Into the Abyss

By: Carol Shaben

Narrated by: Tiffany Morgan

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

Only four men survived the plane crash. The pilot. A politician. A cop... and the criminal he was shackled to.

On an icy night in October 1984, a commuter plane carrying nine passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta, killing six people. Four survived: the rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. Despite the poor weather, Erik Vogel, the 24-year-old pilot, was under intense pressure to fly. Larry Shaben, the author's father and Canada's first Muslim Cabinet Minister, was commuting home after a busy week at the Alberta Legislature. Constable Scott Deschamps was escorting Paul Archambault, a drifter wanted on an outstanding warrant. Against regulations, Archambault's handcuffs were removed - a decision that would profoundly impact the men's survival.

As the men fight through the night to stay alive, the dividing lines of power, wealth, and status are erased, and each man is forced to confront the precious and limited nature of his existence.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2013 Carol Shaben (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Too long, and it got boring.

I picked this book because I thought it would be a little like a Mayday episode, except those last about 45 minutes not 10 hours.

The story was not just about the accident, what led up to it, how the survivors survived, the trial, the outcome and the aftermath but also (and forgive me for the indelicate way I am phrasing this) The Biography of 4 Nobodies. That sounds derogatory, I’m sorry, but I guess what I mean by that is that I found it unnecessary and superfluous. I could have done without all that.

Quoting a reviewer who quoted another reviewer: the experience did not really transform these four men's lives as the cover suggests--they all took a break and then eventually went back to doing pretty much what they were doing before.

I got so bored after a while that I listened in fast forward to get it over with.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Well written, poorly narrated.

What made the experience of listening to Into the Abyss the most enjoyable?

Having grown up in Alberta, this is a story with which I had some familiarity. Each character is given sufficient time in the spotlight, and the circumstances were well researched and described. I was turned off however by consistent pronunciation errors on behalf of the narrator, usually involving terms with which most Canadians would be familiar. It took away from an otherwise well done story.

Would you be willing to try another one of Tiffany Morgan’s performances?

Probably not; aside from the obvious lack of research into some of the minutiae of the story, the narrator had an odd cadence that sometimes bordered on robotic.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Possibly. I believe I listened to it in 3 or 4 sittings, as I usually listen while driving. I enjoyed the breaks to ponder on various aspects of the story.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

bad narration mars good story

What disappointed you about Into the Abyss?

The narrator has an odd cadence. The choppy narration makes it a very hard listen. A shame as the story is good.

Would you be willing to try another one of Tiffany Morgan’s performances?

no

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good story, not good narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was interested in the story as heard on NPR. However the narration on the audio book made it difficult to listen to. Morgan pauses in strange places, emphasizes unimportant words and sometimes sounds like she is reading a shopping list.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tiffany Morgan?

ANYONE

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Robotic reader

Read by was awful with the stammering, robotic manner in which she spoke. My wife couldn’t finish it. Sorry

Absolutely riviting

Any additional comments?

I first heard of this book from an NPR story. It listens like a page turner through the crash and survival, then remains compelling as the effects of the experience on each of the survivors is recounted. Highly recommended!