Not as good as the first volume

Where does The Heroes' Welcome rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book feels like the middle book of a trilogy. It is not as good as the first volume and the story line is rather thin. You feel there is another book coming and if that is the case I would definitely continue with the story. The main theme is shell shock which is interesting, but lacks the emotional intensity of the first volume and is just not quite so interesting about WWI medical practices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Heroes' Welcome?

Probably the discussions of the effect of shell shock on the mind.

Have you listened to any of Dan Stevens’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have listened to My Dear I Wanted to Tell You among others and really you cannot fault Dan Stevens as a reader. He is excellent.

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

The emotion was nothing like as intense as in the first volume, but there are some powerful passages.

Any additional comments?

One sort of wondered when the story was going to start - it's a bit unstructured.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

A good sequel

A good sequel to 'My dear I wanted to tell you'. A very moving story, beautifully written, a must read if you've enjoyed the first book. Beautifully narrated by Dan stevens who always does a great job with every book he reads.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Deeply, deeply moving. Incredible insight.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Heroes' Welcome to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, I cannot imagine how it could best this excellent audio.

What other book might you compare The Heroes' Welcome to, and why?

The prequel was also wonderful and gave an atmospheric lead into this book.

Have you listened to any of Dan Stevens’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Dan Steven's is superb in both books ( had me in tears on a sunny summers day!!)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The culmination of Julia's plight

Any additional comments?

I will listen to both books again. Wonderful audio!!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Fabulous sequel!

Loved it.. Amazing author. Poignant story of the truth of www1 & the after effects. Dan Stevens fabulous narrator. Brought it to life!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Incredible

What made the experience of listening to The Heroes' Welcome the most enjoyable?

Everything: the brilliant narrator (handsome Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey), the quality of the writing, the in-depth, well-developed characters, the overall story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters are so real, complex and well crafted, it's hard to believe they've been conjured up in Louisa Young's imagination. You fall for all of them. I suppose if pushed I'd have to choose Riley because he is woven into the very centre of the story, although I love Rose, too.

What does Dan Stevens bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Dan Stevens is outstanding as a narrator. He brings real personality to the characters and even if he just read out a single sentence without telling you directly who is speaking, you'd know from the way he uses his voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, definitely. I found it hard to drag myself away from it.

Any additional comments?

Read My Dear I Wanted To Tell You, the prequel, before reading this book. It's essential. And you won't regret it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Welcome return of these characters

What made the experience of listening to The Heroes' Welcome the most enjoyable?

Dan Stevens' superb narration: he picks up where he left off in 'My Dear...', not a missed step in transition, and it made the experience of being in the company of these rounded characters once again all the more pleasurable.

What did you like best about this story?

I love Louisa Young's writing, and the way she gets under the skin of all her characters, so you feel you know them as well as you can ever hope to know yourself... She's unafraid to expose their flaws, and their obliviousness to their own flaws, except when it suits them, and their unwillingness to fix themselves, or to try to be better, or to become exhausted by the attempt (how apt is that to your own experience?!) - all emotion and constraint is here.

What about Dan Stevens’s performance did you like?

His pace is deliberate, his intonation sincere, he takes care over the language and passion into the dialogue (his Riley is consistent and convincing): it's perfectly judged and I sometimes wish he narrated all audiobooks (but especially the third in this series, Devotion, because Eve Karpf isn't half so good and I'm listening to it now, finding myself missing Stevens' version of these characters I've come to know well)!

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

The struggles of these characters moves me, and at times to tears - Peter's difficulties here were particularly acute and sensitively portrayed - and I found Julia especially interesting in the first novel, so her experiences here were more than a little wince-inducing. I'm so glad there is this follow-up, as the characters are deeply memorable and the story explores the effects of war and personal trauma that don't see the light of day very often.

Any additional comments?

Inspires me to read Homer, and to learn more about Classical Greek literature, which try as I might (I have the Odyssey in paperback with helpful encyclopaedic footnotes...) I've never found the motivation to start before!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

exquisitely written and beautifully read

Where does The Heroes' Welcome rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

so delighted to find this sequel to My Dear I wanted to tell you. Beautifully read by Dan Stevens and his characterisations are superb Louisa Young's insights into the thoughts of her characters are wonderfully scripted and you become so embroiled in each person's persona.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The end was very satisfying and completed the stories well. However Louisa if you want to write another follow up please do!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely and carried it around with me all the time.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Tenderly written sequel

Utterly beautiful sequel to the first book. Heartbreaking and hopeful story. Can not recommend it enough.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Painfully Poignant

It took awhile to get into gear, a painful (necessary) review and then it built and rose a searing block of grief and misunderstanding and loss and more grief and resolution, lovely therapeutic listening.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

A spectacular follow up

What made the experience of listening to The Heroes' Welcome the most enjoyable?

The story explores the impact on the war to all the previous characters. It is moving and heartbreaking, naturally everyone is battling with their own nightmares, injuries both physical and mental. Everything has changed while day to day life remains much the same, there are struggles to adapt to any sort of normality. Relationships evolve, change are born and nobody is left undamaged or changed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Heroes' Welcome?

A death, I do not want to say more for fear of giving away too much. Riley the most damaged of all the characters has to become the strong lynch pin that keeps them all together whilst coming to terms with his own terrible injury and the permanen tchange to his life.

What about Dan Stevens’s performance did you like?

Dan Stevens made this story for me, his narration is perfect, sensitive. The tone, voices and characterisation brings the story to life.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!