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The Historian Audiobook
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(3.00) - 120,340 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
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"My fantasy vacation is to retrace the main characters steps through out eastern Europe. The descriptions of the cities, towns and seaside villages are breathtaking. This is not a traditional vampire book as it is more suspenseful than based on horror. A fantastic read!"
— Lisa (5 out of 5 stars)
The Historian Listener Reviews
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" Interesting look at the Dracula story but so damn wordy! It starts to liven up and get exciting then it swaps point of view for like 200 pages. Not worth the days lost trying to get through it. "
— Marylisa, 2/11/2014 -
" Long winding account of the history of Dracula. Interesting but long and at times too drawn out. "
— Dina, 2/9/2014 -
" This is one of my favorite books. The story is very detailed and the descriptions are beautiful. I would give this book 5 stars but, somehow, I found the climax a little bit too anti-climaxing. Still, it is a very good book. "
— Umapa, 2/6/2014 -
" I didn't like it. It was difficult to read, and the story line wasn't the best. "
— Joshua, 2/6/2014 -
" One of the only novels that I can read more than once. And it made me want to travel to Istanbul "
— Jenn, 2/5/2014 -
" Frightening and interesting. "
— Morgan, 1/23/2014 -
" I loved this story! It is full of rich vibrant details that form beautiful pictures of the the characters world. It was gripping and suspenseful. One of my favorite stories of all time! "
— Julie, 1/20/2014 -
" A bit hard to follow -- the back and forth from the past to the present and then back again -- but nevertheless, an immensely entertaining, scary in a good way kind of book. If you Dracula kind of stories, this is for you! "
— Faith, 12/22/2013 -
" About mid-way through the book I wanted more vampires and less vampire history. It could have been about 200 pages shorter. "
— Heather, 11/19/2013 -
" I never actually finished The Historian. It was such an interesting subject, but drug on for entirely too long. "
— Ashley, 10/3/2013 -
" It was interesting since Dracula is the key figure in this book. I thought it would be creepier, but was disappointed. I enjoyed the descriptions of medieval Transylvania and the Ottoman empire and the comparisons to the modern world. Overall, it was a good beach read. "
— Antonio, 9/24/2013 -
" Must read for lovers of the original Dracula by Bram Stoker. "
— Clayton, 4/16/2013 -
" I loved the writing of this book. It was a great gothic read. "
— Melissapalmer404, 2/12/2013 -
" I might give this one another try, now that I have a Kindle. Any story that alludes to vampires, however obliquely, is a huge turn-off for me. The Historian is very well written and easy to read. "
— Tipping, 1/20/2013 -
" I liked this book, altho it started out so much more promising than it ended. And there are so many stories w/in stories w/in stories...sometimes I actually couldn't remember whose story was being told at particular times I was reading. I feel this took away from the book. "
— Lori, 6/9/2012 -
" This was a fantastic book with a unexpected ending! "
— Betsy, 12/6/2011 -
" Late night page-turner! :) "
— Jeff, 11/28/2011 -
" this book needed to be, like, 200 pages shorter and twice as interesting "
— Eden, 7/31/2011 -
" Wonderful book, kinda interactive, had to google all the places she visited, so were is the movie! "
— Liz, 6/7/2011 -
" One of the best takes on the Dracula legend out there. Fiction mixed with history, makes you wonder who or what Vlad really was. "
— Mark, 5/23/2011 -
" Not my cup of tea. I'm not interested in vampires. Only finished about 3/4. "
— Cdenning5, 5/22/2011 -
" So many stories going on, hard to keep them separated. "
— Tracy, 5/21/2011 -
" Elizabeth Kostova may be one of the best new writers of this decade-great storyteller along with very good craft. "
— Rick, 5/20/2011 -
" It was really slow in the beginning and hard to get past about the first 250 pages but well worth it in the end. "
— Heather, 5/19/2011 -
" It took me three tries to get into this book, but I am really glad I did. Such a clever, clever tale that takes you all over the world and comes to an unpredictable ending. "
— Evie, 5/18/2011 -
" Enjoyable book that gave me goosebumps at times. More than a vampire book - it has a rich historical context and made me want to visit Romania, Istanbul, and other places. How I would love for a mysterious book to set me on an adventure like this! "
— Caryn, 5/17/2011 -
" This is one of the best books I have ever read - up there in my top 5, the descriptions were amazing, I could visualise all the settings, places and people in my mind and the story carried me along beautifully. I was really sorry when it ended! "
— Gemma, 5/17/2011 -
" This book has inspired my trip to Istanbul next spring "
— Audrey, 5/17/2011 -
" Loved it! So engaging, you don't want to put it down, but long enough you know you have to. "
— Julie, 5/17/2011 -
" A fun read. I don't know much about eastern Europe, so it was a bit of a learning experience. "
— Tej, 5/14/2011
About Elizabeth Kostova
Elizabeth Kostova graduated from Yale and holds an MFA from the University of Michigan, where she won the Hopwood Award for Novel-in-Progress for The Historian.
About the Narrators
Justine Eyre is a classically trained actress who has narrated many audiobooks, earning the prestigious Audie Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She is multilingual and known for her great facility with accents. She has appeared on stage, with leading roles in King Lear and The Crucible, and has had starring roles in four films on the indie circuit. Her television credits include Two and a Half Men and Mad Men.
Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.