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House of Names

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House of Names

By: Colm Tóibín
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson, Charlie Anson, Pippa Nixon
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About this listen

On the day of his daughter's wedding, Agamemnon orders her sacrifice. His daughter is led to her death, and Agamemnon leads his army into battle, where he is rewarded with glorious victory. Three years later he returns home, and his murderous action has set the entire family - mother, brother, sister - on a path of intimate violence as they enter a world of hushed commands and soundless journeys through the palace's dungeons and bedchambers. As his wife seeks his death, his daughter, Electra, is the silent observer of the family's game of innocence while his son, Orestes, is sent into bewildering, frightening exile where survival is far from certain. Out of their desolating loss, Electra and Orestes must find a way to right these wrongs of the past even if it means committing themselves to a terrible, barbarous act.

©2017 Colm Tóibín (P)2017 Penguin Audio Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Epic Fantasy

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All stars
Most relevant
Written by three characters in the first person, differing aspects of the latter days of the Atreid story are told.

Introspective

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I enjoyed this book so much that I came back to listen to it a second time. I'd previously read novels by Colm Toibin, but didn't appreciate how well suited his writing style is to audio as it gradually draws you in.

I liked how they use a different reader for each section narrated by a different character. Fortunately, this didn't feel disjointed due to the length of each section.

A tale that slowly draws you in

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a story with relevance to present day unrest and inter faction scheming and tragedy. very moving. likely to stay in my thoughts for a long time.

aofarrell

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Too disembodied, story fractured. Would have liked an introduction linking the myth on which the novel is based. Closed the book at its completion with a dissatified feeling.

Lost in the mist of time

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Loved this book! The portrayal of the central characters of The Oresteia made vivid and accessible in Colm Toibin's beautiful prose - sympathetically narrated by Juliet Stevenson, Charlie Anson and Pippa Nixon.

Compulsive listen!

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I love Greek mythology and last year I read Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles, which I absolutely love. This is really fun and captivating. It doesn't quite reach the heights of SoA for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

A strong listen.

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Gripped me from the first sentence! The narrators were brilliant, the story fascinating 👏🏽

Captivating

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

It started so well. Early events described through Clytemenstra's monologues. Then it was as if the author did not know where he wanted to go with the plot. It started to meander and it was hard to remain interested in the book. The language is rather childish. Maybe, a novella like testament of Mary might have worked. Shame as it is such a great story.

What will your next listen be?

Rachel Joyce- The Music shop

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Juliet Stevenson was excellent

What character would you cut from House of Names?

A lot of Orestes and all of Leander.

Any additional comments?

It is sad, but I wouldn't try this author again.

A lost plot

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If you are looking for a Greek Epic or at least a part of one don't procede any further. I wanted exactly that; a Greek story of myth and legend which inspires and engages instead I got a lack lustre story which goes nowhere in particular via disinterest with random story lines which have only tenuous relationships with each other for no apparent purpose. Nothing really happens apart from Arestes being used then the whole thing strangly ends mid sentence. No sense of conclusion, not even the merest breath of one. Decidedly strange.

Very strange

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