Elizabeth Kostova. (2006). The Historian. Unabridged Books on Tape.

Elizabeth Kostova. 2006. The Historian. Books on Tape.

Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian. Books on Tape, 2006.

Elizabeth Kostova. The Historian. Unabridged Books on Tape, 2006.

OverDrive Product Record

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1. • role: Author
   • fileAs: Kostova, Elizabeth
   • bioText: Elizabeth Kostova's engrossing debut novel is the culmination of ten years of research and a lifetime of imagining—since Kostova's girlhood, when her father entertained her with tales of Dracula, she has envisioned the story that would become The Historian. With her academic spirit and extraordinary talent, she's spun an intricate tale of sprawling mystery and suspense. Kostova graduated from Yale and holds an MFA from the University of Michigan, where she won the Hopwood Award for the Novel-in-Progress.
   • name: Elizabeth Kostova
2. • role: Narrator
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3. • role: Narrator
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Random House Audio

publishDate

2006-10-17T00:00:00-04:00

edition

Unabridged

isOwnedByCollections

True

title

The Historian

fullDescription

Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of—a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself-to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed-and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign-and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.Parsing obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions-and evading the unknown adversaries who will go to any lengths to conceal and protect Vlad's ancient powers-one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil. Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel is an adventure of monumental proportions, a relentless tale that blends fact and fantasy, history and the present, with an assurance that is almost unbearably suspenseful-and utterly unforgettable.

reviews

1. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content: It's hard to imagine that the story of Dracula, which has been told many times and from many points of view, could be presented in such a fresh and intriguing way. Justine Eyre narrates the story of a 16-year-old who has found a packet of her father's letters, which document his long quest as a historian to learn the truth of the legend and find the true burial place of Dracula. Eyre's steady narration is augmented by the quiet intensity of Paul Michael, who reads the letters. As he becomes the guide to the father's travels, Michael's facility with accents adds an extra dimension to a journey through a number of eastern European countries. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
2. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     September 5, 2005
     It would take a lot to kill a runaway bestseller like Kostova's debut. Though the audiobook doesn't quite drive a stake through its heart, neither does it do it any favors. With six actors (including Martin Jarvis, Jim Ward, Rosalyn Landor and Robin Atkin Downe) playing twice as many roles, the audio would benefit from a listing of the cast and characters rather than the unhelpful "in order of appearance" credit on the box. Listeners learn about a centuries-long vampire hunt from a historian, Paul (Boutsikaris), as he slowly tells the saga of his covert research to his teenage daughter (Whalley, whose lush whispery voice and conspiratorial attitude is most convincing). Paul's tale is supposed to be a secret, painfully pried from him by his daughter for whose safety he fears, but Boutsikaris recites it in a nonchalant and impersonal way. Most disappointing, though, is the voice of Dracula himself. His accent and delivery is exactly the stereotypical vampire voice used by everyone from Bela Lugosi to Sesame Street
     's the Count. The eerie swelling string music is a nice touch. Simultaneous release with the Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 11).

3. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     Starred review from April 11, 2005
     A starred review indicates a book of outstanding quality. A review with a blue-tinted title indicates a book of unusual commercial interest that hasn't received a starred review.
     
     THE HISTORIAN
     Elizabeth Kostova
     . Little, Brown
     , $25.95 (656p) ISBN 0-316-01177-0
     
     Considering the recent rush of door-stopping historical novels, first-timer Kostova is getting a big launch—fortunately, a lot here lives up to the hype. In 1972, a 16-year-old American living in Amsterdam finds a mysterious book in her diplomat father's library. The book is ancient, blank except for a sinister woodcut of a dragon and the word "Drakulya," but it's the letters tucked inside, dated 1930 and addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," that really pique her curiosity. Her widowed father, Paul, reluctantly provides pieces of a chilling story; it seems this ominous little book has a way of forcing itself on its owners, with terrifying results. Paul's former adviser at Oxford, Professor Rossi, became obsessed with researching Dracula and was convinced that he remained alive. When Rossi disappeared, Paul continued his quest with the help of another scholar, Helen, who had her own reasons for seeking the truth. As Paul relates these stories to his daughter, she secretly begins her own research. Kostova builds suspense by revealing the threads of her story as the narrator discovers them: what she's told, what she reads in old letters and, of course, what she discovers directly when the legendary threat of Dracula looms. Along with all the fascinating historical information, there's also a mounting casualty count, and the big showdown amps up the drama by pulling at the heartstrings at the same time it revels in the gruesome. Exotic locales, tantalizing history, a family legacy and a love of the bloodthirsty: it's hard to imagine that readers won't be bitten, too. Agent, Amy Williams. 325,000 first printing; major ad/promo; 10-city author tour.

4. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content: One of the year's hottest novels uses the Dracula myth, historical/literary codes and puzzles, and faraway locales to target the audience that made popular successes of THE DA VINCI CODE and THE RULE OF FOUR. Six readers (Joanne Whalley, Martin Jarvis, Dennis Boutsikaris, Jim Ward, Rosalyn Landor, and Robin Atkin Downes) create an effective vocal format, which is punctuated with knife-chords of music and some sound effects. The multiple readers are especially suited to a book that, like DRACULA, makes use of shifting points of view. Whatever transitions may appear in the novel seem not to have made it into the episodic audio, but the fun is hearing actors (especially Jarvis) perform a variety of roles and savoring the many high spots in a thrilling narrative. G.H. 2006 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
5. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     Starred review from August 31, 2009
     It's been four years since Kostova's door-stopping vampire novel first shot up the bestseller lists, but this marvelous audio adaptation is worth the wait. Narrated by an ensemble of talented actors, this audio book is enhanced by impressive musical scoring during key transitions (from past to present, or between narrators) and at pivotal junctures in the story. The music adds to the eeriness of the novel's progression, while the brisk abridgement keeps the pace moving much more compellingly than the print version: where the novel reproduced a 15 page academic journal article, this adaptation trims it to its bones by allowing primary sources to speak directly across centuries of history. Rich with evocative settings and a sparkling cast, this adaptation may be an improvement upon the original. A Little, Brown hardcover.

popularity

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   • name: English

subjects

1. • value: Fiction
2. • value: Historical Fiction

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shortDescription

Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of—a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself-to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he...

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awards

1. • source: Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
   • value: Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee - Best Book
2. • source: Quills Foundation
   • value: Quill Award
3. • source: Audio Publishers Association
   • value: Audie Award Nominee
4. • source: The New York Times
   • value: The New York Times Best Seller List

publisher

Books on Tape

bisacCodes

1. • code: FIC014000
   • description: FICTION / Historical / General