The Jewel House

Kate Reading offers a solid reading of this examination of the scientific culture of Elizabethan London. Her diction is crisp and clear, even for foreign names and publication titles. This facilitates listening nicely. She keeps the text flowing and pauses only at appropriate moments. However, she can't overcome the pedantic tone of this work--a combination of history and science. The audiobook clearly is written for an erudite audience, and some listeners may find the long opening chapter off-putting, if not downright boring. But once the author gets into the meat of her subject, things get better. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine


Kate Reading offers a solid reading of this examination of the scientific culture of Elizabethan London. Her diction is crisp and clear, even for foreign names and publication titles. This facilitates listening nicely. She keeps the text flowing and pauses only at appropriate moments. However, she can't overcome the pedantic tone of this work--a combination of history and science. The audiobook clearly is written for an erudite audience, and some listeners may find the long opening chapter off-putting, if not downright boring. But once the author gets into the meat of her subject, things get better. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine