Robin

By: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Narrated by: Helen Smith

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Robin (1921) is a historical novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Excerpt from the book: "In the years when Victorian standards and ideals began to dance an increasingly rapid jig, there lived in Mayfair, in a slice of a house, Robert Gareth-Lawless and his lovely young wife. So light and airy was she to earthly vision and so diaphanous the texture of her mentality that she was known as 'Feather.' The slice of a house between two comparatively stately mansions in the 'right street' was a rash venture of the honeymoon. Robert - well born, irresponsible, without resources - evolved a carefully detailed method of living upon nothing whatever, of keeping out of the way of duns, and telling lies with aptness and outward gaiety. But a year of giving smart little dinners and going to smart big dinners ended in a condition somewhat akin to the feat of balancing oneself on the edge of a sword. Then Robin was born. She was an intruder and a calamity, of course."

©2019 Audioliterature (P)2019 Audioliterature

Monotonous narration kills the story

The narrator sounds like she’s reading “principles of accountancy “ and boring even herself. It’s really too bad; was looking forward to this one. Couldn’t get past the first chapter.

Waste of Time, Not Suitable for Kids

STORY REVIEW: FHB's earlier works are wonderful - The Lost Prince is my favorite followed by A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. This is nothing like them.

Backstory: this is the 2nd of a 2 book series which was originally a series of stories from a printed paper/magazine. Many people love the 1st book and despise the 2nd.

This book has a super weak and naive female protagonist and it felt like a burden to listen to the long winded details which kept repainting the same picture over and over. The details that were historical about how people felt and talked about WWI; the fact that its a continuation of a 1st book; and its author are the only thing keeping this book from being lost/forgotten.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW: I generally enjoy the variety of narrators on Audible but this one read with little to no emotion, almost as if she was forced to. Certain parts of the book which might have been more interesting were read flatly. I will not purchase or listen to another book narrated by Ms. Smith. (Harshest performance review I've ever given and I still feel guilty doing so - but it was so bad.)

**SPOILER ALERT** (because I wanted to know what happened so I could quit listening) Robin and Donal have a secret ceremony before he goes to war, a telegram claims he is dead but he is a POW, and Robin it turns out is pregnant. The old gentleman Coombe (Robin's mom was his mistress) and the duchess tell Robin she must quietly/secretly marry old Coombe so that a) he will have an heir, and b) the child and Robin can claim that legitimacy if they are treated like scarlet letters. Donal comes back after much Christian Science and is reunited with Robin and the baby and the Coombe/Robin wedding is quietly annulled.

Narrator

Helen Smith has a monotone voice. It's almost boring to listen to her. She doesn't read with inflection.