The Stress of Her Regard

By: Tim Powers

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

When Michael Crawford discovers his bride brutally murdered in their wedding bed, he is forced to flee, not only to prove his innocence but to avoid the deadly embrace of a vampire who has claimed him as her true bridegroom. Joining forces with Byron, Keats, and Shelley in a desperate journey that crisscrosses Europe, Crawford desperately seeks his freedom from this vengeful lover who haunts his dreams and will not rest until she destroys all that he cherishes.

Told in the guise of a secret history, this tale of passion and terror brilliantly evokes the 19th century. The chilling horror and adventure blend to create a riveting romantic fantasy.

©1989 Tim Powers (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

wierd and wonderful

The stress of her regard is not your typical vampire novel, it's not your typical anything. Like anything Tim Powers writes it begins in left field and goes from there.

This one requires your attention, but it is worth the effort.

One of my favorites

Powers is a master at his craft. the narrator is very proficient. a great experience..

Wonderfully dark novel of fictional Romantic poets

A wonderful and dark novel of a fictionalized Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats, and of the more completely fictional Michael Crawford, amidst a world of vampires and poetry. If I have any complaint at all about the audiobook, which I very, very much enjoyed, it is that the character of Mary Shelley, who (briefly) writes Frankenstein during the events of the book, is such an invisible character. Indeed, Percy Shelley (and perhaps even more so, Lord Byron) are larger-than-life characters here, but Mary shows almost no agency of her own amidst Percy's costly self-destructions. But through it all, Vance is magnificent, and I hope against hope that the recently released (in print) sequel, Hide Me Among the Graves, comes to audio under Vance's narration. 4.5 stars.

Vampire Lamia as Poetic Muse

Tim Powers offers up an alternative mythology that is more intriguing than the inanity of the pop-culture version of Greeks and Romans that infest the social dialog. Tim Powers builds a complex world where the Biblical Nephilim are at once a source of immortality and the lamia and succubae of vampire lore. Counter that with other forces whose foresight cancels human volition and you have this odd fantasy novel. My mind was fascinated by the complicated inter-workings of the fantastical rules that govern Powers’ world; so much so, that the story lost any aspect of horror it might otherwise have had for me. It is a vampire story that is so detached from the real world that it retains nothing scary. But that is not a bad thing unless you are looking to be frightened. I was looking for Tim Powers to show off his capacity for strangeness and intricate plotting; that I did find. Powers effectively weaves his love for poetry throughout this novel. As is the case with most of his work, each section is introduced with quotes that are quite appropriate with the times and the themes of the book. Incidentally, if you are of a mind to trace the quotations, realize that the poet William Ashbless is a fabrication of Tim Powers and his friend Jim Blaylock that both draw upon to provide period citations whenever required in their books.

Simon Vance provides a journeyman effort. His delivery is soothing and so very British. Sometimes I found that I was momentarily confused at some of his gender voicings. As soon as I thought I was able to recognize his typical intonation for one of the female characters one would turn out to be a male. His talent is that of having a great accent and excellent enunciation. He is not always consistent with giving each characters his own voice, or being consistent with a voice at every appearance.

Everything is Connecterd

Would you listen to The Stress of Her Regard again? Why?

I think I will listen to this again later. It has a lot of richness and nuance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Stress of Her Regard?

Hard to pick just one. I love the way it ties EVERYTHING into the vampires, from hypothetical science to folkloric esoterica. Christianity. Norse theology. Silicon-based life-forms. DNA. Greek Mythology. Wedding customs. Italian cuisine. Romantic poetry. EVERYTHING is connected to vampirism.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hard to say. I only notice the reader when the reading voice is very, very good or very, very bad.

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

This certainly got me hooked and I kept on reading.

Any additional comments?

The characters surprise me, and this is a great exploration of the vampire mythos. Mix of a well-thought-out take and some so-old-its-new stuff. The lore is amazing. Read this if you are a fan of vampires OR a fan of the romantic poets, or both.

OMG Romantic poets and vampires.

Engrossing and terrifying. Such a complex story. Requires a lot of attention. A favourite of mine. Maybe Power's best and that's very good.

A Strange Tale, Indeed

What made the experience of listening to The Stress of Her Regard the most enjoyable?

It was a delight to me to find an audio book that brought together three of my favorite elements - historical fiction, a "spooky story," and Simon Vance's narration. I began listening with high expectations and was not at all disappointed!

What other book might you compare The Stress of Her Regard to and why?

"The Stress of Her Regard" is a re-imagining of known historical events with a secret back story of supernatural involvement that provides alternate explanations for the events of the time. I am reminded of O'Brian's "Aubrey/Maturin" series, for the historical setting, and of Stoker's "Dracula" for the supernatural back story.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

I like Simon Vance's steady narration. I like the clear articulation of words and phrases, and I like the voice characterizations. His narration never detracts or distracts from the story.

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

It was a very long book. It would have been impossible for me to listen to it in all one sitting. Nor would I have wanted to. I like a book that gives the reader or listener material to reflect on, as this one did. It would have been short changing to rush the experience.

Incredible Listen

One of my new favorite listens; and incredible work, great author and the narrator did so well. very highly recommended

Superb Storytelling

Tim Powers has this belief that if he writes historical fiction, it has to be supremely accurate with no liberties taken with the known facts. From there, the story behind the story can unfold. In his case, it's typically a supernatural story to explain mortal events. One of the hallmarks of Powers' writing is to make you totally believe it. The more absurd it is, the more you will believe.

The characters are completely engaging, and if you don't know know more about the likes of Byron, Shelley, Keating, and Polidori, you'll want to by the time you get to the end of this novel. These characters and their companion, the main character Michael Crawford, are all too human, making the dread of their circumstances feel visceral. The story is told in the same fashion as it would be had it been written in their time, but with a modern awareness of how to make the macabre truly spooky for even the most seasoned veteran of horror. The result is a vampire story that's not a vampire story, and yet is truly the mother of all vampire stories. It's the kind of story that, while you're reading it, you just feel is twisted and wretched and just guilty fun in a lot of wrong ways. Then when you think about it later, you start connecting dots from things you've read, just as the characters do, and the little voice in the back of your head starts asking, "what if?" It's also the kind of story that's so imaginative that it you'll probably just want to shake your head sadly at most of the other vampire novels in release today.

As narrator, Simon Vance has been one of my favorites, having heard him on the James Bond series and the Master and Commander series. He lends a quiet sophistication and sympathy to characters that are truly beyond either one, which only adds to the verisimilitude. His style isn't over the top like some narrators, in that his performance services the story first and foremost.

Very nice, satisfying story

Powers had a knack for tying odd bits of history together within a dark and sometimes sinister background. Not quite at the same level as Anubis Gates. I can't wait to listen to Hide Me Among the Graves.