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The Arsonist
- Narrated by: Sibylla Budd
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
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The Arsonist
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Publisher's Summary
The Arsonist tells a remarkable detective story, as the police close in on someone they believe to be a cunning offender; and a puzzling psychological story, as defence lawyers seek to understand the motives of a man who, they claimed, was a na�f that had accidentally dropped a cigarette.
It is the story not only of this fire - how it happened, the people who died, the aftermath for the community - but of fire in this country. What it has done, what it has meant, what it might yet do. Bushfire is one of Australia's deepest anxieties, never more so than when deliberately lit. Arson, wrote Henry Lawson, expresses a malice 'terrifying to those who have seen what it is capable of. You never know when you are safe.'
As she did in The Tall Man, Chloe Hooper takes us to a part of the country seldom explored, and reveals something buried but essential in our national psyche. The bush, summertime, a smouldering cigarette - none of these will feel the same again.
What listeners say about The Arsonist
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mary-Lou O'Brien
- 25-08-2019
A documentary on the Black Saturday bushfires
As an audiobook this book was more like a documentary than a thriller. It was thoroughly researched, investigative & written in a way that gave you insight & an understanding into the man, the arsonist, behind the fires that raged that day in the Churchill area of Victoria. It's was a great read and perhaps more meaningful having lived through that horrendous day and the weeks that followed as the horrific stories & number of deaths emerged.
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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
- Ania
- 01-08-2019
A wonder of a book
Chloe’s ability to tell an ugly, jarring story so beautifully was stunning. Those involved were described with depth and consideration and the lines between good and evil were aptly blurred.
The story was told in all its complexity against the backdrop of a brutal but beautiful landscape. The interweaving of science, psychology, human relationships, law,
economy and nature was seamlessly skillful.
Extraordinary book, beautifully narrated by Sybilla.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katherine Rosonakis
- 05-03-2021
A complex & devistating Australian story
Another incredible book from Chloe Hooper. The Tall Man is one of my favourite books and this follow up does not disappoint.
Hooper tells true stories with pace, detail, nuance and incredible storytelling ability, that keep you enthralled the whole way through.
Hooper somehow manages to simeltaneously tell all sides of this story, leaving you devistated for the families of the victims, the people who worked on this case, while also feeling helpless for Brendan and his family. The family who were shunned and excluded from their communuity and didn't have the resources or support they needed to help their son find a happy and fulfilling life.
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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
- Wade
- 14-07-2019
Loved it
Loved the descriptions of the fires. Of the people. Having working in a tangential way on the black Saturday fire it was truly wonderful to hear this.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pep
- 10-02-2019
Heartbreaking story
Enjoyed this story about a heartbreaking and complex situation. Narration was generally good though there were points in the first few chapters where a pause between unrelated paragraphs would have helped, and a jarring mispronunciation of 'causal' as 'casual' later in the book. This could be due to a typo in the text. Great writing by Ms Hooper.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Meg
- 11-08-2019
incredibly well written
An incredibly well written book, a lushly detailed account of human complexity. A very beautiful book.
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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
- anne comery
- 18-06-2019
a must read
this was a gripping and unimaginable story told by a 'narrator of worth 'who gave an authentic read for the listener . As a volunteer firefighter it sent chills up my spine
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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
- debra sutherland
- 15-02-2021
interesting
interesting story about the small town of Churchill and the people that lived there, and how autism is treated.
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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
- 13-12-2021
Fantastic
After 12months+ subscription, this is still the only book I have listened to from start to finish on Audible. Definitely worth a listen!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 17-06-2022
Tells the story but no deeper insights
The Arsonist tells the overall story of the fires, the investigation and the legal proceedings but other than some basic analysis, doesn’t provide any deeper insights. There were also quite a few errors in pronunciation and reading by the narrator which I found distracting. Overall though, quite a good listen if you’re looking to learn more about the Black Saturday fires and their aftermath.
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