This is self-indulgence of the worst sort. However she continued on to superimpose modern issues and morays onto a medieval story (gay hot-tubbing during the Great Plague foresooth!). Maitland had stuck to using her premise to create a humane story calculated to show us just how far we have come as a species, and remind us why we must continue to oppose ignorance, bigotry, supersitition, and mass violence she would have done well, and did so in the beginning. How a book can begin so well and end so badly is the real mystery here. The good: the narrator works his rear end off to make this sorry endeavor succeed and does it well. The narrator on the one credit version is excellent though and would be hard to beat. Both narrators sound good, so make your choice on how you are paying. The other is one hour longer with a different narrator for one credit or about 48 bucks. One is one hour less and costs two credits but can be bought for 34 bucks. One strange thing though is there are two copies of this on Audible. It is just part of what these travelers faced. I am ever amazed at that but that is not what the story is about. Some would be religious no matter how many they burned alive. This book confirms my low opinion of the church though and I am sure not all feel the same.

This is a very high comparison as that is the best book I have ever downloaded and is of the same period as this.

I can only compare this book to Pillars of the earth by Ken Follett.

I listened to every word and couldn't get enough. And no, it isn't a story about the plague. But this journey is through a plague ridden England in the 1300's. This like all really good novels is a journey, ie The Wizard of Oz. The one armed story teller is one, but there are more. There are tales within tales in this book and characters you are not likely to forget soon. This author is brilliant and has storytelling skills far beyond most.

Company of liars by karen maitland