The Nature of the Beast

A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

By: Louise Penny

Narrated by: Robert Bathurst

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Hardly a day goes by when nine-year-old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. From alien invasions to walking trees to winged beasts in the woods to dinosaurs spotted in the village of Three Pines, his tales are so extraordinary no one can possibly believe him. Including Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, who now live in the little Quebec village.

But when the boy disappears, the villagers are faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true.

And so begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. What they uncover deep in the forest sets off a sequence of events that leads to murder, leads to an old crime, leads to an old betrayal. Leads right to the door of an old poet.

And now it is now, writes Ruth Zardo. And the dark thing is here.

A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, Ruth knows, it is back.

Armand Gamache, the former head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, must face the possibility that in not believing the boy, he himself played a terrible part in what happens next.

©2015 Three Pines Creations, Inc. (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"As Louise Penny explains in the introduction to her newest Chief Inspector Gamache mystery, Robert Bathurst had much to live up to when he was selected to succeed longtime narrator Ralph Cosham, who passed away last year. She listened to hundreds of candidates before selecting the British actor, best known to American audiences from "Downton Abbey." Be assured that her choice was right. Bathurst's pleasant light baritone and sensitive pacing suit the thoughtful series..." ( AudioFile)

Heart breaking narrator

If you could sum up The Nature of the Beast in three words, what would they be?

Page turner, maybe overwrought

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes

How could the performance have been better?

This narrator does not, from my perspective, understand Three Pines or the people who live there, We need someone who loves the place, the people, not someone who understands Shakespearian overstatement

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

In the sense it was a page turner.

Go with hard copy next time

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

A more plausible plot and a narrator who has an understanding of the characters.

What was most disappointing about Louise Penny’s story?

It seemed forced. Maybe she had a deadline or something. There were none of the philosophical implications or slow revelations of the characters' psyches that I loved in previous books. It's mostly a conveyance to the next step in Gamache's life. And how many times was "Goddamn gun" used? I felt like screaming.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Robert Bathurst?

Someone who has Mr. Cosham's ability to relate to these characters. I know Mr. Cosham can't be replaced, but Mr. Bathurst, as talented as he is, isn't suited for this role. He can't even pull off a hint of a French Canadian accent. His rendition of Ruth's voice destroys the Ruth who has been so carefully brought to life. I will read the next book in the series rather than listen to such a poor choice of narrator.

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

Disappointment.

Any additional comments?

I listened to all but two of the other books in the series (I read those) and gave them 4-5 stars.

Try again, Ms. Penny!

I am an Inspector Gamache fan. I have listened to the entire series. In the introduction to this latest novel Louise Penny introduces the new narrator for the series. She says they did a thorough search for the replacement for Ralph Cosham, who sadly passed away. I say look harder. Robert Bathurst is a terrible choice and nearly ruined the story for me. I read the second half of the book rather than listened.. He was annoying, read to fast and made no attempt to characterize voices. The story is another good one for fans but my advice is to read it and spare yourself the disappointment.

Really miss Ralph Cosham.....so sad :(

Takes a while to get used to a new voice and the experience is different but that is to be expected. Story is excellent as per usual and really wish I good visit 3 Pines....maybe some small Quebec town will be in for a name change soon....;). I still recommend.

Great story, poor narration

Would you consider the audio edition of The Nature of the Beast to be better than the print version?

With Ralph Cosham, audio edition a great experience. New narrator gets in the way.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Typical Three Pines plot. These aren't really thrillers. More about the characters and they remain interesting.

Would you be willing to try another one of Robert Bathurst’s performances?

Maybe if matched with the right book. His stiff, plummy British voice, with little distinction among characters, is out of place. His Gamache is no longer the kind, easy-going French Canadian. He's been turned into a cardboard tough guy. I don't think that's who he is supposed to be.

Another great book from Louise Penny

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If there were any better, well developed characters in a series, I cannot find them. I have enjoyed every single book and this one does not fail to keep me tuned in.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This simply cannot be limited to a single character. Throughout the series, each character is fully developed and given palpable weaknesses and strengths that endear them to the reader. Of course, Ruth with her profanity (and duck) always cause me to smile...

Have you listened to any of Robert Bathurst’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mr. Bathhurst certainly applies himself, but the talents of the previous narrator (who we still mourn), Mr. Ralph Cosham, simply cannot be outdone. Missing are the slight pauses in the dialogue to hold or create tension, the exquisite plasticity of Mr. Cosham's voice as he read for Ruth in that sharp yet mildly tremulous manner, the softness of Madame Gamache, the slightly ditzy but sincere Clara, the strong/deep and calming Myrna. Mr. Bathhurst - please slow down a bit and let the story flow a bit more gently, and let each of the characters have a voice.

Any additional comments?

Such an amazing author and amazing series - I look forward to the next!

Awful narration.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Where is Gamache's French accent? Why is the narrator reading so fast? I think I'll have to start reading the books instead of listening to audio if this narrator isn't replaced. He has a nice voice but not for this series. Please keep auditioning for a more Ralph Cosham-like voice. I can't even finish listening to this audio book it's so bad.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No one.

What didn’t you like about Robert Bathurst’s performance?

He has a nice voice but not for the Gamache series.

Do you think The Nature of the Beast needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No idea. I couldn't finish it due to the poor narration.

Any additional comments?

Please please please get a new narrator for this series.

Poor Choice for Narrator

I have every Inspector Gamache Audible production. I also have read every book before I listen to the audio production. In this case I am so glad I do so as I am not sure I would have bought this book had I not. The book is wonderful, the audio production is not. Replacing Ralph Cosham would be a very difficult task. However, this is awful. The accent is so overly British it has no Canadian flavor. The voice is too high. The characters all sound as if I am listening to A Christmas Carol. I hope they will consider other narrators. I doubt I will order any more as this ruins a wonderful story.

Love this series but so miss Ralph Cosham-narrator

What did you like best about this story?

I liked hearing the voices of "my" old friend in Three Pines, and seeing the murder team work together again in their unique and dynamic way. I don't like apocalyptic tales, and was unsure this book would work for me, but as the story unfolded I enjoyed the familiar relationships and the healing process that is reuniting them. Some of the new characters didn't seemed fleshed out enough to make them matter, but the story was seamless in it's telling and satisfied my addiction to the series.

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

He did an excellent job, truly an above average job at narration; but the aged and intelligent voice of Ralph Cosham so fit the character of Inspector Gamache that I struggled in believing the younger sounding voice of Mr. Bathurst.

Story and Narration Disappointing

The story was disjointed, it didn't flow as most of the Gamache books do, and seems to have departed from the usual depiction of the characters. I added a star after listening to the interview with Ms.Penny at the end. Calling the rocket launcher a "big gun" was preposterous and amateurish, until I read that the story was based in fact! There really was a Project Babylon, the "supergun" weapon was really called a big gun! So I added the star.

But I really didn't care for the story. It hopped around among the characters, added a murder, touched a few wars - WW11, Vietnam, Iraq, sprinkled in some political notes - draft dodgers receiving asylum in Canada (with the aid of Ruth and Monsieur Belleveau no less - and was hard to follow. For that reason it also tended to lose my interest.

I also question whether or not Gamache is going in a new direction: does he perceive himself as having retired from the Surete because he lost his nerve? The story seems to suggest that he does, particularly in the passages where he's talking to the female spy.

Also, I couldn't understand what was so terrifying about the prisoner. The reason was never really presented, unless I missed it. What the reader sees is the Three Pines contingent of the Surete trembling as if he was Satan incarnate, but why? All he has to do is look at Gamache, and Gamache shakes in his shoes! Is this part of Gamache' new direction? It seemed uncharacteristic for the character up to this point.

Robert Bathurst has a tough row to hoe, following Ralph Cosham as the narrator. Bathurst isn't a bad narrator, nor is he a particularly good one, at least, not for this series. He doesn't do characters much, and when he does, they are harsh and rather guttural. Ruth and Gamache sounded the same in my ear. Where was Jean Guy Beauvoir? Because of the narraotor's style, Jean Guy was almost lost in the telling. The repetition of the discovery and presence of the "big gun" in sleepy Three Pines in his voice actually got on my nerves. Also, his British accent just was too jarring, it didn't fit either Canada or Quebec.

I hope another narrator is hired for the next book.

So, overall, despite the factual underpinnings for the story, this is the only book in the series that I didn't really enjoy, and was glad to finish. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone as an entree into Three Pines.