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Making History

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Making History

By: Stephen Fry
Narrated by: Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Michael Young is a brilliant young history student whose life is changed when he meets Leo Zuckerman, an ageing physicist with a theory that can change worlds.

Together they realise that they have the power to alter history and eradicate a great evil. But tinkering with timelines is more dangerous than they can imagine and nothing - past, present or future - will ever be the same again.

Making History is funny, moving, romantic and told with Stephen Fry's characteristic skill and brilliance.

©1996 Stephen Fry (P)2021 Penguin Audio Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Time Travel Comedy

Critic Reviews

'His best novel yet... an extravagant, deeply questioning work of science fiction' GQ

'Making History has the imaginative pull that keeps the pages turning while the tea gets cold and the cat gets the goldfish' The Independent

'Stephen Fry at his twinkling best' Sunday Times
All stars
Most relevant  
Great story. Great plot. Great narration. What more could you ask for. Compulsive listening for long road trips!

It’s a Great story once it gets going.

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Well written, fascinating and thought provoking. An excellent listen with great characters. Very unusual idea and well told story.

Unusual but entertaining

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I struggled immensely with the self indulgent writing style of Fry. I feel each character is in one way or another another version of him. He also tends to go on and has a rather tangential style.

So why did I read, finish and rate this reasonably well? inspite of the stylistic faults, there were some truly good moments between characters in the story. There was also a valiant effort to utilise time travel and history in a very un-scifi way in my opinion. This was a bit of fun and refreshing.

Sadly, as a lover, seeker and searcher of time travel fiction, this one doesn't make the recommendation list. perhaps it is that Fry just ain't my guy. Perhaps it's that two tangential minds that have the propensity to live on the extremes of mood and emotions, don't really fit. I've tried with you Stephen, I really have.

I hope my very own self indulgent review is of benefit to others, as it seethes amongst the ever dazzling 5 stars that people seem obliged to give a Fry creation. Still, read and decide for your self. I'm just one moody voice in timeless Ocean of many.

Plenty of waffle with worthy gems

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What a great story, thoroughly enjoyable with an absolutely exceptional performance by both Stephen Fry and Richard E Grant, more please

just awesome

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A great book that had me gripped from the start, loved the ending and the narrators are excellent

Immersive and entertaining

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combines many of the events I enjoy, actual history, think tanks on alternate histories, science fiction, philosophy and more.

history, sci Fi and now

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I just could not engage with this. The narration was great and the premise looked interesting from the outside, however I found it a bit obvious as it progressed and up to the point where I paused. I may come back to it in the future.

Could not finish it

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I liked the game premise of the book. I think everyone has considered at least once what the world would be like if Hitler had never been born, and how the world would change because of that single event. Fry’s book delves into that alternate reality and explores the possibility that the alternate might be worse for humanity.

Loved it, although I wasn’t really a fan of the use movie directions techniques, although it was effective.

Interesting rabbit-hole

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Stephen Fry, well it must be good.
And it was.
It took a while to get into the two time frames, but once that was sorted it was a great, beautifully narrated yarn.
Cleverly weaving fact with fiction.

A change for the better?

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A well thought out, rollercoaster ride of alternative history - very enjoyable listen, expertly read

BRAVO!

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