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The American Boy
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
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The American Boy
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Summary
England, 1819. Two enigmatic Americans arrive in London and soon after, a bank collapses. A man is found dead on a building site; another goes missing in the teeming stews of Seven Dials. A deathbed vigil ends in an act of theft and a beautiful heiress flirts with her inferiors. A strange destiny links each of these events to the American boy Edgar Allen Poe, brought to England by his foster father and sent to the leafy village of Stoke Newington to be educated. Soon the intrigue enmeshes a poor schoolmaster, Thomas Shield, who struggles to understand what is happening before it destroys him and those he loves.
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Critic reviews
A Richard and Judy Book Club selection
"Jennings reads with such enormous variety that we are consumed by his characterizations.... The listener becomes completely absorbed with the persona of the novel." (AudioFile)
What listeners say about The American Boy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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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
- A.Mac
- 01-11-22
An incredible insight
Found this fascinating - particularly the addenda
Can’t quite work out how Tom got so involved and could have walked away but … minor point. Interesting representation of society and life in the early 1800s
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- greengranny
- 15-05-11
modern wilkie collins
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book,very well narrated,which immediately reminded me of Wilkie Collins.There are bank collapses,women constrained by the expectations of a rigid society,harsh schools,murder,speculative house building and much more. We even get to meet the young Edgar Alan Poe.Unlike with Wilkie Collins,the characters in this book are allowed 'normal' feelings and fantasies and the book has clearly got a modern author,but the breadth and colour of the plot owes a lot to the past but it is no pastiche.
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15 people found this helpful
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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
- Damian Thomson
- 04-02-22
Superb
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, narrated to perfection, great story, my daily commute takes me through many of the areas of London featured in the story, the author clearly has done his research well, looking forward to listening to more from Andrew Taylor.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Judith taylor
- 03-02-22
Best narrator ever!
I only got through this because of the brilliance of Alex Jennings's narration - is there a voice he can't do? I tried to read the book before but didn't get past the first few chapters. I found it over-detailed and therefore over-long, which obscured a half decent story. On audio, it was quite gripping at times and I cared more about the characters - AJ again!
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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
- Lorraine C.
- 25-03-22
Great story well narrated
Love it. A truly fascinating account - loads of twists and turns and historical interest too.
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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
- Celia
- 17-04-22
It felt like it must be true
But of course, it's not. I was immersed in the story, the norms of the time, the society and manners. The mystery became deeper and more tangled, and I could not stop listening. Loved this!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Ben The Cat
- 11-02-11
Wilkie Collins is not dead...
... but back here in the modern form of Andrew Taylor. It was a compelling mystery that I'd recommend to any fans for Conan-Doyole or Collins - not to mention Poe of course!
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4 people found this helpful
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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
- Kent Bird Lover
- 03-08-19
Really enjoyable - echoes of Wilkie Collins
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book when I bought it. I was attracted by narrator Alex Jennings who is such a superb actor. He doesn't disappoint as we're led through a labyrinthine tale of early 19th century England. not exactly a thriller or murder mystery, it has the feeling of The Woman In White. loved it!
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1 person found this helpful
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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
- Louis
- 10-05-22
Informative historical fiction
This is a beautifully written, well researched and brilliantly narrated book.
Will look out for this author.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kirsty Mackay
- 31-07-22
Not the best Andrew Taylor book
rather a long drawn out story I have certainly read better Andrew Taylor books
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