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The American
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
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The American
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Summary
The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor Farfalla - Mr. Butterfly - for he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuous: mornings are spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafés, and evenings talking with his friend, the town priest, over a glass of brandy.
Yet there are other sides to this gentleman’s life: Clara, the young student who moonlights in the town bordello, and another woman, who arrives with $100, 000 and a commission - but not for a painting of butterflies.
With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfalla’s mysterious life. Almost instantly, he senses a deadly circle closing in on him, one which he may or may not elude.
Part thriller, part character study, part drama of deceit and self-betrayal, The American shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers.
(Previously published as A Very Private Gentleman.)
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Editor reviews
Martin Booth is posthumously back in the spotlight again, thanks to George Clooney and a film adaptation of his novel, originally titled A Very Private Gentleman. Imagine his handsome graying head bent over a half-finished butterfly painting at a cafe table in southern Italy, then aiding in the murder of prominent public figures in Washington, D.C. Indeed, this yarn is actually the very interesting inner monologue of a man who makes guns for covert political assassination plots. It is not a thriller per se, which is perhaps why the film has not been particularly well received. But Booth launched his career first as a successful poet, and the novel is a wonderfully evocative character portrait in a way that simply cannot be captured by film.
It can, however, be captured by voice. Ralph Cosham, who has narrated other such deep portrayals in the likes of Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein, brings the same super classy and sleuth-worthy British accent that he brought to The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. He can spend several minutes discoursing on the proper way to pack a false-bottomed briefcase, then jump to his philosophy on the important differences between the two hookers he's been seeing together twice a week.
Suffice it to say that the plot is intensely understated, and that the real treat is in this man's ability to understand himself and his surroundings. He is a speculative and moral creature who does not shy away from examining his own fleeting pleasures and broad failures. During these 10 hours of Cosham's strangely absorbing monologue, there is still enough time to thread in a sparse and therefore reasonably plausible conflict of a spy on the run from another spy. The things that might make it a failure as a film are precisely those things that make The American worth a listen. Megan Volpert
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The American
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
- Dash
- 05-09-21
Better then the movie
Fantastic book & performance. Without spoiling: I love the ending way more in the book. Also great narrator that really captures the feel and thoughts of the main character. Highly recommended!
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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
- Griff
- 25-02-20
Not the same as the movie - but still good
If you've seen the movie you will like this slightly different plot - If you haven't you will still enjoy the book with it's interesting plot of a man trying to escape his past - I really enjoyed 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
- Dave
- 10-12-22
Fantastic
Very atmospheric, and expertly read. One of those books you live, while reading. Fantastic.
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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
- Sean McDonald
- 17-01-21
A Very Private Gentleman
I have read this book a couple of times and now listened to this excellent version. It's very well read, you really feel Signore Farfalla's age, skill, intelligence, mild arrogance but also sometimes his vulnerability. It's slow paced but not boring. I would highly recommend it.
My only issue is the renaming to "The American." Signore Farfalla's true identity, including his nationality, is deliberately kept secret from the reader. The renaming was probably done to promote the film to an American audience. But that misses a major point in the plot. The original title, chosen by the author, was much more appropriate.
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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
- J. B
- 02-11-20
a classic
a brilliantly written book and worthwhile read, as usual much better than the film.............excellent
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- CRJ
- 13-09-14
Interesting ...a bit different
Where does The American rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I found it a real change from others ive read. Much more reflective than my usual choice. It took patience to stay with it as there was much less action than usual, but there was something compellng about finding out what the main character was all about and who the title referred to
If you’ve listened to books by Martin Booth before, how does this one compare?
This was my first book by this author.
Have you listened to any of Ralph Cosham’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Not listened to others with him yet
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Jeg Andereson
- 27-09-15
Quite good
This book was very descriptive which isn't what I like, I like much more fast moving plots. The narrator didn't change his voice between characters. If you liked this listen to American Psycho!
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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
- Callum b.
- 20-05-24
Excellent
I absolutely love this book, it’s one of the best that I have listened to this year. Gives you a real sense of the environment the main character is in, you can really feel as though you are in Italy with him.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Keith
- 05-04-11
Beautiful, compelling...loved every moment ...
This was a complete revelation...to me it was poetry written as prose...I was totally drawn into the Italian culture the author was describing...it was like staying on after a wonderful holiday and becoming part of the fabric of the culture that had impressed you...and juxtapositioned against the antihero's flawed philosophy it was a totally compelling read..I couldn't put it down..I later found out that Martin Booth was in fact a respected poet and this doesn't surprise me...it is simply beautiful to read... I wish he'd written a sequel...don't judge it by the film - I found the the book a totally different experience...and the narration is outstanding...that's my opinion on a great read.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Geoff
- 24-01-12
A wonderful narrative !
Having seen the film, I thought it would be great to read/hear the story. Being a fan of all things Italian , I was hopeful the story wouldn't disappoint.
Well the narrator reads perfectly and the story although slow moving is poetic in it's beauty . It is so engrossing time floats by and you feel saturated in Italian village life and the underlying 'thriller'.
Having read many many books and having converted to ' audible' this is by far the best story and narrative I have listened to, feeling I now know both the main characters and the wonderful locations. Molto Fantastico !
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5 people found this helpful