Disappointed fan

Disappointing, I am a great fan of William Boyd but found this novel ŕather trivial

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Superb writing

William Boyd's writing is superb and once again he has come up with a multi-faceted plot to entertain me. I wish I had bought the book rather than the audio because I would simply have revelled in the words, rather than wincing at the mispronounciations.
Previous reviewer have been harsh about the reader, Hannah Arterton. I found her voice pleasant and she captured the characters well but as with many audiobooks, the pronunciation of almost every French word made me cringe. I find it mystifying that a language so closely linked with our own is a stranger for most voice actors.and I also wonder how these audiobooks are produced, does the actor simply sit with a tape recorder and read the book in total, with no help? Incidentally, the reviewer who sounded off about Cap Ferrat was wrong. This was indeed Cap Ferret, west of Bordeaux, best to check these things out before whingeing.
It took me a while to engage with the characters in Trio. I find it is often the case with William Boyd, he gives us flawed, complex characters and gradually unreels the layers. Certainly by the end I was anxious for each one of them and I was relieved that there was a good outcome for at least one of them. I thought the portrayal of the alcoholic woman was excellent, William is able to get right into the female psyche.

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2 people found this helpful

A book about secrets

A trio of characters, all associated in some way with the making of a film. The secrets each have propel the story. A very good writer, but for me not his best book. The characters not altogether convincing. I did not particularly enjoy the narrator's style.

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Mispronunciations

Reading marred by Hannah Arterton’s constant mispronunciations. Both In French and in English. Someone should have corrected her.

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7 people found this helpful

very engaging

found it hard to get into but persevered and glad I did. Thoroughly enjoyed.

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bit disappointing

different from previous Boyd novels, some comic moments, but not a page turner. book club April read.

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Spoiled by careless performance

This is not one of Boyd's better books, although modestly entertaining nonetheless.
But is there absolutely no quality control at Audible? No editor or producer of the Audible edition?
Boyd likes to make frequent use of foreign language phrases, street names and music titles. Sadly the effect is ruined by a narrator who hasn't bothered to find out how to pronounce words which are for some reason unfamiliar to her. Instead she takes a wild stab at every foreign language word and gets it horribly, ear bleedingly wrong every single time.
Music performances aren't broadcast with mistakes or wrong notes. Books get proofread. So why publish an Audible product so carelessly littered with schoolgirl howlers?

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12 people found this helpful

reader

reader was unable to pronounce frank words and names or Lytton Strachey's name. this spoilt the audiobook

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6 people found this helpful

Multi - Layered

I am a huge admirer of William Boyd and have read all of his novels. I love the way he draws the reader in to different worlds where we can experience the emotional lives of others - be they in turmoil, joy, longing or despair. I loved the background of the movies in the heady days of the sixties and the tension between old and new attitudes. I also liked the way the external actions of the main characters were so at odds with their internal tensions. There are numerous 'Sliding Doors' moments with opportunities being lost or squandered, almost like a film shot with multiple potential endings. I had the actual physical book with me alongside the narration as I was not overly impressed with the reader - which for me, is a make or break with Audible.

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4 people found this helpful

3 lives, each having the wrong ending.

I enjoyed this book , in fact each story ended too soon and too sharply. if it were a film I'd want to rewrite the endings. all 3 would end with the desires fulfilled instead of one hidden in a nunnery, one dead, and one still in hope of a bit of gay sex. they should have had it all

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