10 Lb. Penalty
by Dick Francis (1997)
read by Martin Jarvis
Used Audiobook with cassettes in perfect listening condition; 2 cassettes, approx. 3 hours. Abridged. The audiobook is probably a former library book as indicated by stickers, but the cassettes seem very new.
One of the most impressive aspects of Dick Francis's long and celebrated career (he's won three Edgar Awards, the Silver Dagger, the Gold Dagger, a Cartier Diamond Dagger, and was named the 1996 Mystery Writers of America Grand Master) is the freshness that he brings to each of his novels. Though every one of his 30-plus works of fiction has drawn from some aspect of the world of horses, Francis turns this constraint into a powerful source of inspiration. In 10 Lb. Penalty Francis adds several new arrows to his quiver. His protagonist, Ben Juliard, narrates the tale in a vivid first person that begins in his insecure late teens instead of the settled middle age of the usual Francis hero. Also, Ben's relationship with horses is more of a fading dream than an active reality. The book begins with Ben's expulsion from Vivian Durridge's stables; he's removed with a false accusation of glue sniffing. But as Ben soon discovers, it is, in fact, his powerful father's machinations that are behind his ill fortunes. The elder Juliard is "standing for Parliament," and the bachelor candidate needs his son by his side for a year of campaigning if he hopes to win. Ben accedes to his father's wishes. He almost always has, but he soon finds that his "gap year"--his year before entering college--is going to be a nightmare. Orinda Nagle, the widow of the recently deceased Hoopwestern MP, and her companion, Alderney Wyvern, resist George's campaign from the start. Then, Usher Rudd, a muckraking journalist, turns his vitriol to George. When an attempt is made on George's life, he and his son find themselves inside a vigorous tale of suspense that takes several narrative years to sort out.
Francis's lucid prose is the driving force in this political mystery, and the realistic rendering of the complicated father-son relationship between George and Ben adds a sophistication and weight that marks the author's best fiction.
About this recording
One of the great joys of Dick Francis's English horse racing novels is each story's array of characters. In 10 LB. Penalty the focus is George Julian, a rising political star, whose son, Benedict, passionately wants to pursue his career as an amateur jockey. Martin Jarvis has won acclaim for his recordings of Dick Francis's novels for British listeners, but this is the first American release. He treats the trainers, race officials and horse owners as old friends, and the addition of a political twist gives Jarvis more characters on which to work his magic. Jarvis delivers such a diversity of accents and voices that each character is imaginatively and distinctively identified. The dynamics between father and son, and among political rivals, are astutely balanced. A longer abridgment not only would have allowed more time spent with Francis's appealing characters, but also would have made the nearly instantaneous rise of George Julian from his first election to his arrival at 10 Downing St. more believable.
"Few things are more convincing than Dick Francis at full gallop." --Chicago Tribune
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