Burning Bright

By: Tracy Chevalier

Narrated by: Jill Tanner

A poor family moves to 18th-century London, where the father has been offered a job as a carpenter for a circus. His children befriend a young girl who introduces them to the great city. Their neighbor is none other than the real-life poet, William Blake.

Best-selling author Tracy Chevalier also wrote Girl with a Pearl Earring.

©2007 Tracy Chevalier (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.

Wendy

Like other reviewers, I wanted to like this book, having completely enjoyed the author's other books. Unfortunately, it failed to produced the same quality of read. The setting and essential conflict had promise, but the characters and the development of the plot were uninspired and in the end quite boring.

Not Chevalier’s best, but still a great story

Well developed characters and a very good look into life during this period with a nice intro to William Blake who I will be reading next.

Excellent

I truly enjoyed this book, great writer, kept the reader going back for more. Excellently read. good with the accents! Thank you

very enjoyable

Entertaining story with the historical figure of William Blake thrown in, it might help to read his poetry and bio first if you are not familiar with his work. The main characters were likeable and the story sweet. The reader is excellent.

Not my favorite but pretty good

Not my favorite by her, most of the characters were very flat with little substance. However, I enjoyed the sweet relationship between Maggie and Jim and The Blakes. I also liked how real the circumstances were and nothing was romanized, which is what I always expect when reading something by this author. The narrator has a lovely voice and pace--however, the chapter numbers are abrupt: with there barely being a pause for breath after the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

No Moment of Pure Sublimity

I REALLY wanted to love this novel. I really enjoy the style/detail/passion of Ms. Chevalier's writing. This book was just alright. There was no one event that culminates in a moment of pure sublimity that takes your breath away like Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn or Fallen Angels. One IS still able to escape into the novel...but really has nothing to do when one gets there. The reader. VERY good.

Not up to par

I probably won't even finish this book. The characters don't entice. There is no compelling reason to care about this family which is suppose to be poor. Unlike her previous novels, the story development is lacking--actually it's a story going no where.

Just can't recommend this book.