A good (maybe great) book poorly read

What made the experience of listening to Harvest the most enjoyable?

This timeless narrative is very well written, with evocative descriptions of a rural English world that is long gone but deeply embedded in our cultural psyche. I enjoyed it while listening to this short book, but have been surprised how much it has stuck with me - I've often found myself thinking back on it.

What didn’t you like about John Keating’s performance?

The reading performance I found distractingly bad - possibly the worst I've experienced yet. I found his voice and some of his pronunciations (e.g. 'manny' instead of 'many') irritating, and whenever he did a voice for a character he seemed to put on the same exaggerated squeeky village simpleton voice. This is clearly a matter of taste though, as others have rated the performance highly.

Any additional comments?

I've read/listened to 3 of the 6 books on the 2013 Booker shortlist so far, and I think this would have been a worthy winner.

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3 people found this helpful

Wish I had read rather than listened to it

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

I struggled to get through the book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

As other reviews mentioned, the narrator really detracts from the book. The pace of the narration is odd, the pronunciation of certain words distracting. It is hammy. Most importantly for me, his voice didn't seem to fit the character. The novel is written in the first person, so this is important.

Any additional comments?

It is a fascinating novel, with some really acute observation. But I wish I had read it. I would have been really inspired by the descriptions of the village and a way of life that was dying - as it was I felt irritated by the ponderous and self-important narration.

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all change

Crace's first person narrative swings along as Walter Thirsk cowers his way through a week of upheaval, trying to ensure his own survival as all about him alters irrevocably

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Interesting story, shame about the narration!

Would you listen to Harvest again? Why?

I wouldn't listen to this recording again. Although Keating has an excellent voice his irritating, pause filled delivery almost stopped me listening. Had it been a longer story I would definitely have given up and bought a hard copy to read myself. I checked another of his recording wondering if this was a style he adopted for this particular story and although it wasn't as extreme, I know I couldn't listen to another story read by him. Such a pity I would have liked to hear some Benjamin Black stories.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Master Kent and the narrator Walter Thirsk were the most interesting simply because we knew more about them. They were also the people you hoped would perform some act of defiance. In the end Walter did commit a final act which could be interpreted as defiant but wasn't really, it was more out of respect for one he would have liked to call friend.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He really interrupted the flow of the story by imposing his own rhythm. To be clear I'm talking about John Keating not Walter Thrisk!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was very difficult listening.

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Novel and narration not cut from the same "clorth"

A truly great novel ruined by a bizarre performance. Keating's accent is convincing at first but British listeners will soon be sniggering every time he mentions "cloth" or "lasses" (which is pretty frequently). His slow, considered delivery would make a kind of sense for the character telling the story, but it becomes clear that this is more a result of of the reader concentrating carefully on doing his best English accent.

If I'm wrong and Keating is British, then
this is just plain weird.

This book deserves far far better.

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1 person found this helpful

beautiful language but not an easy read

the narrator was really great, I struggled a bit to understand what was going on but loved the setting and mysterious vibe. I wish a bit more was explained about what happened

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A very interesting story

A very interesting story, great observations and lovely narrative. Very atmospheric.
HOWEVER the narration was shocking.....Very badly read. Please please find another narrator to do this book justice.

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Really interesting historical novel

This book is a very interesting imagining of the period of land enclosures that formed our modern England. It is told from the point of view of a villager who is, himself, a "newcomer", as he watches his timeless way of life fall apart when some "newcomers" unwittingly act as catalysts for this change. It is about an England whose landscape is both unchanging and subject to brutal periods of change, as the Common land is enclosed for the more "efficient" farming methods of the 18th C. to come. The cast of characters are all as dimly
perceived as we perceive the villagers of a long gone era.
I really enjoyed the poetry of the writing, despite a bizarre naration. The reader mis-pronounces some common words in a really odd way, and seems to emphasise the wrong parts of sentences, pausing for effect in meaningless places. He is really irritating in his diction. I would not normally criticise someone's hard work, but there were several times when I was desperate for the book to end as a result. I think this does an excellently researched and beautifully written book a serious injustice. It is an important topic.

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Great book - weird pronounciations!

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

With warnings about the odd pronouciations. A shame, as the book is so original.

What other book might you compare Harvest to, and why?

Unlike anything I've read - I suppose the nearest might be Hardy's novels, with accounts of rural events in his time.

What three words best describe John Keating’s performance?

Clear, Not English?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too long.

Any additional comments?

I felt that the reader sounded too young for the protagonist who was the narrator, but the most irritating thing was his peculiar pronounciation of words which cropped up a lot, like 'clorth' for cloth for instance, which for me upset the flow of the narrative. Would be interested to hear an historian's view of the book - would a village not have had a church?

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Good book, bad reading

Would you try another book written by Jim Crace or narrated by John Keating?

I would avoid anything narrated by John Keating. His reading seriously detracts from this book.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the rich textures of period life in a small farming village.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He reads each sentence as a grand, portent-laden pronouncement, even if he's just describing a hat. It's tiring and ruins the pace.

Was Harvest worth the listening time?

Just - the characters and story are interesting up to a point. Then it seems as though Crace isn't sure how to finish the story and wrap things up, so he hurries through a set of unexpected and unbelievable events.

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