The Lobster Kings

A Novel

By: Alexi Zentner

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The Kings family has lived on Loosewood Island for three hundred years, and they've been blessed with the bounty of the sea. But for the Kingses, every blessing comes with a curse. Woody Kings, the leader of the island's lobster fishing community and the family patriarch, teeters on the throne. Cordelia, the oldest of Woody's three daughters, stands to inherit the crown after the death of her brother. To do so, however, she has to fend off meth dealers from the mainland while navigating sibling rivalry and the vulnerable nature of her own heart when she falls in love with her stern man.

A love story and a modern epic in the grand Shakespearean vein that introduces a fiery and unforgettable heroine, The Lobster Kingsis the story of Cordelia's struggle to maintain her island's way of life in the face of danger from off shore and the rich, looming, mythic legacy of her family's namesake.

©2014 Alexi Zentner (P)2014 Blackstone Audioboks

Wonderful downeast yarn.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Lobster Kings to be better than the print version?

Yes.

What other book might you compare The Lobster Kings to and why?

Empire Falls. Story about a very well defined place in Maine. Good character studies. Well told with a lot of emotion. He somehow gets inside the female mind and emotions and as a may that is not easy. I have lived in Maine for a long time and have read other books about fishing etc.. This goes beyond those with the mythical aspect of the artist ancestor etc.

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell – was your favorite?

Woody

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Loss of Scotty of course. The other family losses in life. The gathering of the island community to offer help to the family. The contrast of the old wooden ways (woodsy great name for the man) to the new tech and more aggressive fishing wars.

Any additional comments?

Would like Alexi to write another good yarn.

a long fairytale with perfect narration

This book took its own sweet time getting anywhere, and I'm grateful it did. The narration was the perfect accompaniment.

This One is Tedious -- Folklore and Family at Sea

I thought this might be an exciting story of how a family made its way in the lobster fishery -- daring ships at sea and all. It was not. Rather, it was a monologue (well narrated by Cassandra Campbell) told by a lobsterman's daughter whose family had fished for lobster since the late 1700's. And thus begins the folklore -- tales about a great grandfather who painted (and tedious descriptions of his paintings and the locales from which he painted) and lots of folklore surround purported "mermaids" and other half creature/half human sea dwellers who influence(d) the Kings family through the centuries.

Somehow, this story just never did really grab my interest. The characters weren't very well developed and some of the "action" was contrived to add some zing to the story, it seemed. Moreover, it had a rather sudden ending in which there is: mayhem and death; a daughter vows to relive all the happenings included in her ancestor's paintings; babies happen; and alls well that ends well.

Three stars is a pretty generous rating, I think.

Ultimately Dissappointing

I started off really enjoying this story, but the author lost focus and the ending was rushed and ultimately dissappointing. As always, Cassandra Campbell reads this beautifully ! Her narration saves the story from being a complete train wreck.

The pride and weight of family....

This book was excellent - told from the first daughter's point of view. She is the "heir" of the family - the firstborn - and she bears the pride and weight of the family name - a family who has been fishing on a small island for centuries. This book spans her lifetime from the time she was a child - and has a component of myth, legend and stories - that form the "foundation" for them as the island's "First family"
A truly enjoyable read!
.

Incredible

One of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing, from an phenomenal author. The story carefully works it's own mythology into itself in a way that makes it familiar and believable. The story is simultaneously full of moments that make you sit on the edge of your seat and those that create a heartwarming tale of family and love. 10/10