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The Birthday Present
- Narrated by: Ruth Sillers, Paul Blake
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
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The Birthday Present
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Summary
Ivor Tesham is a handsome, single, young Member of Parliament whose political star is on the rise. When he meets a woman in a chance encounter–a beautiful, married woman named Hebe–the two become lovers, obsessed with their illicit and adventurous trysts. But when Ivor plans for a surprise daring sexual adventure as a birthday present for Hebe, things take a disastrous turn it's late spring of 1990 and a love affair is flourishing: between Ivor, a rising star of the Conservative government, and Hebe, a stunning North London housewife stuck in a dull marriage. On the eve of her birthday, Ivor gives Hebe a present to remember: a mock-kidnapping in which she is to be snatched from the street, bound and gagged, and then delivered to him. It’s all intended as mock-dangerous foreplay, but then things take a disastrous turn. After an accidental death, Ivor begins to receive anonymous letters that reveal shockingly specific details about the affair and its aftermath. Somehow he must keep his role from being uncovered–and his political future from being destroyed by scandal.
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What listeners say about The Birthday Present
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. E. M. Paterson
- 08-07-23
Not one of BV’s best
This is an unchallenging listen for when you are doing chores. At time it becomes ponderous and repetitious
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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
- Lillyloo
- 21-03-22
A favourite book.
I thoroughly recommend this book: A great author! So many twists and turns. It’ll have you on the edge of your seat!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Vicuña
- 21-03-15
Not gripping
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I generally enjoy Barbara Vine's plots and insight into her characters. Found it difficult to engage with the characters and the plot was too far fetched and drawn out.
Did Ruth Sillers and Paul Blake do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?
They each had a distinct narrative voice. Unfortunately, I found both intensely irritating. Rather like the characters, so maybe their interpretation was right!
Was The Birthday Present worth the listening time?
For me, no. I persevered, but it was a struggle. Pleased it was relatively short.
Any additional comments?
Overall, it was dull.
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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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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Susan Random
- 17-02-17
The Birthday Present
Although I have read the printed book at least twice previously it was nice to be able to hear it performed by two narrators. Quite a few of the characters in the story are fairly unpleasant, especially the main character, Conservative MP and later Junior Minister, Ivor Tescham. Set in the nineties, there are some excellent plot points throughout, but it's not a patch on some of Vine/Rendell's other work.
Special mention must be made of the two narrators, both of whom were fairly irritating - the man pompous and the woman, shrill. To be fair to both actors though, they were portraying annoying characters.
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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
- Barbara Comerford
- 03-02-22
Gripping
It was a very gripping and moving story. I recommend it for very long journeys
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- FJWynne
- 21-06-09
Not her finest
I love Ruth Rendell, especially when she is writing as Barbara Vine - these are not so much whodunits as whydunits? complex psychological thrillers that have the inevitability of tragedy. The Birthday Present is, however, less satisfying than her earlier novels as Vine (A Dark-Adapted Eye, A Fatal Inversion and Gallowglass are all masterful). The crime - such as it is - comes too late and is too obvious, but even so, the wonderful development of character holds the listener
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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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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hi Ho Silver
- 17-10-23
Keeping His End up
True thespians narrate this dainty dish fit to be served to a king. Hilarious, unconventional rock throwing at the ruling class with their pretentions and perversions woven through the rantings of the jealous psychotic, neurotic diarizing plain Jane best friend of the birthday girl. Ivo is a true hypocrite, his upper lip stiff in his helical aspirations with women and politics.
Well crafted, well written. Unexpected. Thank you Audible for the freebee.
VERY ENJOYABLE
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Cee Em Cee
- 16-01-23
Didn't really like it
Didn't like the way it was read, jokey. Also didn't like the style, written in the first person as if that individual is talking to you.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Flora
- 19-02-23
The story is really good
The story is really good however the performance annoyed me a lot. It is like they are performing a book from the end of 1800’s. Specially the reading by Tom Blake. I almost couldn’t go through with it.
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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
- Lana
- 10-10-22
An unexpected gift
I listened to this after having found it in the Plus catalogue. Loved everything about it, both the story and the performance.
Do not expect a colossal mystery to be solved, enjoy a description of human folly, love and life's randomness.
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