The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man

Burton & Swinburne, Book 2

De: Mark Hodder

Narrado por: Gerard Doyle

It is 1862, though not the 1862 it should be....

Time has been altered, and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the king's agent, is one of the few people who know that the world is now careening along a very different course from that which Destiny intended.

When a clockwork-powered man of brass is found abandoned in Trafalgar Square, Burton and his assistant, the wayward poet Algernon Swinburne, find themselves on the trail of the stolen Garnier Collection - black diamonds rumored to be fragments of the Lemurian Eye of Naga, a meteorite that fell to Earth in prehistoric times. His investigation leads to involvement with the media sensation of the age: the Tichborne Claimant, a man who insists that he's the long lost heir to the cursed Tichborne estate. Monstrous, bloated, and monosyllabic, he's not the aristocratic Sir Roger Tichborne known to everyone, yet the working classes come out in force to support him. They are soon rioting through the streets of London, as mysterious steam wraiths incite all-out class warfare.

From a haunted mansion to the Bedlam madhouse, from South America to Australia, from seances to a secret labyrinth, Burton struggles with shadowy opponents and his own inner demons, meeting along the way the philosopher Herbert Spencer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Doyle (father of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). Can the king's agent expose a plot that threatens to rip the British Empire apart, leading to an international conflict the like of which the world has never seen? And what part does the clockwork man have to play?

Burton and Swinburne's second adventure, The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man, is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and a deepening mystery that pushes forward the three-volume story arc begun in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack.

Listen to more in the Burton & Swinburne series.©2011 Mark Hodder (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Steampunk Fans!!!

What made the experience of listening to The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man the most enjoyable?

The flow of the story was like water in the river, easy to understand; but complex enough to keep you listen!!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man?

Too many good parts for me to just have one:-)

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

The characters reactions to each other in a serious but funny way.

Fantastic book with a good sense of time

This was a great installment in the Burton and Swinburne series. It faithfully and strongly follows Springheeled Jack by crafting the world and the culture so brilliantly. Additionally I thought there was a feeling that time, long and short, was always an enemy with a strong feeling of urgency controlling the pace.

My only issue was in the reading it seemed like there were a lot of mistakes in naming characters. Several times Burton would reply to Burton in a Swinburne voice and the like. One proof listening would solve this as it hit pretty hard on the ears, but other than that it was a great listen.

the crazy clockwork plot continues

As I promised myself, I only bought the second book of this series when it went on sale. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but I think I ended up liking it a bit more than the first book. The book carries on a number of plot points from the first one, and has almost all the characters from the first, so maybe best to brush up. This book also sets up for at least one following book. As in the first installment, there's tons of steampunk technology, alternate history, evil plots and whatnot. Also zombies. Who doesn't love steampunk zombies?
I would have given the plot five stars but I just wish that the characters developed/changed more through the books. They're very plot driven, which is fine, but it would be nice to see them a little more fleshed out. Once again, I probably would get the next book, but only once I find it on sale.

Wonderfully written, wonderfully read.

Any additional comments?

The best thing about this story is how it paints a picture of historical London, and then introduces steampunk and magic elements so smoothly and naturally that there is little to no suspension of disbelief required on the part on the listener. The narration is perfectly executed, and the different voices of the reader are fluid and varied enough that you're rarely, if ever, brought out of the story.

A terrific buy for book lovers of all genres!

wonderfully dreadful, swisted history

Where does The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

in the top 50

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man?

defeat of main foe

What about Gerard Doyle’s performance did you like?

distinctive, consistent characters

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

a characters death, but that would be telling