The Haunted Hotel

By: Wilkie Collins

Narrated by: Walter Covell

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

Wilke Collins was the author of two of the greatest mysteries ever written, The Moonstone and The Woman in White. However, like Poe before him and Conan Doyle after, he shifted easily from rational domains to the 'superrational'. Like them, he often preferred to indulge his occult predilection, a lifelong indulgence. His last lucid effort in this area (before ill health and opium drained his powers) was this short novel, written in 1878. In it, he artfully combines elements of both the detective story and the supernatural.

Public Domain (P)1982 Jimcin Recordings

Actor, Producer, Editor?

I made the mistake of thinking the Ian Holm version of Woman in White represented Audible’s Wilkie Collins collection. That was a brilliant version, as good as the best.

This reader made the most horrifying scene totally neutral. You can hear mouth sounds in this recording, swallowing, heavier inhaling, and almost no recognition of where emphasis should go in an individual sentence. Attempts at accents fail. It has made a reasonable story pretty annoying to listen to.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Dull

This book did not keep my interest at all very dull the narrator did not do a good reading words were to flat no life behind them

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

Blah

The narrator sounded like he was down a tunnel. The story wasn't Collin's best, especially when comparing it to "The woman in White" and "The Moonstone"

3 of 6 people found this review helpful

Dated

Though I am a fan of both the genre and era, I find this, Collins' last major work, to really show its age. The plot chugs along its torpid course, with much remonstrations of benighted heartfelt-love, for women with all the personality of a wilted salad. Imagine a novel with all the dull parts of Stoker's Dracula, but without the characters and action to balance it. The detective element of the novel is hardly a twist in the tale and the supernatural elements are pure Victorian mummery. The narration and quality are acceptable. I could only recommend it to a Collins completist.

7 of 20 people found this review helpful

Not so hot

This book should not be put under horror. The only thing scary about this book was how long it took to get to the actual story. I however did enjoy the style of writing (thus the reason I gave it two stars) but the story was more of betrayal and intrigue than of horror. All of you true horror lovers STAY AWAY!

4 of 14 people found this review helpful

Good story odd audio

The story is excellent - maybe a little predictable. Agnes is a bit of a wuss. The reading is s bit odd. Up and down and the voices are odd.

The only haunted thing is the narration

What disappointed you about The Haunted Hotel?

The story is well written but not one of Wilkie Collins' best, mainly because of a lack of suspense.

How could the performance have been better?

This is an old recording. The narrator sounds as though he is sitting in a cardboard box and for large parts there is an irritating background buzz. The narrator's voice is one of an old-school luvvie ack-tor, with some very off-putting enunciation.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful