Decider
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
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نقد و بررسی
Dick Francis presents a likeable architect-hero embroiled in a family feud over the ownership of a racecourse. Francis's finely drawn characters make an excellent cast for Simon Jones. He uses lightly characterized voices for each Stratton family member--each more difficult, stubborn or pig-headed than the next. The listener gets most of the character development from these voices as the story is cut to essential plot lines. Many of the observations and digressions that delight Francis's print fans are missing. If you've read the book, the audio can extend your association with the characters, if not, it may send you off to enjoy the text. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
October 4, 1993
Dick Francis knows horses, but in this deeply satisfying novel of intrigue, he shows that he also has a handle on architecture, construction, even crowd control. Narrator Lee Morris, 35, is an architect/builder specializing in restoring ``ruins'' like his own splendid barn house inhabited by his six sons and his lovely, but increasingly remote, wife. He is also one of few shareholders in Stratton Park racecourse, ownership of which is being hotly contested by the heirs of Lord Stratton. Lee's mother had married and quickly divorced the baron's vicious son Keith. Since part of her divorce settlement included the racecourse stock, Lee (accompanied by his five eldest sons) attends a shareholders meeting. With few exceptions the Strattons are a very nasty crew--cheats, blackmailers, just plain vicious--and during the course of the fight over selling or restoring the track, Lee is beaten, nearly blown up and finally forced to race to save his sons at the excruciating climax. Francis's deft plotting and sharp characterization are, as usual, on the mark: both Lee and his progeny are realistic and appealing. And as usual, he excels in exposing some of England's nastier class habits, meanwhile affirming the morality of his protagonist. BOMC main selection; QPB alternate; Reader's Digest selection; author tour.
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