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The Survivor

By: James Herbert
Narrated by: Robert Powell
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Summary

The living dead. It had been one of the worst crashes in airline history, killing over 300 people and leaving only one survivor. Now the dead were buried and the town of Eton tried to forget. But one man could not rest. Keller had walked from the flames of the wreck, driven on by unseen forces, seeking the answer to his own survival. Until the town was forced to face the shocking, dreadful truth about what was buried in the old graveyard. And a truth Keller did not want to believe.

James Herbert was one of Britain’s greatest popular novelists and our #1 best-selling writer of chiller fiction. Widely imitated and hugely influential, he wrote 23 novels which have collectively sold over 54 million copies worldwide and been translated into 34 languages. Born in London in the forties, James Herbert was art director of an advertising agency before turning to writing fiction in 1975.

His first novel, The Rats, was an instant best-seller and is now recognised as a classic of popular contemporary fiction. Herbert went on to publish a new top ten best-seller every year until 1988. He wrote six more bestselling novels in the 1990s and three more since: Once, Nobody True and The Secret of Crickley Hall. Herbert died in March 2013 at the age of 69.

©1976 James Herbert (P)2013 Audible Ltd
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Editor reviews

The Survivor begins with a bang and never lets up. In his morbid Mancunian drawl, decorated actor Robert Powell (The Italian Job, Jesus of Nazareth) delivers this chilling tale, following pilot David Keller as he emerges the lone survivor from a gruesome airplane wreck that claims over 300 passengers. As the townspeople of Eton grapple with the unthinkable tragedy, Keller begins to experience horrific visions, leading him to wonder what unfathomable forces want him alive. Master of the macabre James Herbert transports listeners to an eerily quiet English hamlet as he doles out old-world religion and supernatural specters - hallmarks of the "British Stephen King", to be sure. Powell hosts the proceedings in his lilting, melodious death whisper, as haunting and ominous as Herbert’s ghosts.

Critic reviews

"Herbert was by no means literary, but his work had a raw urgency. His best novels, The Rats and The Fog, had the effect of Mike Tyson in his championship days: no finesse, all crude power. Those books were best sellers because many readers (including me) were too horrified to put them down." (Stephen King)
"There are few things I would like to do less than lie under a cloudy night sky while someone read aloud the more vivid passages of Moon. In the thriller genre, do recommendations come any higher?" (Andrew Postman, The New York Times Book Review)
"Herbert goes out in a blaze of glory" ( Daily Mail)

What listeners say about The Survivor

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  • Overall
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Great story telling

Only just Discovered James Herbert can’t believe it’s taken this long to find such a great storyteller so enjoying these books

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic Herbert

one of James Herbert's best novels. Fantastic atmosphere, great twists and turns and a great ending. Perfect narration by Robert Powell.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb narrator

If you could sum up The Survivor in three words, what would they be?

Brilliant supernatural horror.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Survivor?

The final twist ending was terrific.

Which character – as performed by Robert Powell – was your favourite?

Robert Powell performs the character of the medium brilliantly. At one point was like hearing a dozen different people in the same room.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The air crash scene was particularly scary and moving.

Any additional comments?

Robert Powell is my favourite narrator, and here he really shines, doing several different parts so well you would think they were played by different actors. The story is a memorable supernatural thriller with a terrific twist ending. Well recommended.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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not much of a horror

Good premise and promise. However, quickly became apparent that it was more drama than horror\thriller. Narration was ok but average. I was losing interest after a while and started to almost listen as duty rather than want.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Horror at its best.

James Herbert was a sterling writer. A great story interwoven with places I know.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Awesome

I have always loved James Herbert. Just a profound loss to the literary world. This book, as always, was of the usual high standard.
I found the story, side stories and back stories made for something more understandable.
Let's not forget Robert Powell. I actually believed there was a cast reading this book, such was Robert's skill with accents and different voices.
Highly recommended.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Story is a bit rambling and disjointed.

Narration is very good but the story lacks a little cohesion and rambles on a bit to be fair. Not the best for this author but it still passes a long journey.

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Amazing twists and turns

Well worth the time it takes to comprehend the understanding is more than physical. James Herbert’s works display a depth of a past that surfaces within the whole tale. How selfish people seem isn’t superficial. The need of problems pervades.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not his best

Not James Herbert’s best story and disappointing ending that feels really rushed. Performance a bit one note as well.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Solid Herbert if not his best

A good solid novel if somewhat a rushed feeling at the end. Still great performance by the excellent Robert Powell

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