A Dead Man in Deptford cover art

A Dead Man in Deptford

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A Dead Man in Deptford

By: Anthony Burgess
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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About this listen

A Dead Man in Deptford re-imagines the riotous life and suspicious death of Christopher Marlowe.

Poet, lover, and spy, Marlowe must negotiate the pressures placed upon him by theatre, Queen, and country.

Burgess brings this dazzling figure to life and pungently evokes Elizabethan England.

©1993 Anthony Burgess (P)2014 Audible Studios Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Middle Ages Royalty

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Critic reviews

"One of the most productive, imaginative and risk-taking of writers... It is a clever, sexually explicit, fast-moving, full blooded yarn" (Irish Times)
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Kit Marlowe comes to life - and Burgess’ writing is finely honed - the reader is very talented

Kit

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This captures the capriciousness of the text and central character, and his attitude towards those around him and the zeitgeist of the period. The narrator’s ability to create these different characters through accents, pitch and delivery is excellent, and results in a vibrant and engaging story rich in texture and tone. Thoroughly recommended.

Brilliant!

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This book is without interest. From the start it fails to engage. The characterisation and construction are poor and very amateurish.

Dull and uninspiring

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The narrator imposes a sort of jolly country bumpkin delivery which works against the rhythms of the prose and slips into simply "reading words" (albeit in an impressive accent) rather than conveying meaning. It often bounces along indefatigably, paying little heed to the mood and subtleties in the text. I defaulted to the paperback and found it much more intelligible - a fantastic rich read that I recommend. Unfortunately the audio version is a case of the teller obscuring the tale.

Needs better narration

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