The Asylum

By: John Harwood

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

A brilliant new Gothic thriller from the acclaimed author of The Ghost Writer and The Séance.

Confused and disoriented, Georgina Ferrars awakens in a small room in Tregannon House, a private asylum in a remote corner of England. She has no memory of the past few weeks. The doctor Maynard Straker tells her that she admitted herself under the name Lucy Ashton the day before and then suffered a seizure. When she insists he has mistaken her for someone else, Dr. Straker sends a telegram to her uncle, who replies that Georgina Ferrars is at home with him in London: "Your patient must be an imposter."

Suddenly her voluntary confinement becomes involuntary. Who is the woman in her uncle’s house? And what has become of her two most precious possessions: a dragonfly pin left to her by her mother and a journal that contains the only record of those missing weeks? Georgina’s perilous quest to free herself takes her from a cliffside cottage on the Isle of Wight to the secret passages of Tregannon House and into a web of hidden family ties on which her survival depends.

Here is another delicious read from the author praised by Ruth Rendell as having "a gift for creating suspense, apparently effortlessly, as if it belongs in the nature of fiction."

©2013 John Harwood (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Creepy doings - certificates of insanity, switched identities, morbid personalities - in and around an asylum in 19th-century England… Harwood certainly makes the atmosphere work here." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Engrossing… The crisp prose and twisty plot will encourage many to read this in one sitting." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Harwood, master of creeping Victorian horror, does it again in his latest tale of pervasive evil and madness.… Twisted in every sense of the word and wonderfully atmospheric, this dark psychological tale shocks by degree until truth of a sort is revealed, in a style similar to that of Joanne Harris’ Sleep, Pale Sister and D. J. Taylor’s Kept." ( Booklist)

Could Have Been Brilliant

What made the experience of listening to The Asylum the most enjoyable?

The narrator is well suited to reading this story and genre, I went 'into' the story very quickly

What was most disappointing about John Harwood’s story?

So damn bored with slipping in a bit of lesbian-ism, it seems that every writer out there right now is trying to add gravitas to their main plotline by adding in an irrelevant lesbian angle. Actually, its worse than that as its actually an INCEST lesbian angle, this really wearied me. I was really getting into the story and then BOOM - teenage boy fantasy storyline creeps in. Ruined the atmosphere.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

I went into the story very quickly and the narration did not irritate me or get in the way of the story

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Who's the maddest of them all?

Any additional comments?

:LOVE the idea running through this book, especially in the beginning when the story line was so tight and you really didn't know who was mad, or lying or confused. Great idea for a novel. Shame about the late middle section.

Wow! Worth reading

So great i listened to it twice, and noticed even more details. Very well written!

Loved it!

Performance and story, i was pulled in from the first moment to the last! I love this author and feel this was his best yet

Gothic

This is a very well written Gothic tale, although somewhat too slow moving at times for my tastes. However, quite a Complex story line that really keeps you guessing. Not a bad listen overall.

Another brilliant novel from Harwood

Not much more can be said about the plot beyond the publisher's description without spoilers. Suffice to say we are, without preamble, plunged straightaway into a nightmarish situation that takes place in a Victorian England of the author's imagination.

In all his writing, Harwood displays a gift I associate strongly with M.R. James: he can take otherwise unremarkable characters, events, places, and situations and gently bring in horror in the most unexpected way, transforming all into the extraordinary. Each author does so with subtlety, beautifully economical writing, and an uncanny ability to evoke atmosphere.

Landor narrates with her usual elegant precision and feeling for character. I've loved everything I've ever heard her read.

I also recommend Harwood's stunningly original debut novel, "The Ghost Writer," and his second, "The Séance." Both are unforgettable, well-written tales that will stay with you long after you've finished the last pages. If you like your historical fiction with a slightly gothic twist, few do it better than Harwood.

As usual, I cannot wait to read his next novel. I hope you'll feel the same way.

Encapsulates you in a small, fascinating world.

Where does The Asylum rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's in the top rung! I loved listening to this one with my boyfriend and would highly recommend it as a road trip book or something to listen to with company. We had a great time dissecting the plot and stopping it every once in a while to throw our theories out as to how everything would be resolved.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

She did such an excellent job of switching voices for characters that I honestly forgot this wasn't a full cast production. So many female narrators give male characters awful, unconvincing, or flat voices, but not this lady. Very impressive!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

*POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT* There was a line near the end where Georgina comments that there was a greater reason she could never be Frederick's wife, beyond their relation, and it was that her love for Rosina had revealed a deeper truth of herself. I don't think even my boyfriend picked up on the fact that Georgina was saying she digs ladies and not men!
That's not a "moving" moment, really, but a notable one that is pretty subtle and easy to overlook.

Any additional comments?

This is the second Harwood novel I've listened to, and I'm fascinated with how immersive his worlds are, despite being bound up in a relatively small scope. Everything is lushly detailed and character driven. You will find that even if you don't particularly care for a character, you are still listening with rapt attention and eager to find out more about them.

Uncomfortable

This story went in a direction I did not forsee. It made me uncomfortable.

I honestly couldn't finish the very last little bit, it was all just too... uncomfortable.

I am sorry I cannot offer more without giving away the story. It really is excellent for the first ⅘.

As confused

Story was twisted so much I had to re listen to certain chapters. I was hooked wanting to know why she was in that place? Not giving anything alway it was clear half way through the middle. The narrators could have been a bit clearer as some times I got characters mixed up. overall it was an ok story just need a bit more plot

Enjoyed

I like the twist of the story and the narration. This was a good listen

Good Thriller, Excellent Narration

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Excellent reader for a British mystery thriller. She was able to perform male dialog as well as the woman's. Pleasant voice.

Any additional comments?

The story line dragged a bit in the middle, but otherwise was a good read. It kept my undivided attention, except for the middle part, where letter after letter was read. In my opinion, sometimes a more concise synopsis would have sufficed.