Havelok the Dane: A Legend of Old Grimsby and Lincoln
Gelesen von Tony Foster
Charles Watts Whistler
(4,671 Sterne; 38 Bewertungen)
Troy, Athens, Rome... each has its founding legend. So too does the Lincolnshire town of Grimsby, once the largest fishing port in the world.
Havelok the Dane probably derives from a folk-tale, orally passed down before assuming written form - first in Anglo-Norman French, later in Middle English verse (c. 1280-1300). It tells of the rescue of the Danish prince from a wicked regent, who has tried to procure Havelok's murder. Grim the fisher, the appointed hit-man, thwarts the plan by spiriting the lad to England, where Grim settles with his family on the coast, adopting Havelok as his foster-son and naming the new community after himself.
C.W. Whistler's clever adaptation of the tale (published in 1899) draws on the various medieval sources. The English poem is particularly suited to 'novelisation'. It abounds in homely detail, and the hero's progress from half-dead waif to the triumphant fulfillment of his strength and kingly destiny makes a satisfying arc for the development of plot and character. At the same time, the legend's origins in oral performance are suggested through the choice of a first-person narrator, namely Grim's sober-sided son Radbard, whose plain-spoken account conveys something of the older saga tradition.
Our reader, the gifted Tony Foster, has worked and travelled in Scandinavia. His subtly-inflected narration brings a truly Nordic flavour to this re-creation of life in sixth-century Britain.
Since Charles Whistler published his novel, both Grimsby and its local heroes have been celebrated from time to time - by Elton John in his album Caribou (1974) and recently in a folk rock musical by local band Merlin's Keep (2014). (Introductory summary by Martin Geeson) (8 hr 56 min)
Chapters
Bewertungen
Great fun! An entertaining saga expertly performed!
VRRCR
(5 Sterne)
A wonderful tale of England circa 600 AD. Danes, Vikings, conquest, calculation, a disguised prince, a beautiful princess, dreams and battles. Highly enjoyable and expertly read, complete with Scandinavian accents! Brilliant!
Fantastic
(5 Sterne)
Professional-level narration. The story itself is one of the best I have heard. You can tell by the details given that it was a man who knew seafaring and fighting who told it. Certain things can't be faked.
Another great read!
Phil_O'Logist
(5 Sterne)
Having enjoyed the reader's earlier recordings, I made a priority of downloading this. In my view, Tony Foster has surpassed himself and has given us a consummate version of an historical adventure story. Some audiobooks can be credited with re-creating the world occupied by their characters - in this case, early medieval Britain - and this is one. Listen and be transported back in time.
Fascinating adventure
Lily
(5 Sterne)
Fantastic reader, who get you right into the characters and age. Beautiful story. One of my favourites. I truly wish those days were with us, if they were ever real, but alas! we sit with millennials and cel phones instead of true warriors and the battle axe!
Fantastic Book
Erin Klarr
(5 Sterne)
If you like Howard Pyle's Men of Iron, you will appreciate this book. Just very enjoyable look at a historical period that I know little about.
one of the best audiobooks I have listened to
river
(5 Sterne)
Excellent reader for this story! Would recommend.
Ms SV
(5 Sterne)
This is quite a legend brought to life by Tony Foster. The action never stops!
One of the best books and certainly the best reader on here.
Peter Arnold
(5 Sterne)