Audiobook Review of Testimony

A Multiple Cast Narrate the Lastest Bestseller From Anita Shreve

Dec 14, 2008

Testimony is the latest bestseller from award winning author, Anita Shreve. A multiple cast narrate the audiobook, bringing an interesting dimension to the reading.

This is a review of the unabridged audiobook version of Testimony by Anita Shreve and published by Hachette Audio.

Testimony is the latest bestseller from Anita Shreve. This popular American author's previous works include The Pilot's Wife, which was the 25th selection of Oprah's Book Club, and The Weight of Water, both of which have also been released as films.

The Story

The plot of Testimony is centered around the implications of a sex scandal at a private school. Like ripples spreading out from a single point, the plot examines how a single event impacts and changes the lives of people connected to this event. This includes those directly involved through to people whose lives have been touched by the fallout of what becomes a nationally notorious scandal.

The scandal also involves underage drinking and the use of drugs. In addition to the way the scandal impacts on the lives of the people concerned, Testimony also examines the way public schools are perceived.

Narration and Production

Testimony is told from the different narrative view points of the characters. The audiobook is narrated by a series of readers who read the parts of the different characters. Over twenty characters play a part in the telling of the story.

The end result is a well put together production. This is not a dramatized recording of Testimony. The narrators are reading the lines as opposed to acting. Having over 20 different voices narrating the story is an interesting approach, however it can be a little confusing.

This is compounded by the fact that different characters narrate their story from a first person point of view, while others narrate from the second or third person point of view. Listeners need to really pay attention to keep track of whose storyline they are listening to. Another element that adds to the confusion is that the characters appear to be retelling their stories in different time frames.

Does Testimony Work as an Audiobook?

The end feeling is one of the plot and the narrative style being stretched thin. There is plenty to interest a listener, however there are also parts where the narration appears to be repetitive and listeners may find it tempting to reach for the fast forward.

One of the challenges of listening to an audiobook such as Testimony is that there is no paper reference. The inclusion of a 'who's who' would have been extremely useful, particularly if the audiobook is being listened to over a series of sittings. When reading a print book the readers can 'flick' back over the previous few pages to look for plot points or be reminded of characters.

This approach to an audiobook does work – but this is an audiobook that really needs to be given full concentration to ensure maximum enjoyment.

Further Information

Listeners should note that the description of the event that caused the scandal is very graphic. This is at the start of the audiobook and is unrepresentative of the rest of the book.

More information about Anita Shreve, including a video about the writing of Testimony, can be found on the Anita Shreve website.

The copyright of the article Audiobook Review of Testimony in Audiobooks/Ebooks is owned by Kate Pullen. Permission to republish Audiobook Review of Testimony in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.