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A Prisoner of Birth: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.95) - 82 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
International bestseller and master storyteller Jeffrey Archer returns with a tale of fate and fortune, redemption and revenge with A Prisoner of Birth. Danny Cartwright and Spencer Craig never should have met. One evening, Danny, an East End cockney who works as a garage mechanic, takes his fianceé up to the West End to celebrate their engagement. He crosses the path of Spencer Craig, a West End barrister posed to be the youngest Queen's Counsel of his generation. A few hours later Danny is arrested for murder and later is sentenced to twenty-two years in prison, thanks to irrefutable testimony from Spencer, the prosecution's main witness. Danny spends the next few years in a high-security prison while Spencer Craig's career as a lawyer goes straight up. All the while Danny plans to escape and wreak his revenge. Thus begins Jeffrey Archer's poignant novel of deception, hatred and vengeance, in which only one of them can finally triumph while the other will spend the rest of his days in jail. But which one will triumph? This suspenseful novel takes the listener through so many twists and turns that no one will guess the ending, even the most ardent of Archer's many, many fans.
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"I really enjoyed this book...I didn't want to put it down and if it wasn't for pesky things like eating and sleeping, I would have read it in one sitting! I liked the parallels with Count of Monte Cristo...I read that recently and was able to understand the comparisons. I loved the main characters...Nick, Danny, Al, Munro, Alex...they were all well-developed and I wanted Archer's hero to win in the end. The courtroom scenes were well done. I think the plot has some of the themes that make novels great...love, friendship, revenge, and redemption."
— Mirah (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Narrator Roger Allam pumps this story up considerably by enhancing each character with engrossing vocal interpretations. He does a terrific job subtly morphing Danny's East-End accent into an upper-crust West-End one.... Every character in the story draws you in but there's a old Scottish lawyer and a venerable British defense barrister that'll have you cheering.
— Tom Alderman, The Huffington Post -
...Roger Allam gives an award-worthy performance in this crisply paced production.
— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review -
There's no better person to narrate this 21st-century adventure than Roger Allam…Allam narrates the multiple layers and numerous characters of this complex plot with alacrity. His reading, together with the story's ending, will leave listeners fulfilled.
— AudioFile
Awards
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2009
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Winner of Publishers Weekly Listen Up Awards: Best in Category, 2008
A Prisoner of Birth Listener Reviews
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" Its a typical jeffrey archer novel wid delicious twist in the end and yes it is inspired from dante's revenge. a really good easy read... especially after one has read heavy stuff like umberto eco. i liked it! "
— Anshuman, 2/17/2014 -
" This book was a great audio book. "
— Shannon, 2/14/2014 -
" easy read -good vacation book "
— Ellen, 2/13/2014 -
" Very good book. Started brilliantly and slowed down a bit in the middle, but that was required for the build up of a decent finish. Description of trail room scenes were brilliant. "
— Srikanth, 1/20/2014 -
" Nowhere near Archer's best work. "
— Kelly, 1/11/2014 -
" It is CRAP -- ARCHER HAS LOST HIS MOJO -- I am having problem finishing it but my loyalty to the author is making me read it slowly like i am a prisoner to the book "
— Kitabi, 1/6/2014 -
" very, very, very time consuming plot, but most entertaining. Goes into great detail re. the British court system and prison. Nice ending too.... "
— Betty, 12/18/2013 -
" Loved this book, just a good read and typical Jeffrey Archer. "
— Jane, 12/11/2013 -
" Althought there are parts of the story that are far-fetched it is a real page turner. "
— Kitty, 12/7/2013 -
" Very well written and great story! "
— Dawn, 11/28/2013 -
" The last Jeffrey Archer book I read was Kane and Abel, so it was fun to revisit this author. The author describes this book as a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The book is about a man who is unjustly accussed of a murder, and his pursuit of justice. "
— Zimmerman5678, 11/22/2013 -
" This is a nice action, legal drama. It is a bit predictable and certainly long (over 600 pages), but I enjoyed it. "
— Donna, 10/31/2013 -
" It is a really amazing book. I would say one of the best by Jeffrey Archer. Kane and Abel did not impress me to the extent of the fame it got, but this one really blew me away! "
— Edwin, 8/26/2013 -
" Great Read. A page turner for me. 9 of 10 on rod scale "
— Rod, 8/12/2013 -
" A modern spin on The Count of Monte Cristo. Great story. Even though you have an idea where it is going, the ride is worth it. "
— Jon, 7/22/2013 -
" Amazing book it is first book i redid... Rely i like Jeffrey archer "
— Muhanna, 3/26/2013 -
" Another great book by Jeffrey Archer. "
— Adam, 2/12/2013 -
" a very guilty pleasure. Archer can surely write terrific page turners that don't really leave you with much except a good time. "
— Barry, 1/28/2013 -
" Great story of revenge, Author back to form after disappointing previous effort in False Impression. Great Read. "
— Joe, 10/23/2012 -
" Modern Count of Monte Cristo. "
— Azu, 10/6/2012 -
" Story straight from a Bollywood Movie.. "
— Chirag, 5/23/2012 -
" This is one of my favourite books. I was engrossed every step of the way and couldn't wait for the end! Highly recommended "
— Helen, 4/12/2012 -
" Not worth unless you dont have anything else to read! "
— Samuel, 1/24/2012 -
" I cannot recommend this book enough. I couldn't put it down, and the last quarter of the book I was jumping around the room cheering and laughing. Highly, highly recommended. "
— Lydia, 12/25/2011 -
" I enjoyed this story. Some good ole'fashioned revenge mixed with wit and cunning on both sides. Topped off with court drama, mistaken identity, and just enough money to make you think it could happen. "
— Heidi, 9/6/2011 -
" I really love Archer's work and wasn't disappointed in this book. I love the premise - redemption and the references to the Count of Monte Cristo. Archer's books are always engaging and although not his typical style I'd love to have a follow up to this one and hear more about Beth and Danny. "
— Cindy, 8/9/2011 -
" An excellent story written by a man who has had first hand experience in the story he wrote. Hard to put down this book. "
— Lou, 5/21/2011 -
" Very well done. Kept me interested to the end. "
— Debi, 5/14/2011 -
" Amazing book!!! I really was hooked onto every page! He really is the John Grisham of England. Amazing..just simply amazing! "
— Hamzeh, 5/10/2011 -
" Audio Book. Very Good. It had me not wanting to get out of the car. The Count of Monte Cristo storyline with an innocent man getting sent to prison, escaping and having his revenge on the men who put him there. "
— Jake, 5/6/2011 -
" Audio Book. Very Good. It had me not wanting to get out of the car. The Count of Monte Cristo storyline with an innocent man getting sent to prison, escaping and having his revenge on the men who put him there. "
— Jake, 5/6/2011 -
" Not bad, my first Jeffrey Archer, a bit slow at times. "
— Richard, 5/2/2011 -
" masterfull plotting, excellent charachters,engrossing read "
— Jim, 5/1/2011 -
" an updated version of the Count of Monte Cristo "
— Janet, 4/20/2011 -
" An entertaining and suspenseful read. "
— Anne, 4/15/2011 -
" The best novel I've read in years! I highly recommend it! "
— Alex, 4/10/2011 -
" a modern retelling of "count of monte cristo". But still i enjoyed "
— Kumar, 4/2/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It definitely picked up in the end. The story was very reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo but it was pulled off very differently. "
— Heather, 3/30/2011 -
" Read this book to understand why Archer is the master story teller. It was an epic. I loved the central character of this book - He shows that in life, you are known by the company you keep .... I would strongly recommend this book. Have read it 3 times within a year! "
— Satya, 3/30/2011 -
" Started on the slow side but it got better as it went on. I liked the characters and the view of the British legal system which remain rather unclear to me. I felt it was worth the time. "
— Jan, 3/23/2011
About Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Archer is an author of fiction, nonfiction, and plays, including numerous New York Times bestsellings, of which three made the #1 bestsellers spot. He was educated at Oxford University. He served five years as a member of the British parliament in the House of Commons and has served twenty-seven years as a member of the House of Lords. Now published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, all of his novels and short story collections—including Kane & Abel, Only Time Will Tell and This Was a Man—have been international bestsellers.
About Roger Allam
Roger Allam played Javert in the original London production of Les Misérables and Falstaff in the Shakespeare’s Globe 2010 production of Henry IV Parts 1 and 2. He has been nominated four times for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, winning twice, and he has also won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor. His film work includes roles in The Queen, Speed Racer, V for Vendetta, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Tamara Drewe, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and the television series The Thick of It. He has narrated audiobooks for numerous bestselling authors, including Jeffrey Archer, Ian McEwan, Ian Rankin, and Joseph Conrad. Roger lives in southwest London with his wife, actress Rebecca Saire, and their two young sons.