The Hermit of Eyton Forest

The Cadfael Chronicles

By: Ellis Peters

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Shortly after he inherits the powerful position of Lord of Eaton, 10-year-old Richard Ludel disappears from Shrewsbury Abbey, where he had been a student. Did he run away or was he kidnapped? Brother Cadfael suspects the hermit of Eyton Forest, a mysterious man rumored to have holy powers, knows the answer.

©1988 Ellis Peters (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"If one could travel in time to 12th-century England to meet Brother Cadfael, this reviewer would expect him to sound just like Patrick Tull." ( Library Journal)

Greedy Grandmother and a Boy Lord

A ten-year-old boy, Richard Ludel at the abbey of Shrewsbury under the care of the monks, becomes the heir to a large estate after the death of his father. His guardian, Abbot Radulfus, as set forth in the father’s will, is adamant that the boy remains at the abbey, continuing his education until he comes of age, according to the boy’s father’s wishes. But the boy’s grandmother, Dame Dionisia, greedy and scheming as she is, sets forth to convince young Richard that it is his duty as Lord of Eaton to marry and expand their kingdom. (Yes, a child marriage to an adult woman.) When Dame Dionisia meets with the leaders at the abbey, however, they refuse her pleas to release the boy unto her care, citing the legal document of the father’s will. Yet, her plotting continues . . . and it isn’t long until small Richard comes up missing . . . Did he run away of his own accord? Or is evil afoot? This tale of the herbalist, Brother Cadfael with his medical knowledge and mystery solving skills is indeed a good one. He gently tucks information into his thinking cap, ponders it, and voila! Keeping quiet until just the right moment, he is able to unravel the most complex situations. The hermit, Cuthred in the forest in this story, supposedly a holy man with mystical powers, with his assistant, Hyacinth play key roles. But Cadfael is up to the task. As the good book says, the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil. Then and now . . . Thank goodness for those that dig deep to root the evil out!

love the clever twists and turns

What did you love best about The Hermit of Eyton Forest?

The story line

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hermit of Eyton Forest?

Spoiler alert - Finding the Hermit dead.

What about Patrick Tull’s performance did you like?

Love the ability he has to guide you seamlessly through the characters

Rewarding!

Great narrator! Complex and flavorful story. Love this series! And growing very fond of its characters.

One of the best Cadfael takes

Ellis Peters’s tales of Cadfael
are some of my favorite period mysteries. Her prose is almost poetic. She polishes each character with a description which reveals their deepest natures. This one story stands above the rest for me. A note regarding the narrator: Marvelous!!!

Complicated ending drags down this one

I still love Ellis Peter's rich descriptions, and the story was nominally good, but it was difficult to understand who was who in the last chapters.
Also, I thought the 10-year-old Richard was a bit too well-spoken and precocious for a boy of his age. He would have been protesting marriage, regardless of if he thought it could be declared annulled later.
Strange to say but I felt like Hugh Berringar was wasted in this book.

Love Ellis Peters

I've listened to this book many times- it never disappoints! I only wish she were still alive and writing.

Exceptional!

I was captivated with the story! Loved the way every detail and mystery was tied up! I am going to start reading the series from the beginning and in order. I have 13 of the DVDs.

A glimpse into the past

I totally enjoyed this reading! The reader is one of my favorites who makes the twelth century come to life with all of its struggles and passion.

Exciting medieval drama

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hermit of Eyton Forest to be better than the print version?

Not quite. The narrator is good but at times his change of voice tone to suit the character falls a bit short and at times can be a little irritating. There are some minor faults with the immersion reading voice over. The cursor seems to stick and sometimes for a paragraph or two stops following the voice.

What other book might you compare The Hermit of Eyton Forest to and why?

N/A

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

He certainly does bring the book to life and makes one want to hear more. Ellis Peters can be a bit drawn out at times, which by the way does add to the tension, and Patrick Hull helps keep one's attention on the written word. is reading of the tales is even steps ahead of the CVD film versions (NOTE this book is not one of those on DVD)

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

I';d love to as I loath having to put it down before the end to do some rather essential things, like sleeping! Certainly if it were not so long would like to finish it in one sitting. l The tension created by both writer and reader definitely makes the listener/reader want to "turn" the pages.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful book that I could certainly read again and then with more attention to the beauty of the scene, time and characters rather than just the plot.

A bit too erratic

An excellent story as always but a little bit hard to follow in audiobook form. Nevertheless, most enjoyable and a favored title in my library.