The Other

By: Thomas Tryon

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other's thoughts, but they couldn't be more different. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please, the sort of boy who makes parents proud. The Perrys live in the bucolic New England town their family settled centuries ago, and as it happens, the extended clan has gathered at its ancestral farm this summer to mourn the death of the twins' father in a most unfortunate accident. Mrs. Perry still hasn't recovered from the shock of her husband's gruesome end and stays sequestered in her room, leaving her sons to roam free. As the summer goes on, though, and Holland's pranks become increasingly sinister, Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother's actions.

Thomas Tryon's best-selling novel about a homegrown monster is an eerie examination of the darkness that dwells within everyone. It is a landmark of psychological horror that is a worthy descendent of the books of James Hogg, Robert Louis Stevenson, Shirley Jackson, and Patricia Highsmith.

©1971 Thomas Tryon (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

I gave this book 5 hours of my life...

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

I gave this book 5 hours of my life hoping the story would pick up. I am uncertain if it was the narration or the story line, but I could not engage.

Very slow pace

What would have made The Other better?

Not enough of a story line...too much focus on descriptions, not enough on the plot.

Run Far Away

I heard so many good things about this I went ahead and used a credit. Big mistake!

The writing style of this book is unbearable. It is 90% description and 10% story. If you like endless description, and wordiness, this is the book for you. If you're looking for a good, scary horror story, pass.

Really hard to pay attention to

There is a droning boring quality to this story. I found I had to listen to everything 2x because I would just zone out. The story seemed interesting but it was REALLY drawn out and padded it seemed. I wasn't fond of all the narration voices. I guess I am one of the minority that just wants to hear the story. I gave up on it only about 4 hours into it. I just couldn't take it anymore.

Good idea, just too darn rambling

I guessed the outcome pretty early on. It might have been more fun if I hadn't. There were too many parts that just droned on and on. If those parts were cut out, it would have been a much better book. Some parts were interesting and it wrapped up pretty well. Can't say for you if it will be worth it or not.

The end was interesting

It took two thirds of the book to actually get interesting. The story seemed to meander for a good 7 hours before it finally had some movement. I found the narration to be satisfactory apart from the main character sounding very whiny. Maybe as a pre-adolescent child he might have been a bit whiny, but it's a bit annoying to listen to given that he is the main speaker; I'd be happy to listen to him again as long as he's not reading children. I can't really recommend this book; I'm surprised it featured on the Audible front page so much.

Boring as Bat Poo.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Nothing

What was most disappointing about Thomas Tryon’s story?

Was looking forward to a great story due to the recommendation of the narrator, but the story line was boring and the ending obvious from the start.

What three words best describe William Dufris’s performance?

O.K. story boring.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment