A Place of Greater Safety

By: Hilary Mantel

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 33 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1789, and three young provincials have come to Paris to make their way. Georges-Jacques Danton, an ambitious young lawyer, is energetic, pragmatic, debt-ridden - and hugely but erotically ugly. Maximilien Robespierre, also a lawyer, is slight, diligent, and terrified of violence. His dearest friend, Camille Desmoulins, is a conspirator and pamphleteer of genius. A charming gadfly, erratic and untrustworthy, bisexual and beautiful, Camille is obsessed by one woman and engaged to marry another, her daughter. In the swells of revolution, they each taste the addictive delights of power, and the price that must be paid for it.

©1992 Hilary Mantel (P)2013 W.F. Howes

French Revolution

What a fantastic job Hilary Mantel did on this book and the readers were great,

Ignores basics of audiobook production

This recording ignores the basic principle that the narration should all be within a constrained dynamic range. this is not a stage production. at times it seems that some sections of the story have been recorded at different times and studios than others with very different volume levels. and it is not clear why it was decided that some of the content required or would be served best by the more histrionic high volume delivery. very disappointing.

Less a novel

than an attempt to encompass the whole history of the Revolution in the love triangle of three men. It’s wonderful, and never boring, but is a bit exhausting.

The narrator goes in for voices. Working class characters have cockney accents, which is a bit odd but gets the point across. He gives some of the women shrill and unpleasant accents which is too bad and ruins some passages. His voice for Camille has the stutter which Mantel refers to but does not indicate directly in his speech. At first, I found that hard to listen to, but over time it became my favorite part of the performance.

Not her best, but still excellent

Overall, it is challenging to keep track of all the many many characters, and this book is not as enthralling or good as Mantel's later books Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just A Wonderful Trip Of The French Revolution

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

yes, anyone who is serious about the French Revolution and wants a fictional journey of the highlights, it doesn't get better then this.

What did you like best about this story?

The inner world of Danton, Robespierre, and the Desmoulins is so finely presented you feel like it's not two hundred some years ago.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Keeble – was your favorite?

Camille Desmoulins but it's fair to state everyone is so crafted the audio performance is outstanding.

Any additional comments?

This is a masterpiece of the French Revolution anyone who wants to enter this period needs to experience this.

Excellent

I loved this book. Listened to it multiple times. I prefer it to the Wolf Hall books. The characters were fascinating and surprisingly relatable (Oh Camille!). The narrator was absolutely top notch. This is one of those books that leaks out into your real life, especially, and alarmingly, when watching the news (Oh dear!).


If this book doesn’t engage you, immediately make an appointment with a cardiologist because you might not have a pulse.

Totally, Utterly, Brilliant

Everything about this is Just Plain As Good As It Gets.
I used to think Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies were Mantel at her best - which is amazing. Now, I'm not so sure. This is incredible as a novel. As an historical novel, it is superlative. The writing is beyond good. Making sense of the French Revolution, especially The Terror, is Not Easy. But, not only does Mantel do that, she also manages to produce an extraordinary novel on its own merits - and one that is completely relevant for today, or any day.
I read this, a few years ago, and loved it. Then I bought the audio version to listen to on a trip to France. And actually, I think it's even better. The narration is fabulous. A total pleasure to listen to, and , for my money, it actually enhanced the book. Which is rare. Spend a credit on this. You won't be sorry.

Well written dull book

Beautifully written with finely drawn characters and wonderfully narrated, but sort of boring. Story comes alive in the last chapters— but, maybe 3 exciting hours of 30.

A Long and Difficult Listen

This book is better read than listened to as there are many characters, and it is sometimes difficult to keep up with all of them. I had to rewind numerous times.

It baffles me why a novel about the French revolution is read by someone with a British accent. It would have been preferable to listen to a reader with a beautiful French accent, although this reader was definitely good.

Stunning work —- again

You may have to work at following the times and characters but that makes it so real. Aren’t we all following the same kind of non-linear path? And the events become so clear with the extraordinary construction of the main cast. I can’t say enough high praise for Mantel’s retelling of history’s most compelling era.