The Book of Ebenezer le Page

By: G. B. Edwards

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Ebenezer Le Page, cantankerous, opinionated and charming, is one of the most compelling literary creations of the late 20th century. Eighty years old, Ebenezer has lived his whole life on the Channel Island of Guernsey, a stony speck of a place caught between England and France yet a world away from either. Ebenezer himself is fiercely independent, but as he reaches the end of his life he is determined to tell his own story and the story of those he has known. He writes of family secrets and feuds, unforgettable friendships and friendships betrayed, love glimpsed and lost.

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is a beautifully detailed chronicle of a life, but it is equally an oblique reckoning with the traumas of the 20th century, as Ebenezer recalls both the men lost to the Great War and the German Occupation of Guernsey during World War II, and looks with despair at the encroachments of commerce and tourism on his beloved island.

©1981 Edward P. de G. Chaney (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Do not miss this gem.

I’m trying to put into words why this book is a treasure. The narrator, Roy Dotrice, brings alive the story so you feel every emotion.

Wonderful narration!

The story was perfect for an audiobook as it was recounted in the first person by a wonderful actor. As Ebenezer describes his life in Guersey the characters spring to life. I knew nothing about Guersey before listening to this book and loved learning about Ebenezer's community and the island's history.

WOW!

A book to be savored and treasured by little and by little. A journey into the life of an extraordinary man telling us his life story because he hopes to find in the telling its deepest meaning.

A brave and successful reading.

Takes a while to get into this book. One fears at first this may become a sentimental or overly nostalgic view of a lost way of life. After a while you realize you're in good hands with this author. I highly recommend the book, in audio or print.

Roy Dotrice, the reader, performs a great service to the book, I think. I certainly don't know the subtleties of accent and intonation he's dealing with here. But he has made decisions about how he will read it and carries it out over a long span with perfect integrity. His reading turns the entire book into poetry, or even music. Here again you may feel at first that the voice will wear on you, but his skill is such that it carries the story along without fail.

A perfect match of reader and text.

Pierced My Heart and Left an Aching Void

This book pierced my heart and left an aching void. It covers the scale of human nature from wondrous to pure meanness, the depth and range of our emotions, and recalls the importance to a life of the few true connections one really makes in a lifetime.

I didn't see Ebenezer Le Page as the "cantankerous" old man the publisher describes, a description that held me back from reading this for a couple of years.

Some people have a problem with the narrator's accent. I enjoyed it, as authentic-sounding. This is the same guy who narrated the Game of Thrones books, if that makes a difference to you.