Charleston

By: John Jakes

Narrated by: George Guidall

Charleston follows the lives, loves, and shifting fortunes of the Bells -- saints and evil-doers mingled in one unforgettable family -- from the American Revolution through the turbulent antebellum years to the Civil War and the savage defeat of the Confederacy. Delving into our country's history as only he can, Jakes paints a powerful portrait of the Charleston aristocracy who zealously guarded their privilege and position, harboring dark family secrets that threatened to destroy them all. Sweeping from the bitterly divided Carolina frontier of the 1770s through the tragic destruction of the city during the Civil War, Charleston represents America's premier storyteller at his very best.

A good combination of history and dynasty...

John Jakes is a master of intertwining history and fictional families into lively and interesting novels. This one is no exception. The one problem I have with his stories is that there are so many families with multiple generations, that keeping the characters straight can be challenging.

George Guidall's performance is excellent. His accents are credible and his character interpretations are rich and distinctive.

Trite

I looked forward to listening to this John Jakes book. I was very disappointed. The characters were predictable and boring. Not to mention that while the actual history was researched and factual, the characters acted in a way that did not reflect the society in which they lived.

Book is great-person reading is all wrong

Would you listen to Charleston again? Why?

No - could not get through it. Did not enjoy the narrator and felt he was all wrong for this book. His voice was way too old sounding and he didn't portray characters well. Love john Jakes books and have read them all. Also lived in Charleston.

What didn’t you like about George Guidall’s performance?

Every character sounded old and male.

interesting character development

I like the development of the characters, I also thought that the reader did a great job. little too much romance novel and many instances, didn't finish the book

Read this while visiting Charleston

Where does Charleston rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Not really my usual choice but I was visiting Charleston and wanted to understand that incredible city better. A little heavy on the romance and melodrama but those descriptions seem to characterize the times.

What did you like best about this story?

The history.