Faro's Daughter

Why do they keep abridging Heyer?

It says something of my status as a Georgette Heyer Fangirl that I keep getting these Naxos abridgments. I want to believe they are better than nothing, but after this one, I think I'll stick to nothing if unabridged is unavailable.

This is not one of Heyer's best books, but it's far from the worst. There's a bite to the romance. The heroine is a hostess/dealer in an elite gaming house (faro was a popular game that seems to have had a bit in common with blackjack). The hero is a sardonic, jaded, and excessively rich misanthrope whose first instinct is to mistrust others.

The problem with these abridgments is epitomized in a climactic scene where Max (the hero) entices one of his antagonists (I guess you could call him the villain) into a high-stakes game of piquet (a skill-based, "trick-taking" game for two; the rules can be found on Wikipedia if you're more interested in card games than I am). As originally written the scene is long and engrossing. The tension builds and Heyer's skill as a novelist puts you right in the gamblers' heads as Max icily plays his cards. The outcome after long hours of play comes as no surprise, but it is a dramatic moment that is both satisfying and crucial to the plot.

In the abridged version here, there is no engrossing tension. The game is over in a couple of unsatisfying paragraphs, leaving you with no sense of Max's strategy but with the sense that both you and Lord Ormskirk have just been duped.

The 18th century chamber music interspersed between scenes is nice, but while appropriate to some Heyer stories it doesn't speak to the mood of this somewhat darker tale. And if they're trying for their own unfathomable reasons to keep the length to 4 or 5 CDs, the music is just a waste of space.

I *do* like the covers on Naxos editions. Past publishers have done Heyer a great disservice with the sappy cartoons seen on many of the unabridged editions here. The silly artwork does not in any way convey the classic excellence of these books. I continue to hope that more unabridged Heyer, both her novels and her mysteries, will become available on Audible.

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one of my favourite stories but terrible narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

change the narrator

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Did not know how audible selection process works. Have to say I'm terribly disappointed with the performance of the narrator. There is no voice modulation, no expressions, because the story is one of my favourites i had to literally grit my teeth and listen to the end of the story. Waste of money. Please don't buy this. Wait for a better narrator.

Any additional comments?

Said it all. I have no comments excepts that i wish i had never bought this book.

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Poor Performance Brings Down a Solid Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would not recommend this audiobook to a friend, because it was poorly abridged and poorly read. The reader actually mixed up the text a couple of times, including using the wrong pronoun, which was confusing. The voices were limited and sometimes got confused amongst the characters and the narrator. A female voice would start reading a male's part or a male voice might start reading the narrator's part. The abridging was terrible! The humor, the chemistry, and the best interactions and conversations were ruthlessly chopped. I was very disappointed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Faro's Daughter?

The most memorable part of Faro's Daughter was actually cut short in this version. A particular character was kidnapped and locked in a cellar and then the fun really begins, however, in this version the fun never even got started.

Any additional comments?

Read the book, it is so much more fun and complete and enjoyable!

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Why abridged?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not when I know there is an excellent unabridged version beautifully read by Eve Matheson out there somewhere.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Faro's Daughter?

Very entertaining verbal 'sparring' between main characters. G Heyer has such a deft touch.

What three words best describe Laura Paton’s voice?

Could do better

Do you think Faro's Daughter needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, the unabridged version and you won't do better than Eve Matheson's version.

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