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The Citadel  By  cover art

The Citadel

By: A. J. Cronin
Narrated by: Franklin Engelmann
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Publisher's summary

New doctor Andrew Manson looks forward to his post in a Welsh mining community, but he finds practicing medicine in such primitive conditions very different from his training. He makes friends, but also enemies.

First published in 1937, this book was groundbreaking in its treatment of the contentious theme of medical ethics. It is credited with laying the foundation in Great Britain for the introduction of the Nation Health Service a decade later.

©1937 AJ Cronin (P)2010 RNIB

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What listeners say about The Citadel

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great book, great author

Where does The Citadel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

very near the top. i wish audibles would get more a.j. cronin. particularly The Green Years.

What did you like best about this story?

all of his stories are tight, well written stories. the characters are so real, so down to earth, with big dreams and very human hearts. i adored the main characters here. i also like the way cronin introduces new characters. very seamless writing. you never know you are listening.

What about Franklin Engelmann’s performance did you like?

it wasn't the best recording...but then i'm one who takes my old, impossible to find cassettes, and puts them on my computer. anything for a great story! i was so caught up in this story that the reader did not bother me at all. unless you are VERY bothered by the reader, don't let that put you off. i thought he did a great job reading it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

yes, i did cry. it broke my heart because i loved the characters so much. if you know what it means to grow and pay a price for it, you will feel the same.

Any additional comments?

no, just that i would recommend this recording.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Incredibly bad recording

I first read this book more than 50 years ago and, perhaps, i wanted to "recapture" my youth, However, this recording sounds like it was made in 1937 - when the book was first published - and the reader sounds like a BBC announcer from that period. Not only that but his mistakes have not been edited out. Unless you need the nostalgia - give this a miss.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A must-read for physicians

This story highlights ethics in Medicine and is as true and valid now as it was in 1937. Many reviewers have criticised the recording and it is certainly dated both from a technical as well as a linguistics viewpoint. The narrator can be heard to cough, shuffel papers and make mistakes, which he corrects openly. However, in his defence, I would say that Mr. Engleman speaks the Standard English spoken widely (especially on the BBC) in the mid twentieth century and at the time the book came out. He masters the accents of the Welsh miners, the Scottish hero, Andrew, his Yorkshire wife, an American scientist and his West End coleagues. The only accent that grates somewhat is his own. Modern UK English has changed considerably and his would seem archaic to most British listeners not to mention those on this side of the pond.
However, these considerations should not prevent anyone from listening to one of the best novels on health care delivery for the past 100 years.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love and Respect for the Profession

Dr. Manson started his career as an assistant in a poor Walsh mining town. By his own industry, professional friends' intervention, and his beloved wife's faithful support, he rose to the challenges of different medical practices in 1920's England, yet almost lost his soul in the lucrative but disingenuous London private practice. The beguiling plot centered on a man's love and respect for the his profession against the current of ignorance, greed, and convenience.
The recording quality is very poor.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

wonderful book terrible recording

really is below your usual standards for recording - scratchy as if off an old record with lots of page turnings and coughs. This is a book worth doing well.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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a treasure

The recording is old, but the narrator is very good and the book itself is fantastic. A treasure worth listening to, and will be especially loved by fans of Cronin it others like him, such as Maugham.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story but poor quality on narration!!

Never listened to a poorer r quality recording! Even found instances where corrections were included. For instance "he reddened readied himself for...". Editing out errors would be a great idea!!! Story was very interesting so I dealt with it but wouldn't attempt another.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

everyone on medicine should read it

This was an excellent story not only about the maturing of a young doctor but also about the challenges of human nature that can corrupt medical practice and the institutions that represent medicine. I enjoyed the older vocabulary and style of writing. The narration and varying of voices and ascents were superb. I would not recommend this book to anyone who might get hung up on the less than pristine nature of older recordings.



relevant.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent book

I liked the discussion illuminating ethics in the medical profession, and how difficult it is to develop and apply them in the practice of medicine. Cronin helps the reader understand the need for standards and the national health service.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good story, outdated production

This is a good story, well written. However, the performance/ production is very dated and needs to be redone or at least remastered.

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