Fevre Dream

By: George R. R. Martin

Narrated by: Ron Donachie

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Before the wights there were vampires....

Abner Marsh has finally realised his heart's desire, he has built the Fevre Dream, the finest steamship ever to sail the Mississippi river. Marsh hopes to race the boat some day and prove its supremacy, but his partner seems determined to prevent him from fulfilling this ambition. Joshua York funded the creation of the Fevre Dream, but now rumours are spreading about the unusual company he keeps, his odd eating habits and strange waking hours.

As the Dream crosses the great river, it leaves in its wake too many sinister stories. Eventually Abner is forced to confront the man who helped to make his dreams become reality - before his dream turns into a nightmare. Discover George R. R. Martin's Gothic masterpiece, Fevre Dream.

©1982 George R. R. Martin (P)2012 Random House Audio Inc

Just another lame vampire story

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

So predictable. So lame.

Has Fevre Dream turned you off from other books in this genre?

Just too predictable

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

Great character actor amazing vocal control. Way above this tripe.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Fevre Dream?

I would have rewritten it to be about the gothic of the south and some other layers of mystical perversion. The area is so witchy why not really go into a Fever Dream instead of an Anne Rice rip off.

Any additional comments?

No

0 of 2 people found this review helpful

A fine melding of form and content.

If you like your vampire stories to be multi-layered, subtle and character driven, as well as drenched in blood, then this is for you. George R R Martin exhibits the splendid command of plot and character which he displays in his later works in this stand alone novel from the early eighties. Set on a Mississippi steamboat in the years bracketing the american civil war, this is a book steeped in historical colour and full of magnificently drawn settings. A confident and unadorned narration keeps the story moving forward to its thrilling climax, and the narrator's multiple characterisations - especially Abner Marsh - are clear and well distinguished. A fine work from an acknowledged master of the genre.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Steamboats and Vampires

I was completely enthralled by this story. The intimate details of the steamboats and the people whose lives they fill. The characters are entirely convincing from the ugly steamboat captain, Marsh, to the elegant, charming and dangerous, York, to one of the most horrifying villains in literature. Although I did not immediately take to it I came to love the accents and the way in which Ron Donachie read this book. This is a thoroughly way to spend a few quiet hours or a long journey but be warned you may not want to turn it off.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fevre Dream; Excellent!

Would you listen to Fevre Dream again? Why?

I read quite a lot of books. There are very few books that i read/ listen to, more than once. Fevre Dream is one that I will read and re-read; its that good. There are so many layers to this story. The historical setting, and morality of that time, is perfect for the choices facing the two lead characters throughout the story; it allows us to see the difficult changes both men are striving for within their own cultures, mirroring the abolition issue thats in the background of the mississippi river life, as the fevre dream journeys to New Orleans.

What did you like best about this story?

The main theme i got running through this story was 'Choice'. Abner and Joshua, from different sides of the fence, have to continually search themselves for what's 'right' in each situation they come across and not just what their peers would do. As Joshua's plan is revealed, there are all new trust issues that need to be dealt with. Abner and Joshua each play the part of a representative for each race with their views and ideals, and a great friendship is the result.
The friendship between the two is the best part of this story. Friendship out of adversity has been done many times before, but I don't think its been done quite like this. The cost of the friendship to each character, is great, yet even over many years hiatus, each remains loyal to the other.

What about Ron Donachie’s performance did you like?

The vocal performance of Ron Donachie is excellent here. He gives real weight to Abner Marsh as the tough steamboat captain, and the slow southern drawl of Julien really gives a sinister fell to the character. Every role is read expertly.

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

The epilogue is one of the saddest i've ever read. Not just for the main characters of the story, but for the steamboat trade of the mississippi, also.

Any additional comments?

There are few really original takes on the vampire genre. Not since Anne Rice's first vampire chronicle have i read such a good vampire story, however, this story is great because of its human side.
Well worth a listen

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Vamptastic I do declare.

Fantastic tale of Vampires in the old South of the USA in the days before abolition. Brilliantly narrated. Now going to find more narrated by Ron Donachie.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Every bit as exotic as Westeros

Fevre Dream dates from a long time before Game of Thrones, yet many of the hallmarks of Martin's later writing are present. An alien (to me, in Northern England!) world painted so vividly you could be there, a cast of imperfect and believable characters, and of course sumptious descriptions of lavish meals.

Fevre Dream is a tale of the Old South, of steamboats and vampires. The principal character is the Mississippi herself, but the boats and the captain and the vampires are all unforgettable too. The narration is of the kind that gets out of the way and lets the story speak, and that's what I like. There's nothing here not to like.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

ran out of steam

I greatly enjoyed the first half of this book but by the end i had mostly lost interest and felt a bit like one of the vampire's victims . It's obviously a little bit hard to pull off a convincing tale about a crew of blood suckers riding up and down a river on a steam-boat but i must say that the author does quite an excellent job of that. It just seemed to me that he ran a little bit out of steam himself towards the end and that's a shame . On the whole , not a bad listen, with some excellent passages but did not quite live up to early promise .

In terms of narration - the characterization and voicing of the main protagonists was absolutely fantastic . Initially , i found the narator's normal voice a little bit annoying as it seemed out of keeping with the setting , being Scottish . But this passed relatively quickly and ultimately, i would rate the performance slightly better than the story itself .

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Tense and spell binding - do listen!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Recommended. Keeps you guessing and dashes assumptions. You sometimes fear for the survival of the main characters (it's George RR Martin after all). A very interesting twist on the horror story of legend.

What did you like best about this story?

The twists and turns

What does Ron Donachie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He reads it very well. Got on with his narrative

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This steamer has no seat belts so hang on tight

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

A great read

Captures the imagination! Superbly written, I couldnt put this one down (metaphorically speaking!!) I was listening to this in every spare minute I had!

Great characters and story

Loved everything about this. Mr Martin is so great at writing both underdog heroic characters and evil but compelling villains. His greatest skill is in making us love the baddies just as much as the good guys. Even the nasty Sour Billy (“well well”) kind of won my sympathy at times.

Although the narrator was brilliant and I loved all his characterisations and accents I wonder why it wasn’t read by a real US Southerner. I think that is the only criticism I have, if any.

my fave book.

it's my favourite book. read it long before game of thrones became known. it's a wonderful story and so well written. have re read it so many times. never liked game of thrones. this is a different story.