The Curse of The Pharaohs

The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 2

De: Elizabeth Peters

Narrado por: Susan O'Malley

The joys of home and hearth are about to drive Victorian gentlewoman Amelia Peabody Emerson mad. While she and her husband, the renowned archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson, dutifully go about raising their son Ramses, she dreams only of the dust and detritus of ancient civilizations. Providentially, a damsel in distress - coupled with a promising archaeological site - demands their immediate presence in Egypt. The damsel is Lady Baskerville, and the site is a tomb in Luxor recently discovered by Sir Henry Baskerville - who promptly died under bizarre circumstances. The tabloids immediately scream "The Curse of the Pharaohs!"

Amelia and Radcliffe arrive to find the camp in disarray, the workers terrified, and a most eccentric group of guests. A ghost even appears.

This is not at all what Amelia considers an atmosphere conductive to scientific discovery. Never one to deny others the benefit of her advice and example, the indomitable Victorian sets about bringing order to chaos and herself that much closer to danger. How Amelia triumphs over the forces of evil - and those who would stand between her and her beloved antiquities - make for a delightfully spirited adventure.

Don't miss the rest of the Amelia Peabody series.©1981 Elizabeth Peters (P)1999 Blackstone Audiobooks

Poor Narrator

Barbara Rosenblat is NOT the narrator. I did not look closely enough and assumed that “next in series” would automatically bring up the same narrator. It does not. Susan O’Malley has no British accent and mispronounces several words. Her style fails to differentiate the characters so it was difficult to follow when interrupted.

Fun bit of fluff vol. 2

I really enjoyed the second book in the Amelia Peabody series. It's not a hardcore detective series by any stretch, but thoroughly enjoying nevertheless. The banter between Amelia and her husband keeps you hooked.

Excellent story. Horrid narrator

The narrator does not use a British accent. Her American accent is a horrendous parody. The Irish accent, essential for a new character, is non-existent. The worst part: she reads the Peabody character as a shrew. Ruined a funny, clever story.

Narrator was full

What made the first audiobook super enjoyable was the narrator. I stuck with this one but she made it very boring unfortunately. The charm of Amelia is her quick whit and sarcasm. It isn’t full, but rather full of life and sass. This left the story feeling a bit drawn out rather than exciting.

women being able to figure things out

women figure things out and take action to solve mystery alongside men who appreciate her thinking

the book: delightful, narrator: sadly, dreadful

Just as I remember from first reading The Curse of the Pharaohs many years ago, the book is zany and delightful. Amelia and Emerson are wonderfully devoted to each other in their inimitable, irascible ways, and the additional characters are brilliantly drawn as well. The background, including brilliant descriptions and fascinating details about their archeological concerns, is wonderful. The plot is extravagant and exciting, with just the right balance between silliness and the bravery and cleverness of the protagonists. Amelia's narrative voice, revealing all her charm, her courage, her kindness, and her foibles, is, as in all the books in the series, brilliantly done. It had to be brilliant to somehow survive the dreadful reading by Susan O'Malley in her weird accent that sounds neither American nor British, as it should have been, her apparent misunderstanding of every character as revealed in the words of the book rather than her reading of them, and her inability to provide effective different voices for them as well. The greatest mystery about this presentation of the book is why she was chosen as narrator. Therefore, the five stars are for Elizabeth Peters's accomplishment only.

Wrong Narrator

I made the mistake of getting thes rather than the one performed by Barbara Rosenblatt.
Barbara would have made this rather average Amelia wonderful, but this book can not rise above the poor narration.
Still, any Amelia Peabody is better than average of any other book. :-)

Classic British humour

A stiff upperlip...and back...and a strong constitution in a woman who brokes no discussion around her decisions and her unfailing search for the right of every situation is a recipe for adventure. Finding new friends, learning and exploring and perhaps a bit of romance all wrapped in a mystery and a bit of British history.

Very Good Story With Minor Glitch

I have long enjoyed Elizabeth Peters books about Egyptologists. This recording has a very minor flaw: At the start of each chapter, you hear the narrators voice say”two.” Only once, near the end, did I hear “three,” then it returned to “two.” Very strange, but a minor distraction from the story.

A great story, but not the best narrator...

When it comes to listening to Amelia Peabody mysteries, Barbara Rosenblatt is definitely the way to go. This narrator, it pains me to say, really butchered the voices. Her English accent is terrible. The story, however, is classic Amelia fun!