, and the father's propensity to cover all in his strong sense of loyalty.

A very worthwhile and interesting read, with a strong psychological component.

Loved it!

Throughout the book, you know the truth, but you keep listening. And when you get to the end, you realise you weren't prepared.

How far would you be prepared to go for your child

What made the experience of listening to Defending Jacob the most enjoyable?

To listen to a book requires discipline and as an undisciplined reader, I sometimes struggle with the pace of a book. As a listener, the narrator decides what you know or don't know and how fast you learn it. The challenge for me is not to cheat!

Who was your favorite character and why?

This was more an ensemble narrative. Every character was important and liking or disliking them was irrelevant to me. As a story from the perspective of the father I suppose he should be the most likeable but he is too obtuse to be outstanding.

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

He has a clear mellifluous voice, able to create characters with subtle shifts of timbre and rate of speech. He created a believable mother and differentiated between the male characters with an authentic voice. Jacob was young and whiney enough but not so much that he irritated...as true teenagers often do.

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

Yes and no. Yes because I wanted so desperately to know what was going to happen and no because I did not want to finish listening to a masterpiece.

Excellent premise

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I had to put this audio book on 2x speed, it just went into too much detail

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I really did not expect the ending at all.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Andy tells his wife his past, I really didn't think it mattered so much but her reaction becomes crucial to the rest of the story

Not bad by not quite up to the hype

What did you like best about Defending Jacob? What did you like least?

The part of the book that dealt with the impact of Jacob's arrest and trial on the Barber family was the best aspect for me. The family sort of imploded under the pressure and this was well depicted and poignant, especially if you consider that the impact would have been the same regardless of the boy's guilt! I wasn't so taken with the individual characters who I found a little unbelievable (how could such a warm, loving, outgoing person as Laurie Barber end up with not one friend to stick by her through a crisis for example?). I also found the thread about inherited propensity for violence poorly dealt with.

Would you be willing to try another book from William Landay? Why or why not?

Honestly I'm not sure, perhaps so but I won't be at the head of the queue.

What aspect of Eric Meyers???s performance would you have changed?

Nothing, I really enjoyed the narration and was especially impressed with his voice for Jacob. It's hard for adults to 'do' teenagers but Meyers does it well.

Did Defending Jacob inspire you to do anything?

Never commit a crime? But seriously, no.

Exhausting

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who are not irritated by lots of repetition.

What could William Landay have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Skip the names during the court hearings....

Would you be willing to try another one of Eric Meyers’s performances?

probably not, boring and slow performance.

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

The idea of: how far would you go to protect your children is interesting, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning how far he would go.

Any additional comments?

I think this is a book you hate or love, would probably recommend the printed version. I thought it was too slow, there were no peaks or suspense. I didn't even like the characters.