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Asylum Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,149 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From our most celebrated writer of the psychological thriller comes this nerve-wracking yet eerily beautiful work of erotic obsession and madness.
In the summer of 1959, Stella Raphael joins her psychiatrist husband, Max, at his new posting—a maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane. Beautiful and headstrong, Stella soon falls under the spell of Edgar Stark, a brilliant and magnetic sculptor who has been confined to the hospital for murdering his wife in a psychotic rage. But Stella's knowledge of Edgar's crime is no hindrance to the volcanic attraction that ensues—a passion that will consume Stella's sanity and destroy her and the lives of those around her.
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"A darkly enthralling tale about the wife of the Deputy Medical Superintendent of a hospital for the criminally insane in 1959. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ian McKellan and because the story is told by another psychiatrist working at the hospital and his role in the story makes this "voice" a little unusual. This gradually changes as the story progresses. All the main characters are quite flawed and as someone who works in mental health I found the actions of the professionals pretty appalling. Still a very good listen."
— Janet (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A cleverly insidious, beautifully rendered thriller with just the right balance of splatter and innuendo.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“A book as absorbing as it is intelligent…The story of this love affair unfolds like a dream into a nightmare—the characters move relentlessly toward their tragic end with desire ranging like a fire, gathering strength and destroying everything and everyone in its path.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“From beginning to end Asylum is a hypnotic read, beautifully judged…ruthlessly manipulative.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“[Asylum] features a subtly deceptive narrator whose confident, musical voice seduces you—a voice that mirrors, in its meter, emotions ranging from lyrically obsessed, to meticulously fond, to cautious and stiff with horror. And the imagery is unforgettable.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“The book is hypnotizing, with its own strange but darkly convincing pace and style; and the way in which nature and climate are woven into the fabric of the bizarre couple’s strange love is masterly.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Sir Ian McKellen’s masterpiece of interpretive art so entrances…From the very first words, the beauty of his voice and delivery exerts a strange power, aided by the stunningly rich gothic text, reminiscent of the best Isak Dinesen tales.”
— AudioFile -
“McGrath wields a cleverly modernized form of Victorianism, precise and stately, to render scenes of unsettling and suspenseful eroticism in settings as diverse as the bursting garden where the doomed lovers meet; the bleak, rain-blasted coast of Wales; and the pitiless hallways of the asylum. All is push and pull here, as mad strategies are followed to their dire conclusions.”
— Booklist
Asylum Listener Reviews
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" This book for the most part was really understated, and yet I ca't stop thinking about it. I think it shows how we are a little mad, in one way or another. "
— Wendy, 1/29/2014 -
" A very gothic writer -- and terrific storyteller. "
— Tim, 1/27/2014 -
" A great book that was made into a disturbing but very good movie "
— Maged, 1/23/2014 -
" Gave up on it after 50 pages. Too many...words. Lumbering style. Didn't flow. Didn't care about characters. "
— Daniel, 1/18/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It was told from a love perspective, which is an interesting perspective to tell the story from the inside of an assylum. "
— Susan, 1/1/2014 -
" A guilty pleasure. Madness, murder, romance. "
— Katherine, 11/7/2013 -
" Seems alright, but I'm looking for it to grab me. I gave up about half way through. "
— Kat, 10/29/2013 -
" Very intriguing. The love between Stella and Edger is complicated yet very strong. "
— Yuri, 10/12/2013 -
" love. insanity and never returning. "
— Jessicasherrell, 7/22/2013 -
" This was great, but the ending felt like a letdown. "
— Sarah, 3/1/2013 -
" This is the only book I've read by Patrick McGrath and I loved it. The story was great and I was especially captivated by his familiar style of storytelling. It's almost conversational in nature. "
— Scott, 2/22/2013 -
" pretty good. it's got a gothic feel that's hard to capture in a modern novel. "
— Sylvie, 12/3/2012 -
" I thought it was a pretty good book. It had a very intriguing beginning which made you want to continue. The title was a metaphor for both setting and to characters. "
— Jill, 10/10/2012 -
" I expected more of this book after being impressed by McGrath's "Spider", buy I found this rather plodding, predictable and meh. "
— Timothy, 8/16/2012 -
" Passion knows no boundaries "
— Pardis, 1/1/2012 -
" Asylum is an average tale that is written beautifully. "
— Rachel, 10/24/2011 -
" An intriguing thriller with many suspenseful moments. Not what I'd usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless. "
— Yvette, 10/9/2011 -
" I read ten years ago, it made a huge impact on me. it actually propelled me to start writing fiction. Powerful story. "
— Daniela, 5/19/2011 -
" ...la rappresentazione della passione. Bellissimo! "
— Baloo, 3/25/2011 -
" I thought it was a pretty good book. It had a very intriguing beginning which made you want to continue. The title was a metaphor for both setting and to characters. "
— Jill, 3/1/2011 -
" Asylum is an average tale that is written beautifully. "
— Rachel, 2/28/2011 -
" 21st: ASYLUM - Patrick McGrath<br/>Trivia Winner - Tara<br/><br/>~COVE OPINION: C, Okay story "
— The, 2/11/2011 -
" Wow! What a creepy and eerie tale of the thin line between sanity and insanity as well as the power of passion. While none of the characters were particularly sympathetic, I did find myself wanting to read on, to watch the demise, like being unable to turn away from a car wreck. "
— Maria, 1/15/2011 -
" ***+ Story of obsession, manipulation and madness - disturbing - well done. "
— lunaticprophet, 1/11/2011 -
" I knew I was going to love this book from the first page and I finished it in less than 2 days. "
— Amanda, 1/5/2011 -
" Not a book for the those looking to uplift their mood. Sad and dark it is a good read but will not leave you with any warm and fuzzy feelings. It is however well written and engaging "
— Jennie, 11/18/2010 -
" The wife of the deputy superintendant of an institution for the criminally insane develops a sexual obsession with a dangerous patient. <br/> <br/>I liked the story and it was elegantly said. His style resembles Barbara Vines'. "
— Zaki, 11/4/2010
About Patrick McGrath
Patrick McGrath is the author of Asylum, Port Mungo, Blood and Water and Other Stories, The Grotesque, Spider, and other books, and he was the co-editor, with Bradford Morrow, of The New Gothic.
About Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen is internationally renowned as the leading British actor of his generation. His Shakespeare performances on stage and screen are legendary. His versatility and preeminence in modern work as well as the classics have earned him over forty important acting awards. For over four decades, alongside his prestigious stage appearances worldwide, he has starred in scores of film, television, and radio productions.