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Gaudy Night
- Lord Peter Wimsey, Book 12
- Narrated by: Jane McDowell
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
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Gaudy Night
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Publisher's Summary
The best of the golden age crime writers, praised by all the top modern writers in the field including P. D. James and Ruth Rendell, Dorothy L. Sayers created the immortal Lord Peter Wimsey. The twelfth book featuring Lord Peter (the third novel to feature Harriet Vane) is set in an Oxford women's college.
Harriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back....
At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters, and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury College for the Gaudy celebrations.
But soon Harriet realises she is not the only target of this murderous malice - and asks Lord Peter Wimsey to help.
Critic Reviews
What listeners say about Gaudy Night
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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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- j
- 02-11-2017
A great classic nicely presented
The performance was spoilt for me by a simple mispronunciation- the hideous ‘mischievEEOus’ for mischievous
Otherwise I found it well and sympathetically read.
As a love story with a detective interest it is one of, if not the, best.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EI
- 05-06-2023
Disappointing narration of a wonderful book
I was so excited to learn of this narration of one of my favourite books. The narrator’s diction was lovely, but such a robotic delivery! And I would have thought that, before embarking on a narration of a book containing so much Latin, some research on Latin pronunciation might have been in order, but alas!
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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
- 14-04-2024
An intelligently written book.
It was a fascinating time and place. I enjoyed learning about the culture and traditions of Oxford.
Good plot. Lots of intellectual snobbery which wasn't the most pleasant thing to listen to, but other than that great 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
- Anna Thierry-Higgins
- 23-10-2017
Sayers at her zenith
Unlike the half dozen unnatural deaths in many modern crime novels, Sayers gives us not one body in Gaudy Night. In fact, crime is almost a background noise. Yet her understanding of relationships as expressed through her characters is profound. This is definitely my favourite Wimsey/Vane. Jane McDowell's narration is expressive and enjoyable. Bravo all around.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rr61
- 04-06-2021
Horrible narration wonderful book
Every now and then I try to listen to this again because I love the story so much. However every time I do I’m mystified by how this narrator came to be employed for such iconic stories. She has a lovely vocal timbre but her delivery would be more suitable for an instruction manual. There is no characterisation, no warmth, no sense of Oxford and the stiff jerky pace is jarring. I kept longing for Edward Petherbridge or Harriet Walter - the best Peter and Harriet ever. This recording is six years old now. Surely it’s time for some better versions??
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jocelyn
- 14-08-2023
Very disappointing delivery
Gaudy Night is one of my favourite Wimsey Vane novels. I've been looking online to see whether it is available with a different narrator. I very nearly did not start listening to it in the first place, after hearing 'gaudy' mispronounced. My mother loved Dorothy L Sayers' books, and though she had not been to university, nor had the benefit of the worldwide web, she told me that the pronounciation is not 'gordy' but the latin 'gowdy'. Anyone who has sung Gaudeamus Igitur, or Laudate Dominum, for example, would be amply aware of how to pronounce Latin words. There are similar mispronunciations of latin words throughout the reading; and as it is a while since I could bring myself to listen again, I have no doubt there other errors of pronunciation throughout. I am amazed that anyone who undertook reading such a text would not have made themselves familiar with pronunciation. The icing on the cake however, came this morning, when I decided I really should give it another go, putting my prejudices behind me, and trying to cope with the the grating feeling of listening to this reader. I was horrified when the last few minutes of the book started playing, and horror of horrors she was saying MISCHEEVEEUS! instead of mischievous. How could a person supposed to be a professional newsreader POSSIBLY pronounce the word in that way? I would accept a dramatised version of the book, but it would have to be the full text. This is not a story to be trifled with.
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