
Boxer, Beetle
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Narrated by:
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Robert Sams
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By:
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Ned Beauman
About this listen
Kevin "Fishy" Broom has his nickname for a reason - a rare genetic condition that makes his sweat and other bodily excretions smell markedly like rotting fish. Consequently, he rarely ventures out of the London apartment where he deals online in Nazi memorabilia. But when Fishy stumbles upon a crime scene, he finds himself on the long-cold trail of a pair of small-time players in interwar British history. First, there's Philip Erskine, a fascist gentleman entomologist who dreams of breeding an indomitable beetle as tribute to Reich Chancellor Hitler's glory, all the while aspiring to arguably more sinister projects in human eugenics. And then there's Seth "Sinner" Roach, a homosexual Jewish boxer, nine-toed, runtish, brutish - but perfect in his way - who becomes an object of obsession for Erskine, professionally and most decidedly otherwise. What became of the boxer? What became of the beetle? And what will become of anyone who dares to unearth the answers?
First-time novelist Ned Beauman spins out a dazzling narrative across decades and continents, weaving his manic fiction through the back alleys of history. Boxer, Beetle is a remarkably assured, wildly enjoyable debut.
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What listeners say about Boxer, Beetle
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Jet Jackson
- 05-15-13
Engaging
Where does Boxer, Beetle rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
about the middle. I prefer really long books and this is fairly short
What was one of the most memorable moments of Boxer, Beetle?
the beetles. totally cool.
Which character – as performed by Robert Sams – was your favorite?
the boxer
Who was the most memorable character of Boxer, Beetle and why?
the boxer. a sociopath with a penchant for directness. he cuts to the chase
Any additional comments?
an odd book for a Austin fan, but it was engaging
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Overall
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Performance
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- Peregrine
- 11-21-13
Great book--with a *terrible* narrator
Robert Sams reads this book sounding almost like a computer-generated voice--with little variation of tone and clearly NO idea what he's saying. Since I'm whispersyncing with a Kindle copy, I can tell you that this novel is filled with hilarious characters and biting social commentary, but he misses the point entirely! I had to stop sometimes and think through the words to get the joke or even just to get the meaning. Sams has no interest in this book and should really be replaced with a reader who will deign to make it comprehensible. BOO!
The characters are almost all British--why didn't they get an English actor to read it?
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2 people found this helpful