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The Crow Road
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
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The Crow Road
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Summary
It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach's Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.
Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God, and illegal substances.…
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Critic reviews
"Riveting...exhilarating...its pace, development, intensity, and, above all, its hip and sexy humour never allow it to flag. Banks reinforces his credentials as one of the most able, energetic, and stimulating writers in the UK." (Time Out)
"As fine and ambitious a novel as any from a Scottish writer since the 1960s." (New Statesman)
What listeners say about The Crow Road
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- J. A. Croucher
- 19-08-13
Iain Banks has moments of sheer brilliance
The performance is like 90% cocoa chocolate you're a bit low. There are bits when the writing is totally absorbing and brilliant. If this was my first Iain Banks it might have got a 5.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah D
- 26-10-15
The Modern Macbeth
What did you like most about The Crow Road?
I not only engaged with the characters but I actually believed in them. The story is tight with enough mystery, jeopardy and misdirection to keep you wanting to hear the next chapter. I really enjoyed the fact that the families are depicted as very normal dysfunctional groups of people that you and I interact with every day.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Crow Road?
Without giving away any spoilers the most memorable moment for me was after the main character lost his bag on the train. It was so important but also so easily done that I had a small rant out loud (before remembering that I was in public wearing headphones) with empathetic frustration on his behalf.
What about Peter Kenny’s performance did you like?
He is a fast talker which in another style of book may be a drawback but for this narrative it was exactly right. He uses intonation well and does not telegraph the many surprises prematurely as so many reader tend to.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but I did not have the opportunity, however if you did listen to it in one sitting I think you'd be exhausted trying to absorb each twist. This is after all not only a love story but a damn good murder mystery too.
Any additional comments?
This was my fist Banks book and I'm now very keen to read the next - any suggestions what would be a good follow up?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Graham H
- 13-08-20
A fine story - A wonderful narrator
The story is a bit hard to follow in places due to the author playing with the sequence of the time line, but it really doesn't matter. The narrator brings the characters to life so that you can recognise them all in their various ages across time. A great listening experience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 16-02-23
Stunning story, beautifully told
Superb retelling of a clever text. Brings back many excellent memories of watching the excellent adaptation from the BBC
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cameron McLean
- 23-03-19
A brilliant story
The Crow Road has simply the best opening paragraph of any novel.
Instantly hooked.
Banks at his waspish best.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Granny Gardener
- 17-02-23
Slow burner that draws you in
I wondered if I was enjoying it at the start but it once I got used to the style, I didn't want to stop listening. The narrator was perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- scholiast
- 19-07-23
Fascinating
All those stories interwoven so perfectly after seeming random at first. Absolutely loved it. And the narrator was perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Woodhouse
- 07-04-13
The Crow Road
When a book starts with such a brilliant line as The Crow Road does it can be downhill after that but not in this case. Set in a fictitious village in Argyll in Scotland (part of the fun is trying to place exactly where the village is) this is a brilliantly written family saga in which the plot is revealed as the narrator's life unravels. The narration by Peter Kenny's reading of the book is excellent; drawing you in and making you believe in the characters. I may have read The Crow Road many times but I was still enthralled while listening to it.
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Louis Hall
- 11-04-18
I love Banks, but not unconditionally.
I read and loved every one of the culture novels, I loved the wasp factory, and I will continue to read his fiction.
This is well written, and funny in places. but overall it is mind numbingly boring. Out of deference to his brilliance as a writer I soldiered on. But even listening to someone else reading it was arduous. I almost never give up on books, let alone audio books. This is an exception. At the half way point I have given in. It is a long book, and even by this point there is nothing like a clear plot to follow.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 12-11-16
The Crow Road
loved this book, it's a wonderful story of life, love and families. highly recommended and well narrated
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