A Perfect Portrait of 11th Century Scotland

Amazed and astonished with the level of detail about life at that time and a truly gripping story. I can’t believe the harm that has been done to the memory of this amazing man, by the fictional story made up 500 years later by a society steeped in intrigue, pomanders and men in tights.
The Author had my complete attention and interest right to the last word. Her landscape paintings in words, of the Scottish and Orkney countryside are outstanding.
The Reader was the best I’ve heard, and his variety of Scots, Irish and English accents helped the understanding of the narrative immensely.
In conclusion, a book I have purchased in hardback and will recommend to all my friends and family.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent

This is an excellent book. Do not expect this to be like her other books, It is a stand alone piece of work.
The research that must have gone into this book shines through. Although the outcome is already set in real time history, it is well worth listening too.
It is also a history lesson, pre- 1066, very well presented- certainly more than I knew.
I loved it even though the outcome is known, It is very moving and the the phrase " Life just goes on - no matter what"" is very much the lesson here.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

MacFinn

Using the perhaps obscure, to people outside of Scotland and Orkney, conceit that the Orkney Earl Thorfinn and the the Scottish King Macbeth (he of the Scottishplay) were one and the same person, Dunnett launches boldly like the Vikings of old on a magnificent epic, challenging in its depth and scope, dense with the tangled undergrowth of family and allegiance and geography and history and politics and strategies and power. The young Thorfinn has interest only in preserving his Earldom, the older Thorfinn, having secured it, becomes King of Alba in spite of himself, and only reluctantly assumes the role, but when he does he commits himself to an ambitious programme of nation-building that will encompass decades of effort, and may not, in the end, ever be enough.

Rich with allusions and scraps of learning, heedless of obscurity, it does not resemble the famous play, though there are plenty of references scattered around in the often tart and hilarious dialogue, but does ponder, in brief pauses from the more practical business of marying widows of men you've had killed, and all the fighting and the maneuvering and the wrangling and the general husbandry, how men are remembered long after they are gone, and the thorny questions of legend, symbolism and prophecy. There are battles on land and sea, there is hardly a page without intrigue of some sort, there is romance, and there is an extraordinary pilgrimage across Europe to Rome, all driven by an extraordinary man haunted by the knowledge that he will never know whether he will succeed or not. A tragedy, of course, but it made me laugh out loud no less than three times, and the Scottishplay never managed that.

Listened again. Still epic and heartbreaking, layered with irony.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A masterpiece of writing read with great skill

Not for the fainthearted, long and complicated but well worth the effort. Beautifully read and despite the fact that you start listening knowing how things will end for Thorfinn/Macbeth the story has one of the most poignant endings of any novels I have ever read. I had read the book before listening to it, both satisfying in their own way.
I love Dorothy Dunnett 's work and look forward to listening to both the Lymond Chronicles and House of Niccolo.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Historical fiction at its finest

This is superb historical writing; researched in depth and told in fascinating detail. The story, which is gripping to the end, is beautifully presented by a master of narration.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

A masterpiece.

One of the best books I have ever read. This is a huge work, with what seems like hundreds of characters. At its core is Thornfinn/McBeth and follows him from preteen through to King of Scotia and his slow, wonderful relationship with his wife Groa. It is a beautiful, dense, intricate, bloody and beautifully crafted work. The battle scenes are mesmerising. I have read Dorothy Dunnett took 6 years to research it. It shows.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

Much better than Shakespeare's tale.

I'm an expat Scot, so I loved it. Nearly all the places I could follow, and it was an epic story that made me proud of my heritage. Jusr the last few chapters didn't live up to the rest of the book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

The most beautifully read book - captivating.

I think it is fair to say that Dorothy Dunnett is not an easy, fluffy author. Her books are meticulously researched and written with keen intelligence and a rare talent. King Hereafter is not a lightweight read, and as much as I love Dunnett, I did struggle to get going with the paper book. David Rintoul's reading of this book is, without doubt, one of the finest things to have ever entered my ears. It takes a few chapters to start to get into the story - to begin to know Thorfinn - but you are soon drawn into this fascinating and brutal era of Vikings, Anglo Saxons and Normans. Orkney, Alba and the other historic regions of The British Isles, and the familial links, rivalries and allegiances with other countries in Scandinavia and further across Europe are the canvas on which this story is told. I loved it, and it has certainly opened my eyes to this period in history just prior to the crowning of Harold Godwinson and his soon followed defeat by William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings. Praise to David Rintoul for delivering this remarkable book so exquisitely.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

Superb

So many people told me this was one too f Dorothy Dunnett’s most difficult and complex books (and they weren’t wrong) so what a difference it made to listen to the audio alongside reading. This possibly the best narration I’ve listened to and after so many years subscribing here. Clear and beautifully resonant, David Rintoul’s narration brings this brilliant book to life. Don’t miss it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Astoundingly good, complex, gripping and beautiful though not easy.

This is a book that more than repays the effort of listening. So good that I have endured the difficulties that my iOS system has with long audible books which have made me abandon too many books. Dunnett's recreation of the Macbeth story is so much more complex and convincing than the well known Shakespeare play and her source material can be found online. I have enjoyed the book enormously, I have tracked battles and events on Apple Maps I can't remember an ending as well written or as moving. Though very surprisingly for Penguin, it launches into end credits without giving the listener a moment to absorb the final scene.
The narration is excellent. David Rintoul adds further depth to text and atmosphere in the way achieved by only the best of voice actors.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!