The Woman in White
by Wilkie Collins (Sampson Low, Son, & Co., 1860)
audiobook read by Roger Rees & Rosalyn Landor with John Lee & Judy Geeson (Blackstone, 2009)
A remarkably accessible novel given its historical remove. Collins crafts some truly memorable characters, and while the patriarchal disempowering of women is hard to stomach (making for an anxious, difficult read in the midsection), the plot undeniably makes good upon Hartright’s reintroduction.
House of Suns
by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz, 2008); audiobook read by John Lee (Tantor, 2009)
An ambitious, seemingly standalone SF novel tackling unimaginable time- and distance frames through the experiences of human-like ‘shatterlings’ who, having treated the galaxy as their endless playground, come under attack from forces unknown. Surprisingly relatable but culminates in maxed-out cosmic scale blindness.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (Dial Press, 2008)
audiobook read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills (Random House Audio, 2008)
An epistolary novel, rich in characterisation and engaging both for its historical content (recollections of the German occupation of Guernsey) and as a study in community and friendships. The audiobook is blessed with several different readers, which helps keep the characters distinct.
Century Rain
by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz, 2004); audiobook read by John Lee (Tantor, 2010)
The two storylines (alternative 1950s Paris detective; far future SF archaeologist) are compelling enough while juxtaposed. Once they conflate, however, the intrigue gives way to a longwinded, slow-moving and ultimately unrewarding exploration of premise, considerably less than the sum of its parts.