Your Blue-Eyed Boy (Jack Crossman Adventures) [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio Cassette)

by Helen Dunmore (Author), Jenny Agutter (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
An intriguing situation, seamless pacing, a rising sense of menace and a surprise ending bring Dunmore's new novel (after the well-received Talking to the Dead) into the winner's circle. British district judge Simone struggles as the family breadwinner, while her unemployed husband faces bankruptcy and takes care of their two boys. Keeping the family together in their remote seaside village is hard enough, but Simone's fragile worldAalso undermined by a childhood traumaAis threatened by the intrusion of her long-buried past. Michael, an American Vietnam veteran whom she met during a summer in the States, sends her an intense letter and copies of several photographs of them nude together. Then he arrives in her village, having decided to reconnect with the one person whose image he has nurtured over two decades, some of which was spent in a mental hospital. Dunmore intricately weaves past and present, bringing the experimental atmosphere of the 1970s to life as Simone reads Michael's letters and views the incriminating photographs taken by his war buddy, Calvin, whom she remembers as a constant unsettling presence. The indelible impression of a first true love contrasts with Simone's fierce desire to protect her family from what seems to be a blackmail plot. The novel's marsh-country setting, where bogs can swallow people whole, is a fearsome metaphor for a life abundant with insecurity and tension. This is a provocative tale, candid about the way past deeds and encounters can endanger present lives, casting shadows that can't be erased.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
To the outsider, Simone's would appear to be an enviable life, but as Dunmore (Bestiary, LJ 1/98) reveals here, Simone's life is fraught with personal and financial difficulties even before her former boyfriend Michael reenters her life after a 20-year silence. Michael begins by writing, then telephoning, Simone, and as he draws closer to her, Simone remembers her youthful and largely innocent relationship with him and is forced to question his motives and decide how far she's prepared to go to protect the life she now lives. Dunmore's writing is adept and her plot solid, if somewhat predictable. However, Simone never emerges as a truly sympathetic character, and the novel lacks the spark to captivate readers totally. Recommended for large fiction collections.ACaroline M. Hallsworth, Cambrian Coll., Ont.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: BBC Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075400239X
• ISBN-13: 978-0754002390
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,519,733 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking book, August 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Blue-Eyed Boy: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is generally well written. However, although the all too frequent digressions are often important in character and plot development, they sometimes appeared as unnecessary space fillers, and contributed to the slow-moving pace of the book. Nevertheless, Dunmore's descriptions of the settings, especially of the sea, are vivid and powerful. This and her development of mental conflicts of the main character make this a very worthwhile read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars doesn't follow through, April 26, 2001

By	lady detective "sakura kitty" (east coat) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Blue-Eyed Boy: A Novel (Paperback)

helen dunmore has a lovely way of writing, her narrative is sensual, and really draws you in. but, in "your blue-eyed boy" the plot, which builds and layers very well, falls short about three quarters into the book. i felt like she had forgotten what the rest of the book was about. the narrator's actions take a turn for the bizarre, new details are thrown in just to make the end seem plausible... and i was just left with a feeling of "ok, come on, this is just silly." her writing, her eye for detail, specifically in the language of landscape and food is brimming with delicious description... but the plot in this one falls flat at the end.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a story but it's also a poem, November 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Blue-Eyed Boy: A Novel (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this novel tremendously. Dunmore wanders away from the story line quite often but it's never disturbing because one can simply enjoy the language. And the story itself is beautiful too, It's about love that transforms and never leaves you. It's about remembrance, longing and connection. It's also very real. I know it sometimes happens to the lucky.