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Vipers' Tangle
- Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
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Vipers' Tangle
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Summary
Louis, a wretchedly unhappy multi-millionaire, all but personifies evil. Toward the end of his life, seeking to uncover the cause of his unhappiness, he commits to paper his whole bitter story: his indulgent but affection-starved childhood; his first love; the trivial misunderstanding that festered until it poisoned their entire married life and the lives of their children; the old miser's struggle to disinherit his family; and finally, the powerful climax, with divine grace vying to the very end to pierce the evil encrusting Louis' soul.
Critic reviews
"Mauriac develops a character from the inside out....The listener is able to move into Louis's mind, to feel and understand his motivation." ( Library Journal)
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What listeners say about Vipers' Tangle
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richie
- 26-04-15
Excellent
A man awaits death and begins to write a letter to his wife. He finds himself alienated from her and, subsequently, his children, all of whom he thinks hate him. He feels loved by none and that people only attach themselves to him for his fortune.
His letter serves as a journey through his life and help him penetrate his own heart as he hurtles towards something that was in him all along.
His heart is a tangle of viperes, but will he escape?
I didn't like this book at first. However, it truly is a masterpiece. The narration is superb.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SRG
- 16-12-22
A tangle indeed
I became aware of this author from an essay by Graham Greene and that he was a Nobel prize winner. This is the only audio book by him available in English. It is a wonderful portrait of a man and a family consumed by the pursuit of wealth and the corruption of humanity it can bring.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marylebone member
- 06-05-20
A masterpiece
I first read this in my teens. I never forgot its denseness, its power and its clarity of writing. Returning to it as an adult many years later I enjoyed it even more.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Welsh Mafia
- 08-07-12
Too late the hero
I was lead to this book via a consideration of the recent death of Antonio Tabucchi who cited Mauriac as a great influence. It is possible to see why, but having completed the novel I feel that Tabucchi was the more satisfying read.
That said, there are some really thoughtful insights here and religious meditations that really had me thinking. So much gloom and doom, misogyny and misanthropy is balanced by a religious revelation in the later sections which is then underlain by a final questioning. It is in essence a work of religious Existentialism - if there can be such a thing - delivered through the distanced narrator and the tricks of the modernist. A good, but not a great read - and like the curate’s egg in totality I felt.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- h and l
- 09-02-10
those nasty rich men
i am always amazed when i read what this book is about, since the main character always seems to me like the only half decent person in the book. it is mostly about religious hypocrisy, how religion is fitted into chaotic lives in neat little pockets of piety. it is also about pride, misunderstanding, family relations being allowed to sour with no attempt at retrieving what has been lost. but it is also full of excitement and little cliff hangers as this man tries to decide what to do with his fortune.
the writing is superb, the man could write and deserved the nobel prize he won. the reader is also excellent.
altogether it was a trip into another world, the inner workings of a french landowning family. i had read it before, many years ago, and was curious to see if my reaction would be the same. it was. a good investment of my money as i will listen to it again and again through the years.
11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- quintus
- 26-02-18
Life changing book
Loved it. A study into ressentment and redemption of someone whi is dying. Beautifully written and thought provoking.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- larry_darrell
- 23-08-10
Superb
Geoffrey Howard he also does audio books under the name Ralph Cosham) does a superb job of narrating this book. He is able to communicate emotion without being overly sentimental. I would also recommend his reading of Beau Geste.
The book is excellent. It sounds unappealing, I must admit - almost the entire work consists of the reminiscences of a spiteful rich lawyer who knows he will soon be dead. However it is quite fascinating to see how his life developed and why he has ended up so miserable despite being so successful. It is a wonderful warning to not spend one's short life wrapped up in petty resentments and jealousies.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy Hartzell
- 14-04-17
Suspenseful Character Study
Any additional comments?
"Viper's Tangle" is an "prison escape" story of sorts--only in this case the prison is the human heart. Louis, the dying anti-hero of the piece, is cut off from love by a lifetime of disappointment and resentment. Can he find his way to freedom before it's too late? The plot keeps you guessing, and the narrator's understated delivery never gets in the way of the action.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michon Matthiesen
- 30-08-16
Engrossing!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is an entangling, fascinating story--unpredictable and moving.
What does Geoffrey Howard bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Howard is great! Clear diction; nice pauses and just the right amount of emotion.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ProSportDoc
- 12-07-15
Excellent Read
Well written. Excellent story. Wonderful narration. I highly recommend French novelist Francois Mauriac's book too you.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James Gajewski
- 10-07-21
Beautiful Catholicism in this book!
A great Catholic work worthy fully of the Church’s New Evangelization in the modern age.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue H
- 23-01-23
Excellent
Recommended to me by a friend and I could not stop listening. Beautifully read. Highly recommend.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gregala
- 26-04-22
Sincere and multifaceted
Though the Catholic polemics irked me at times, I listened to the end and am glad I did. This odyssey of a miserly misanthrope has some surprises and is at times quite insightful. Well narrated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-04-22
A pleasant surprise of a book
A profound tale of redemption that I enjoyed immensely and would absolutely recommend to others.