Romeo and Juliet: A Novel

By: David Hewson

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively written for Audible, only available in audio

"I think Romeo and Juliet is the greatest, most tragic love story ever told. What David Hewson did with this script is so exciting to me. I really love the fact that he followed avenues that Shakespeare suggested but didn't necessarily detail in depth. If you want to immerse yourself in a warm bath of Garganega and the heat of Verona and hear a brilliant story about a young woman who is challenging the restraints of her time, listen to this audiobook, which has romance, poetry, politics, and humor to spare." (Narrator Richard Armitage)

It's a story you think you know: the age-old tale of "star-cross'd lovers"; two families at war; a romance, so pure and absolute, fated for a tragic end. It's a story so thoroughly embedded in our culture, and so frequently retold. Yet, nothing captures the spark, the possibility, and the surprise of Shakespeare's work quite like this....

In Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, author David Hewson reworks and expands on the classic story so that it becomes something richer, something new and entirely its own. Much more than a simple love story, it is a brilliant examination of young versus old, hope against despair, and, for Juliet, the search for individual identity at a time when women were regarded as little more than chattel.

An original production commissioned by Audible, Romeo and Juliet: A Novel marks the second pairing of David Hewson and actor Richard Armitage, whose previous partnership resulted in Audible's 2014 Audiobook of the Year, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel. Hewson's talent for writing for audio is undeniable, and he finds his perfect vocal foil in Armitage, an actor of immense range and absorbing intensity. Together, they bring you a familiar story told in a surprising way - with an ending you might not expect.

Bonus: Audiobook includes an afterword written and narrated by David Hewson.

About the author: David Hewson is a British author of more than 20 works of fiction, including the Nic Costa detective series, set in contemporary Italy, and three novels based on the hit TV series, The Killing. For Audible, Hewson contributed to the serial novel The Chopin Manuscript, winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year. And, with A.J. Hartley, Hewson has adapted Shakespeare twice before: Macbeth: A Novel, narrated by Alan Cumming, and Audible's 2014 Audiobook of the Year Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel, performed by Richard Armitage.

About the narrator: Richard Armitage is a British film, television, theater, and voice actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Armitage landed his first leading role in the British television show North & South. Peter Jackson cast Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the company of dwarves in The Hobbit films, bringing him international recognition. Since then, Armitage has appeared in numerous productions, including widely-praised performances on stage in The Crucible and Love, Love, Love, along with acclaimed roles on TV in NBC's Hannibal and Berlin Station on Epix.

©2016 David Hewson (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Consummate actor Richard Armitage narrates this dynamic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet. It's an ideal construct for those reluctant to pursue Shakespeare. In addition to using contemporary slang, the author gives the followers of the Montague and Capulet families street cred: They wear red or blue feathers in their hats. Armitage makes even secondary characters unique, with Romeo's and Juliet's fathers sounding like the bitter old men they are. The standout is Juliet's nurse, who provides comic relief. Chapter transitions are faultless, and descriptions of people and places are stellar. Juliet's social conscience, specifically her desire to teach the peasants to read, adds further depth. Hewson boldly alters the story's conclusion. In an author's note, Hewson explains that Shakespeare was inspired by an Italian play similar to Romeo and Juliet. Hewson adds that to him the story is about the contrast between older and younger generations as they react to change." ( AudioFile Magazine)

Beautiful adaptation and fantastic narration

One more fantastic joint work of David Hewson and Richard Armitage. Love every minute of the audiobook. So sad my jorney to Verona is finished but I'm so glad I can return there whenever I wish. And I definitely will! Thank you, David Hewson, Richard Armitage and Audible for the great Christmas gift.

Disapointed....

What did you like best about Romeo and Juliet: A Novel? What did you like least?

The best was the ending and the least, RA's narration, and I adore the voice and the man, so go figure!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Juliet, because despite her age, she had a spine and was a strong woman.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Richard Armitage?

Are you kidding me?! Of course I would.

Do you think Romeo and Juliet: A Novel needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, no follow up needed. The ending was a surprise and it should be left to the reader's interpretation of it.

Any additional comments?

First, I must say that I've never really read the "original", but I've seen many, many performances and reimagining's of it, and liked most of them.

Since this was exclusively offered to us through Audible only, and narrated by one of my all time favorite actors [I still say RA stole every scene in Robin Hood the series and overshadowed the main character] Richard Armitage, I just had to have it.

That's why I am loathe to say how disappointed I was with the narration. I was conflicted between the retelling and narration. One I liked and the other not so much. And here's why.

I liked the way all the characters were written. They all had a personality and were fun to get to know. The feel of the novel was fresh, yet old and familiar. And the ending came as a surprise and pleasant at that.

That said, Richard Armitage's narration wasn't bad, but for some reason most of the characters sounded the same, old and decrepit. That bothered me to no end! His voice is deep and memorable while conveying the story, but as soon as he goes into the dialogue, I just cringed.

Do I recommend it? You bet! It had enough humor that I'll forgive RA for his less than stellar performance ;)

Melanie for b2b

Wonderful

Juliet deserves to become the heroine and fullfills the duty to ma ke her Herat go on.

MIC DROP

Can you "mic drop" for an audio book? If not you should for this magnificent retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Run do not walk to add this to your library. The sublime combination of David Hewsons words and the divine performances (yes I meant to go plural) of the off the charts brilliant Richard Armitage is an instant classic. I didn't think it could get any better than Copperfield or Hamlet but this one raises the bar to new heights. If I could give it 10 stars I would do it.

Great. "till the end"

the story is greatly reimagined with greater characters that are more relatable

however as much as I loved how the story was reimagined the ending fell short. it was a half complete ending. in the Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare the story ends with the tragic death of the young lovers. in this one I felt more disappointed with the ending cause it led me to feel that the love was only one sided and that only one of them wanted the relationship because it was not aloud. other than the ending which was abrupt and I felt should have gone on for a bit longer. the story up to the end was a great experience.

fresh take on an old story

I really enjoyed this version of the story, especially all of the period detail - it's clear the author did quite a bit of research on the historical setting. The narration is great and the voices are mostly distinct (some of the conversations between juliet and her mother were difficult to distinguish).

surprisingly good!

so many adaptations are disappointing but I enjoyed this one, and Richard Armitage's narration is first rate (that ISN'T surprising!).

Not what I was expecting...

The narrator was AWESOME. The book itself was... well the title says it all. Generally I liked it but I still don't know what to think about it.

Fantastic Narration!!

Richard Ermitage does a spectacular job at this thoroughly entertaining book. Great story with a twist of an ending. Loved every minute of it!

Beautiful Adaptation!

Many of us know the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, and when I saw this new adaptation, I immediately pre-ordered it. One thing that makes this novel stand out for me is the great amount of detail and historic research that must have gone into it: the politics, description of the towns of Verona, Venice, and Mantua, current state of politics and world events taking place at the time, down to the recipes of food served at the banquet. Since I have read the play in English and Italian, and recently visited many of the places mentioned, it was very easy to go back there in my mind. The author even skillfully lifts a key phrase or oft-quoted line right from the play and weaves it seamlessly into the story.

The only problem I had was that since this is an Italian story, on reflection, I thought there should have been a few expressions or phrases in Italian, such as idioms, or at least some greetings when the characters speak to each other. Instead, there is actually some Cockney slang among some servants, which is working-class London! This felt particularly out of place for an Italian setting. I often found myself pausing the audio to think because the Cockney was jolting simply because it's the wrong place, momentarily putting me out of the story.

For the most part, Richard Armitage's narration was simply spell-binding. I have noticed he narrates many classic English stories, such as by Charles Dickens, and is a great choice for a mostly-male cast of characters, and my God, can this man read poetry! That said, his choice of voicing for some of the characters was a bit jolting and out of place. This probably has something to do with the writing, as noted above. For example, Count Paris is from Florence, and at one point it specifically says he and his guards have "thick Florentine accents," yet they are read with the same British as the rest, and the guards speak with Cockney slang! Again, since this is an Italian story, I feel the characters ought to have Italian accents, though since the play adaptation was by Shakespeare, who (rumors aside) was British, perhaps that's not so out-of-place.

The story has a twist ending, which I at the same time liked, and didn't like (how dare he change Shakespeare? lol).