The Thursday Murder Club Review
"An Engaging Mystery Brought to Life by Richard Osman"
Introduction
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is an extraordinary mystery novel which has met a great positive reception by audiences all over the world since its publication. This review will solely be on the audiobook format which in my opinion made the book even more enjoyable. Though, getting the feel of the characters and their outlandish personalities, due to which each chapter radiates with the palpable presence of their idiosyncrasies are felt better while listening to a play by Lesley Manville.
Story Overview
The story is based on a Coopers Chase which is a luxury retirement community in Kent and four characters who are part of the Thursday Murder Club. These are the four main characters of this club- Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron who follow clues on crimes and meet every Thursday to solve them. Thus, their lives turn into unexpected drama when a real murder happens next door and the kids become participants of a real criminal case.
Osman applies humor in her writing, hence making the story interesting, a mixture of mystery and humor. An absorbing story line has been developed with many twists and turns in the movie that can make the audience sit till the end. The characters are quite realistic, relatable, and adorable as all the characters have their root cause and charisma towards life.
Narration by Lesley Manville
A notable contribution towards the audiobook is by the Lesley Manville who provides narration. She performs creditably, and it is difficult to ask for more from any actress, as she rehearses the characters to perfection. Manville is another strength of the play; he has the flexibility in changing from one accent and tone to another in the course of the play hence giving a touch to the different characters thus making it easier for the audience to identify the characters.
It only deserves to mention that her work with the main characters is simply distinguished. Even Elizabeth, the former intelligence operative, is provided with the voice that dominating and rather witty. Joyce, the former nurse and the last discovered member of the club is voiced with the undertone on the friendly interested interest. Ibrahim, the retired psychiatrist, speaks calmly and is given a measured tone to his dialogue in the story while Ron, the ex trade union leader who is a cardinal character, uses a gruff tone of voice. Through Manville’s narration, many more layers are given to these characters, providing them with the realistic aura.
Plot and Pacing
In terms of plot, “The Thursday Murder Club” is complex and professionally woven with multilayered and rather diverse several plotlines. The main enigma is really revolves around the death of Tony Curran, the developer with interest on Coopers Chase. If it is left to the club to investigate deeper, they begin to discover a lot of elements such as betrayal, falsehoods, and more characters with the motive for Nigel’s death.
The tempo of the audiobook is above reproach; Manville’s rendition equally mirrors the buildup of the story. Switching from the first person’s point of view like the diary entries of Joyce and the third person narrative makes the prose engaging and captivating.
The originality and the comic elements of the writing can be felt in Osman’s work along with the perfect timing of Manville. It may be considered as a mystery-comedy audiobook since mystery and comedy go along well, and the addition of quarrels and murders does not make it a very serious one.
Themes and Motifs
Aging and Friendship
An important subject of the novel is ageing and the shifts in the characters’ lives due to this process. The characters of the novel are the dwellers of Coopers Chase, and they are all old people, but they are definitely not pensioners who nobody pays attention to. Already from the title, it is clear that the characters do not fit the expectations of old and frail people, which the Thursday Murder Club members are not.
Amity is the other element that is highlighted in the movie as a major aspect of life and essential for the elderly. The relationship between Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron is very touching and audiences will be inspired as they prove that anyone can make new friends especially for new adventures.
Justice and Morality
To try and get justice is one of the primary focuses of the Thursday Murder Club. The desire to solve the murder and find out the truth is due to their moral and justice oriented personalities. This creates a mature and realistic story that engulfs the grey zones between black and white ends which are perfect for the characters to have moral dilemmas.
Coping with Loss
This element of the novel can add the layer into the work: several characters of the novel are grieving or experiencing loss. Joyce’s reminisces of her dead husband and the process of getting over it are rather heart touching. In this case, the novel addresses these big ideas with understanding and maturity as it portrays individuals’ ability to grieve.
Strengths of the Audiobook
Immersive Experience
I found the audiobook structure of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ to be highly entertaining and optimal due to the presence of these factors. The performance of the narrator Lesley Manville is very effective as she makes the listener/audience feel like, as if he or she is part of the drama, and the environment in which events are taking place. People’s characters came to life because of the different voice intonations and accents that have been inserted to increasingly enhance the typicality of the scenes.
Engaging Performance
The presentation done by Manville is excellent, lively and effective, the audience is kept on its toes throughout. Another positive aspect is the talent to describe emotions and personalities with the help of the voice which makes the game rather deep and interesting. As for the humor and wit which are present in the writing of Osman, Manville’s narration simply adds to the general enjoyment of the audiobook.
Convenience
Convenience is an important factor and the audiobook format is preferred by working people. It enables listeners to enjoy the story at convenience moving from one place to another, exercising, or even while carrying out some household chores. The style of the novel is compositional, in which chapters are short and there are changes in the point of view which allows for reading at any time.
Criticisms
Complexity of the Plot
Nonetheless the mysteries woven into the plot are among the novel’s strong sides, they sometimes may be a bit confusing. It is filled with numerous characters and sub-plots some of which can come across as confusing for some of the listeners. This problem is somewhat offset by the fact that Manville narrates clearly and, thus, it is easier to comprehend the plot.
Pacing
The pacing of the novel, which is fairly well managed overall, becomes a problem at various points. The pacing of the story is also equally interesting, some of the parts might seem a bit boring, especially when character’s evolution is described. Still, they are tightly packed with interesting details and jokes that are just enough to make the watcher not bored even if the pace is slow.
Conclusion
It is pleasurable to listen to the “The Thursday Murder Club” audiobook with Lesley Manville as the narrator. Osman has built an interesting plot and has got the knack of a mystery writer and Manville gives the narration a familiar touch making it an enthralling listen from beginning to end. The hero and the other characters are lovely, the story full of twists and turns, and the topics to ponder over, makes this a worthy listen for mystery or comedy enthusiasts.
The audiobook even amplifies the originality of the book making the characters, the world they live in more real than when one reads a book. Manville’s voice is effective in depicting the characters and the satirical spirit of Osman’s book, thus the audiobook is highly engaging.
Perhaps, the storyline and the rhythm with which the game is built could be considered as veiled obstacles but apart from that, the game brings immense satisfaction. The Thursday Murder Club’s escapades are most definitely enjoyable and renewing so that anyone who listens to the novel would look forward to the next book in the series. Whether one is an ardent reader of the mystery novels, or coming to it as a beginner, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ is a wonderful audiobook to listen to.
About the Creator
Ali Darloo
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