Simply magnificent!

A captivating and magnificent story, extremely well written and beautifully narrated! This book has made it to the top of my favourites list.

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6 people found this helpful

it was disappointing.

Any additional comments?

I usually like stories set in two time periods but for me this isn't one of the best.
the first hour had a lot of description in it and I was about to give up but carried on. the story settled down and I had high hopes for it.
I enjoyed the parts of the story set in 1911, it was well written and narrated by clare wille.
I liked Katherine (kat) who had been taught to read but having come from a lowly background had to be a maid. her strength at a young age to be faithful to her beliefs.
the parts set in 2006 were a means of starting the story and although there were only a few of them I feel the book would have been better without them. the historical part was good enough to stand on its own.

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5 people found this helpful

Unexpected find

What made the experience of listening to The Unseen the most enjoyable?

The number one aspect is the strong character "Cat". You feel powerfully drawn to her from the moment she enters the story. She is the underdog (despite her nickname) with a really gritty character you are rooting for throughout.
The suffragette details through Cat's experiences were also presented well.

Who was your favorite character and why?

As mentioned already, the maid Cat. She'd been 'cruelly' educated above her station. She's almost ahead of her time.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I quite like the little scenes where you get to nose about as Cat reading letters and notes she finds whilst cleaning up at the rectory. Nobody suspects a maid would be able to read.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Quite a mix of feelings from anger and frustration, hope, disgust, admiration, joy. It helps having the Victorian class structure to show up the inequalities of position and sex at the time.

Any additional comments?

I'd like to commend the use of the present tense in the novel. It really helps in painting a picture of the various scenes.

I bought the audible book in a sale and didn't listen to it for a long time. Wondered why I'd bought it, however, it has ended up being one of my favourite reads of the year. I'll be looking out for other Katherine Webb publications. 5/5

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5 people found this helpful

Very enjoyable

This was a bit of a gamble for me, not having read any Katherine Webb before, and thankfully it was a gamble that paid off: I very much enjoyed it. It's a historical book, and is well written. The narration is also good, I think. I felt in turns annoyed by and sorry for the Rev - he is a little naive, but very constrsined by both his profession and the times. It's an interesting time to set a novel, I think: lots of interesting social tensions and changes that can be brought into the book. I think this has been done well.

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5 people found this helpful

Spellbinding

The plot and setting of this (audio) book are interesting in themselves, but it is through the character of "Cat" that the story grabs you by the throat. At first you do not notice this so much - the attention is on the development of the story. However, as the story progresses the only question in your mind becomes whether or not Cat will be able to extract herself from either her past or from what must be impending doom.

The narrator has done very well, her voice creating a fragile atmosphere of understated emotion through which what actually happens becomes almost unbearable. Once you are into the story, you will not want to stop listening.

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5 people found this helpful

A good story but the audio lacks something ...

This book was missing something ... usually with Audio books the audio adds to the characters, gives them personality and distinguishes them from one another, for me this one didn't. I loved the story but despite what I did to the audio - sped it up, slowed it down, I wanted to stop the lady reading to me, pick up the book and read it myself.

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4 people found this helpful

Most enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were likeable (or unlikeable - at least getting a response from me!) and the story was a delight, swapping from the time of the first world war to present times chasing the story that happened all those years ago.
There were a few leaps of thought that came up with correct theories, but they were easily swallowed.
I was hooked from the start, and having fancied the book by an author unknown to me I will certainly investigate her other offerings.

Lovely story, well told and nicely narrated.

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2 people found this helpful

A bit different

Would you consider the audio edition of The Unseen to be better than the print version?

I liked the 1911 parts of the story and would have been happy to skip the present day narrative as the connection was rather weak. However, it was well read and enjoyable throughout and I would most certainly try another of her books. The climax was not as I expected and that made it all the better.

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2 people found this helpful

Awesome Listen

This is a good listen. Recommend to others and listen and enjoy. You will never be bored listening to it.

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2 people found this helpful

Great

Great story that unravels in the telling of present and past events. Enjoyable performance. Well worth the time.

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1 person found this helpful