The Silver Swan

A Novel

De: John Banville

Narrado por: Timothy Dalton

Two years have passed since the events of the bestselling Christine Falls, and much has changed for Quirke, the irascible, formerly hard-drinking Dublin pathologist. His beloved Sarah is dead, the Judge lies in a convent hospital paralyzed by a devastating stroke, and Phoebe, Quirke's long-denied daughter, has grown increasingly withdrawn and isolated.

With much to regret from his last inquisitive foray, Quirke ought to know better than to let his curiosity get the best of him. Yet when an almost-forgotten acquaintance comes to him about his beautiful young wife's apparent suicide, Quirke's "old itch to cut into the quick of things, to delve into the dark of what was hidden" is roused again. As he begins to probe further into the shadowy circumstances of Deirdre Hunt's death, he discovers many things that might better have remained hidden, as well as grave danger to those he loves. Haunting, masterfully written, and utterly mesmerizing in its nuance, The Silver Swan fully lives up to the promise of Christine Falls and firmly establishes Benjamin Black (a.k.a. John Banville) among the greatest of crime writers.

©2008 Benjamin Black; (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

<p>“The eagerly awaited sequel to <i>Christine Falls</i> is brought to lief by none other than James Bond himself, Timothy Dalton, in a reading so good it will make listeners giddy with delight...It's all thrilling, honest, and raw.” —<i>AudioFile</i><br><br>“...the second in [the] Quirke series, offers an excellent opportunity for Dalton to flash his acting chops. Dalton's reading is hushed, intense and dramatic, read as if being performed onstage.” —<i>Publishers Weekly</i><br><br>“Dalton…gives a gritty, growling reading that will practically make you smell the rain on the dark Dublin streets.” —<i>St.Petersburg Times</i><br><br>“Dalton's highly dramatic, fully differentiated performance keeps the plot moving swiftly and the net tightening as the novel builds to its surprising conclusion.” —KLIATT</p>

Can I give Timothy Dalton 6 stars?

Timothy Dalton could make a catalog sound exciting. Another great listen from my new favorite author.
Not happy with app.

Interesting story, great narration

Kind of a fun little mystery story, very good narration by Timothy Dalton. I recommend.

Sneaks up on you

When I began listening to this book I was a little confused and had a little difficulty putting the pieces together. But once they came together I had even more difficulty turning off my IPOD and leaving the car. This is a GREAT story with breathtaking narration. Like a prior reviewer said, I would double back to hear the beauty of the authors phrasing. This is the first Benjamin Black book I have ever listened to and I was captivated by the imagery. Enjoyed every minute of this one and I am heading into Audible to buy more that he wrote and look up more that Tim Dalton narrates.

Great Series, Excellent Narration

This is the second in a trilogy (so far) of Quirke mysteries. The stories are compelling, the characters very real and Timothy Dalton's eloquent narration is spot on. I've listened to all three novels and he enunciates so well I haven't missed a word. Best narration I've heard of the twenty books I've purchased from Audible so far.

Compelling story The

Excellent character development, one of the villains in this story reminded me of Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray.

Timothy Dalton is a treat to listen to and I will be downloading the next story in the series. Thank you for an enjoyable listen.

Fabulous narration, pretty good story too

I enjoyed this book even more than Christine Falls, but not as much as Elegy for April. Timothy Dalton is fabulous, fabulous, fabulous in bringing the characters to life. I can't imagine a better narrator.

Captures the nature of the book very well.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Defintely an enjoyable listen, but preferred the first and third books in the series more.

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

He is very dramatic which worked well with the dark aura of the story.

Could you see The Silver Swan being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Oh yes! I would love to see Ciaran Hinds as Quirk. He is Irish and could easily portray the broody Quirk!

Utterly compelling and brilliantly read

The richness of Benjamin Black's prose coupled with the emotive reading by Timothy Dalton made for an absolutely compelling listen. This is the kind of literary mystery book I love, laden with atmosphere and filled with arresting descriptions and deeply-drawn characters. I actually re-listened to many parts of this book just to hear the brilliant turns of phrase that Mr. Black has conjured from a seemingly deep well of creativity.

Darkly Irish mystery

This is an engrossing and darkly moody mystery, very well narrated. Several surprising turns of event, and interesting characters. I will read more of Black's books, for sure.

Good read!

What did you love best about The Silver Swan?

The twiists and turns are lots of fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Quirk - He is human - makes mistakes - woders what to do - doesn't know it all.

Have you listened to any of Timothy Dalton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I like his work.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really, just a good read.