Baded on a sad part of history

The novel fictionalises the witch hunting of Matthew Hopkins,. Its narrated by a Manningtree woman.

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1 person found this helpful

Grim, interesting, beautifully written

Very beautifully written and (as one might expect, given the subject matter) unrelentingly grim.
Read by a really talented actor who gives a compelling rendition (although I wish there’d been a producer who could spot that there were a few words she must have been unfamiliar with).

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accents were off-putting

being from Essex I found the accents distracting and over the top. Essex residents in this era (particularly ones living in North Essex) would have a Norfolk type accent, far more country than the excessively cockney shrill that was occurring on this audiobook. That combined with the author's equally excessive verbosity made it sound like I was being read to by Russell Brand! The voice she chose to do for Matthew Hopkins was absurd as well. I limped through this book that felt far longer than it is and only because it was chosen for my book club.

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10 people found this helpful

Brilliant story and excellent narration

Loved it, perfect in every way. Brilliant story and excellent narration. so much talent on display. living in the area it created an even more atmospheric picture of the dread of the times.

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5 people found this helpful

An Historical, Human Story, Well Told.

I was nearly put off this book, by the comments of a couple of reviewers in the 'most helpful' section. They didn't like the accent that the book was read in.
I chose to ignore their opinions and I'm glad I did, I loved the accent that the narrator used. O.K. it's Estuary Essex, rather than Manningtree, 17th century English, but Call the Cops, who cares?
I thought That Sofia Zervudachi was portraying a class and position by her use of accent, rather than rigidly treating us to a History degree in colloquial accents in North Essex, in the 1600's. Nuff said (in an Essex accent)
That explanation over, this story is gripping, thrilling and at times unbearable. What makes it even more appalling is that, as we all know, it's based on fact.
The poor women that lived through this terrible time, under this wicked, social-climbing monster of a man, we can only feel sorry for and the hysteria of neighbour and friend pointing the finger, to save their own skin, we have witnessed time and again throughout history. It doesn't make you feel warm towards your fellow man, but it's a really good read and well worth your audible credit.

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5 people found this helpful

Brilliant writing brilliant reader

I thought the whole story was captivating and the author really wrote working class women brilliantly. The reader was also fantastic and perfect for this book!

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Takes a while to get into, but worth the wait

I found the language too unfamiliar to enjoy initially. but once the story picked up I noticed it less, or became used to it. I thought the narrator was brilliant when speaking the female parts. However, I personally couldn't distinguish lots of the male characters as their voices were very similar, if not the same. Really enjoyed The Manning Tree witches having their voices heard, albeit fictional, it brought alive the voices of the past.

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Excellent book read really well

I really enjoyed this semi historical novel. The author is a very skilled writer and there are memorable scenes including the description of seventeenth century Colchester and the hanging of the guilty at the end. The reader does a great job of bringing the story alive using different voices for the main characters with great skill and this makes the book easy to follow.

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Vinegar Tom

Made me think of Caryl Churchill’s play Vinegar Tom, also about 17th century witch trials and features the same poor murdered cat. But despite it being vaguely familiar story to me I found it captivating, not least because of the authenticity of its narrator’s voice. Blakemore’s adaptation of 17th century language is outstanding. She’s up there with Hilary Mantel. More novels please . Sophia Zervudachi delivers a brilliantly engaging performance.

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Brilliant read thank you

These poor women were not witches but condemned to be so by others who were ignorant of the real facts. I felt the narrator made this book very much worth the read. Very much impressed with Rebecca West character. Most enjoyable and revealing read.

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1 person found this helpful