Hawksmoor

By: Peter Ackroyd

Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi

Peter Ackroyd's Hawksmoor was first published in 1985. Alternating between the eighteenth century, when Nicholas Dyer, assistant to Christopher Wren, builds seven London churches that house a terrible secret, and the 1980s, when London detective Nicholas Hawksmoor is investigating a series of gruesome murders on the sight of certain old churches, Hawksmoor is a brilliant tale of darkness and shadow.

©2014 Audible, Inc.; 2002 Peter Ackroyd

unusual structure and style

Hawksmoor combines a number of styles and time shifts to paint an unusual tale of the edge of sanity and the darkness that can be found or generated when one leans too far over to stare into the abyss. The detail of the narrative is intense and can transport anyone at all familiar with London to its very soul. That being said, the story feels almost like an avant garde experiment in prose that some may find difficult to follow in spots and the historical alterations may be hard to understand. Everything knits together in the end but the reader must be prepared to elaborate the reality, or lack thereof, for themselves

Fantastic!

Loved it, everything about this was fantastic, including and especially the narrator, will listen again and would have loved to have it in print.

Masterful storytelling

Ackroyd demonstrates great skill in crafting and weaving together the several narratives present in this story. One of the most creative interpretations of historical accounts in a recent novel.
Good effort in the performance by Sir Derek Jacobi, turning the characters into lively and dimensional figures that move the story along.

haunting

I enjoyed listening to the Peter Ackroyd book "Hawksmoor" on audiobook, which Sir Derek Jacobi narrated. The combination of Jacobi's alluring voice and Ackroyd's hauntingly beautiful words makes for a wonderful listening experience.

I was riveted from beginning to end by the story's captivating fusion of historical fiction, mystery, and paranormal aspects. I was immediately taken to another time and place by Ackroyd's brilliant depictions of 18th-century London and its architecture, particularly the works of the mysterious architect Nicholas Dyer.

But Jacobi's narration was what really made the story come to life. Every character he played had depth and complexity because to his rich, resonant voice, and his grasp of accents and dialects was exceptional.

It was like attending a private performance by one of the best actors in the world to hear him read "Hawksmoor" out loud.

What's even more amazing is that I once had the opportunity to randomly run across Sir Derek Jacobi in the line for a London musical show. I couldn't resist but tell him how much I loved his narrator for "Hawksmoor" because he was so endearing and courteous. We had a fantastic talk about the book and the craft of narration after hearing it, and he was obviously delighted.

For those who enjoy excellent literature and skillful storytelling, "Hawksmoor" is a must-listen. And with Sir Derek Jacobi in charge, it's a memorable event that you won't soon forget.

An intricate story of suspense, masterly read...

Got this as part of the David Bowie book club. The material is quite dense, but as the mystery unfolds, there's a good deal of suspense in the middle. The writing is full of many post-modern concepts (some of which become grating in audio form)... and the ending may disappoint some listeners looking for a more conventional denouement. On the performance, it was superb! He was able to move back and forth in a distinct way between the different styles and characters, but wasn't so over-the-top as to take you out of the story.

Interesting Book

Performed very well. I enjoyed hearing it with the accent of the setting. Wonderful to be able to listen to a book that is hard to get in print. Bowie Book Club

I spent waaay too much time on this book

Too long for no payoff. And I thought Snow Crash had an abrupt ending. Great premise but it felt like the writer wrote himself into a corner and just ended it there.

mystic, poetic and inspiring.

how does time run? what is relative in time? how can the threads of other times run alongside the here and now, or rather, how can they not? loved this book, need to read it again!

Interestingly dark.

I bought this audio book because I was unable to find a hardcopy for the David Bowie Book Club at a "reasonable" price and I was delighted by the end that I subscribed to Audible for just one book, since I'm now likely to maintain my subscription.

The narrator did a fantastic job at conveying proper tones during certain parts of the story which gave it flavour that I would have otherwise missed.

The story itself is fairly easy to understand by the end if you're open to speculation, and the way it was written did well at setting the initial pace and tone of the plot. The themes it explores are interesting enough to get invested in the characters and their motivations, but I would not consider it a masterpiece.

The only times when I felt slightly lost was when the author bounces between locations in London with street names and directions; perhaps it would be easier to follow on a second listen/read or if you're actually familiar with the locations because from what I understand this is work of semi-fiction. Certain characters and their professions, along with names of churches did exist so I'd imagine the street names would be historically accurate as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a relatively dark story with a small twist.

Distracted Audiobooking

Started this on a book club suggestion. Narrator had a soft, proper English voice that was pleasant but seemed unemotional. I travel a lot for work so I use audio books as a means to “read” while logging miles. It was very hard to focus on the direction of this story even though I had solid hours in the vehicle.