A cracking story, beautifully told

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

If you can get past the title, which makes it sound like a Mills and Boon bodice-ripper, the rewards are great! This is the delightful, though, at times, harrowing tale of Iestyn Mortymer, a boy from Blaenavon caught up in the birth of the unions and Chartism amidst the beauty of the Brecon hills and valleys, brought to life by another Blaenavon boy, Matt Addis.

What does Matt Addis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Matt Addis's Welsh roots permeate the whole listening experience, Placenames, expressions and peoples' names that my English tongue would have stumbled over become part of the lyric poetry of the piece and his characterisation of each member of this disparate cast make the dialogue effortless to follow. If I met Dada in the streets of Aberfavenny tomorrow, I would know him at once, by his rich baritone or Iolo Milk or even Dai Two. I was often reminded of Under Milk Wood by the narrative passages and the sparky, quick-fire dialogue.

Any additional comments?

At the end, was a taster for the next in the series - can't wait to get started. Make sure number three is finished soon, please, Audible!

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2 people found this helpful

What a wonderful story

This beautifully written and beautifully read tale of life in the Welsh iron making communities is totally gripping from beginning to end. Seen through the eyes of young Lestyn Mortymer there is such wit, humour and warmth set against a background that is often cruel, harsh and cold. 10 out of 10 - I thoroughly recommend it! Nick English

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1 person found this helpful

my local area

I enjoyed the book immensely knowing the area and its suffering great listening to it

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A wonderful story

Beautifully read, cracking story and written in a wonderful poetic, almost Dylan Thomas, style. I felt I walked the mountains, felt the cold and hardship and lack of justice. I was moved by this story. Of its time and it conjured up a piece of history I was not properly aware of.

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A sweeping story

If you could sum up Rape of the Fair Country in three words, what would they be?

Love, toil, belief

What did you like best about this story?

For me, the best parts of this story were the details of everyday life, love and survival during a period when working people had few choices or freedoms. Cordell's prose often verges on the poetic to create a vivid picture of the life and times of Iestyn Mortymer. I was particularly interested in the story of Iestyn's older sister, Morfydd, who struggles against convention and suffers for her pioneering opinions on politics and the role of women

What about Matt Addis’s performance did you like?

I especially enjoyed the way Matt Addis handled the range of different voices, including women and children (which is no mean feat - I have been annoyed to distraction by other narrators' lady-voices!) Another important factor in this reading is of course the Welsh accent, which was present enough to add to the lilting poetry of the language but always perfectly clear. I don't think I would have gained as much from reading all of the Welsh names and turns of phrase on the page as I did from hearing them read by Matt Addis

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The whole book is an emotional journey! I was pleased and relieved when life and relationships went well for the Mortymer family, annoyed by some of the pig-headed opinions inflicted on it from within and without, and saddened by the people who were lost along the way

Any additional comments?

The only reason I have given four not five stars for the story is because I got a bit mixed up by some of the politics towards the end of the book but my overall experience - especially the narration - is absolutely worth five stars!

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The joy to listen to listen to

I enjoy it immensely have to intended read for years, having narration was a joy

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Impeccable narration of this fantastic piece of Welsh social history

This book, and the one that comes after it (The Hosts of Rebecca) are both absolutely impeccably narrated and a riveting and wonderful listen. They give real insight into what life was like for ordinary working people during the industrial revolution, when labour was cheap and life expendable. These books should be compulsory reading in schools to help children realise how challenging life was for the vast majority of people not all that long ago. Absolutely fantastic. I can’t rate it high enough.

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An epic story, wonderfully told

Cordell invites us to watch the beginning of the Chartist movement in Wales through the eyes of Iyestn Mortymer and his family- a world of iron masters and pits, redcoats and uprisings. Cordell's writing is brutal in its historical accuracy, which was good for me, as it's a world I knew next to nothing about before listening to this book, and which I now feel I have begun to understand.
Addis's narration is a perfect match for the text, bringing childlike innocence to the earlier chapters, with harsh reality slowly building as we listen to Iyestn growing and learning about the world around him. As ever, Addis gives everyone we meet individual voices, accents and character, and he builds a world we believe in and care about.
This story pulls no punches, and is scattered with both beautiful and heart wrenching moments: if you want to learn more about the history of the UK, or just want a fine story, I'd highly recommend.

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A great Welsh tale

I first read this book when I was 17, forty years on I found this on Audible. I know all of the places mentioned as I lived in Abergavenny before moving to Usk. Some of the Welsh pronunciations were slightly off but have heard worse. A good performance and an easy listen. Had me laughing and crying in equal proportions. Even today the poverty is still visable in the area but so is the laughter, hope and pride that Alexander Cordell captures in the first part of the Mortimer trilogy.

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Brilliant

Excellent reading, gorgeous prose, couldn't stop listening. Could easily listen to this again today and I have only just finished listening.

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