Eifelheim

By: Michael Flynn

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

Length: 17 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1349, one small town in Germany disappeared and was never resettled. Tom, a contemporary historian, and his theoretical-physicist girlfriend, Sharon, become interested. By all logic, the town should have survived, but it didn't. Why? What was special about Eifelheim that it utterly disappeared more than 600 years ago?

In 1348, as the Black Death is gathering strength across Europe, Father Deitrich is the priest of the village that will come to be known as Eifelheim. A man educated in science and philosophy, he is astonished to become the first contact between humanity and an alien race from a distant star when their interstellar ship crashes in the nearby forest.

Tom, Sharon, and Father Deitrich have a strange and intertwined destiny of tragedy and triumph in this brilliant novel by the winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award.

©2006 Michael Flynn (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award nominee, Best Novel, 2007

"Another meticulously researched, intense, mesmerizing novel...for readers seeking thoughtful science fiction of the highest order." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Flynn masterfully achieves an intricate panorama of medieval life, full of fascinatingly realized human and Krenken characters whose fates interconnect with poignant irony." (Publishers Weekly)
"Compellingly weaves past and present together in a dialog of faith and science....Highly recommended." (Library Journal)

Good Book

This book is an enjoyable listen

Superb!

Compelling, imaginative, erudite & masterfully narrated. From the opening quote to the historical & physics end-notes, I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book!

Beautiful and sorrowful

Any additional comments?

This is a fabulous intersection of history and sci-fi. The characters are well-drawn, the settings believable, and the story magnificently strange. The reader did a very nice job at conveying the tone of the book, giving it excellent depth. However, and this is a big, big however, he can't read the frequent German words worth a darn, which becomes a major distraction and detraction from the overall performance. I just wish that he'd read up a tiny bit on the pronunciation.

I keep listening to this one now and again.

It is so fascinating, each and every time.
I just love everything about it. Thanks.

Great listen!!!

Loved the story, narration was excellent!!! Excellent change of the typical sci-fi pace!!! Very well researched and believable settings.

Refreshing ideas but tedious execution

I really struggled to finish listening to this book.
Sometimes it almost felt like the author was paid per page of written text - the plot struggles to keep pace.
Too many dead end plot twists that that go nowhere.
Too much of a self aggrandizing language - medieval folk speak like modern PhDs and are VERY open minded.
Interesting idea that just not so interestingly executed.

A tower of a novel!

It took me a little while to get into this one, but then I appreciated all the work put into the research to write this. After restarting it a few times I finally got into the characters and was entranced throughout the last half of the book. This was a very creative idea for a novel and I applaud the writer. The narrator was also excellent, I don't believe a Scott Brick or a George Guidall could've done this one any better. Be patient through the beginning and be rewarded throughout the rest of the book. Listen & enjoy!!

Almost a gem

Those who enjoy Umberto Eco's novels might like this combination of historical novel with science fiction. It's an intriguing idea: what would happen if scientifically advanced space aliens landed in a 14th century German village and encountered there a highly educated priest who tries to convert them to Christianity? How would the superstitious peasants respond? This really is an interesting story. It has depth, intelligence, a nice measure of pathos, and is well researched. The intellectual discussions in the novel are extensive and dense, however. Although they're well done, they won't be to the taste of those looking for escapist fare.

If you speak even an elementary level of German, though, I suggest reading this in print instead of listening to this production. Although the narrator actually is quite good on a general level, he has no concept whatever of how to pronounce German. Worse, he makes no effort to find out until the very last sections of the book, when he marginally, sporadically improves. I don't expect perfect pronunciation of foreign languages in audiobooks, but actors and directors in professional productions at least should find out how the consonants are pronounced. This actor reads every German word as though it were written in American English, including the simple "ja" (which means "yes," and is pronounced "yah," not "jaw.") He does, however, pronounce "Herr," which in this case means "lord," close to correctly. (The "H" in German is pronounced, as in English.) I found the constant, egregious mistakes to be literally eye-rolling. It ruined my enjoyment of the book, which otherwise might have had me turning handsprings.

I may buy a print copy and read it, without the aggravation. The book itself is worth a second look.

Potentially life-changing.

I've read/listened to thousands of books in my life - none better than this gem. Less science-fiction and more a deep insight into the human condition, Eifelheim takes us to some very strange places in order to make us look within our souls and ponder about our place in the universe. When residents of an isolated Medieval village in the Black Forest come into contact with extraterrestrials, the results, as portrayed by the author, are breathtaking. The sci-fi elements, which could have easily detracted from the beautiful, philosophical tone of the narrative, are wonderfully understated. This novel, in the same league with Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End," is enhanced in audio by an expertly-handled narration. Highly recommended.

Deeply moving and unique story

I'm writing this review quite awhile after having listened to it. I may have given the book a slightly lower rating when I first read it, but it's long term effect on me pushed it to the top. When I think back on the books I've listened to over the years, some I thought were great at the time had no lasting impression. The story of Eifelhiem is unique, haunting, and will stick with you long after you've listened.