Enjoyable romp

I've listened to quite a few Simon Brett audio books and know to expect a humorous tale connected with a theatrical or television production where one or more people get killed. The main enjoyment comes from the details of the chaotic life of the actor/amateur sleuth Mathew Parris and in the detection of the murder is incidental. This book is in the same vein, however, unlike the other books I've heard this one is not read by the author, Simon Brett, which spoiled it a but for me as the whole time I felt the reader's voice was wrong for Mathew Parris character in that it was too plummy and drawling. Don't get me wrong the reader is not bad, just not the right one.

6 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Good Story Shame About the Reader

I always enjoy Brett's Charles Paris stories but the reader is completely wrong- much too posh
Why aren't the Simon Brett readings available on audible

3 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Don’t buy this

God this is awful...don’t buy it thinking you’re getting Bill Nighy..the most god awful boring flat narration the narrator sounds bored and I couldn’t carry on a complete waste of money

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Badly Cast

I own 12 of the Simon Brett Charles Paris audiobooks and about 11 of the BBC adaptations. This is the only one I've returned.
I love the Beeb dramatisation of this book but the narration killed this version for me.
It isn't just that I'm used to Simon Brett's narration or that Bill Nighy is Charles Paris for me, it's more that I can't cope with Frederick Davidson's turning him into Leslie Phillips.
It isn't bad narration, by any means, its just wrong.
Such a shame!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Frederick Davidson's performance !!

If you could sum up Dead Room Farce in three words, what would they be?

Very good fun,.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The female voice over artist desperate to get with Charles Paris.... what a bad girl!

Which scene did you most enjoy?

All of it - but - the way that the BBC throws people out of jobs at age 50 - rings true - except I think it was 30 in the mid-nineties. ...And these poor chaps end up just as depicted, with a "Mummy" style girlfriend who "does everything"

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

Both

Any additional comments?

Frederick Davidson's slight sneer and inflection downwards, was perfect for the slightly mad, old soak, over educated underwhelming actor...

uncomfortably read

What made the experience of listening to Dead Room Farce the most enjoyable?

I had to work myself up into ignoring the rather camp reader, who did well in character but was not half the reader that Simon Brett is of his own novels/

Would you listen to another book narrated by Frederick Davidson?

probably not

Any additional comments?

I love Simon Brett's books but this narrator did the story no favours particularly when compared to Simon Brett himself or Bill Nye's excellent ( and probably unreplaceable) Charles Parris.

I guess I just love Bill Nighy!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I love Charles Paris on the radio and I am a fan of Simon Brett's work. However this audio book was hard going for me. If I had not heard the dramatised version first I may have got on with it a bit better.

What three words best describe Frederick Davidson’s performance?

Nothing wrong at all - just not Bill Nighy

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Yes, but I would have to insist on Charles Paris being played by Bill Nighy.

Any additional comments?

You may have spotted a pattern here!

old fashioned mystery

I first heard the radio series before I (audio) read the book so the character of Charles is Bill Nighy in my book. With him in mind I enjoyed this as a light easy read..