• The House of Special Purpose

  • By: John Boyne
  • Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
  • Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (344 ratings)

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The House of Special Purpose  By  cover art

The House of Special Purpose

By: John Boyne
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
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Publisher's summary

Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to Saint Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the tzar, in the early twentieth century - a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose.

©2012 John Boyne (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories…He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant, real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature.” (Colum McCann, New York Times bestselling author)
“A riveting, bittersweet tale of love, loss, and intrigue…a compelling read.” ( Winnipeg Free Press)
“Boyne exercises total control over pace and revelation. A work that chimes perfectly with our times.”—Irish Times

What listeners say about The House of Special Purpose

Average customer ratings
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Brilliant

Absolutely loved this book !! Made even better by the narration of Stefan Rudniki. He really brought this book to life. I’m a big John Boyne fan and was so sorry to get to the end of this book. If you are a history buff, you’ll love this one. Thanks Mr. Boyne and Mr. Rudniki for many enjoyable hours

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I’m so glad I read this!

As with all of Boynes books, this one was not always easy to listen to, but was so well written and narrated that I’m sitting here at the end telling myself it was all worth it. I am a life long fan of Boynes.

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Terrific

I am a John Boyne fan--has an amazing "painterly" writing style, and among the best for putting you in a scene. "House" at it's core is a romance with a heartfelt twist that breathes new life into an historical Russian mystery. Stefan Rudnicki is dead brilliant and the perfect choice for voice. The fact that the story toggles back and forth in time is a perfect mechanism that keeps the reader from what might have been a worn historical fiction. Loved it!!!!

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful

If only it were true...
This was a beautiful and heartbreaking tale.
I was completely enthralled.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not as good

The story goes back and forth in time and is a bit hard to follow at first but what makes it more challenging is the narrator. His voice is just too deep and booming for these characters and it was distracting. John Boyne’s other book “the hearts invisible furies” is one of my favorites!! Read that if you haven’t yet. He is an excellent writer.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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My Favorite!

What a wonderful journey! I will treasure this story always. I wish I could hear it all again for the first time. A bit jealous of the listeners to come.

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3 people found this helpful

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Flawless

this book is absolutely amazing, through and through. The writing is phenomenal, every word is perfectly crafted. I'm a John Boyne fan, because of this book. I've since read many of his other books which are good too - some are excellent. But none in my opinion compares to this one. The narrator's talent is the icing on the cake and a wonderful complement to Boyne's exquisite writing. I've read it twice now. Enjoy!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Lovely

This book is wonderful. The best kind of historical fiction. The narrator is fabulous with all the Russian accents but the British ones are hard to listen to. It doesn’t matter though. The story is superb.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

I enjoyed this book very much. The story, performance, couldn’t stay away from it. Great!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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enjoyed this very much

I was so happy I listened to this book. I wasn't going to because the reviews were so hard on the reader. the only thing I didn't like about it was it jumped around so much. Back and forth.
I enjoyed the story. I had read along time ago that the youngest princess had some how escaped from death and always wondered what the story was. What a sorry ending for that family and that Country.

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