I’ll See You in My Dreams

By: William Deverell

Narrated by: Steve Scherf

Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1962, Arthur Beauchamp is about to undertake his first murder trial. His defendant is Gabriel Swift, a politically active young aboriginal accused of killing Professor Dermot Mulligan, a former mentor to both men. Arthur becomes increasingly convinced that the police evidence against Gabriel is not only flimsy, but suspiciously convenient in a system - and a society - with entrenched racist assumptions. But as the case progresses, Arthur develops an uncomfortable sense that Gabriel is not telling him the whole truth. And to make matters worse, the green young lawyer is up against a wily veteran of the courts and a clever but biased judge. Five decades later, Arthur remains haunted by the case. Finally, he is compelled to emerge from retirement to try to complete what he began all those years ago. He must pass through some murky and long-repressed personal territory along the way, but the journey ultimately offers hope for the peace of redemption.

©2011 William Deverell (P)2014 Steve Scherf Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Excellent... Readers will hope they haven’t seen the last of the endearigly complex, fallible, and fascinating Beauchamp." ( Publisher’s Weekly)

This entertaining audiobook narrated by Steve Scherf is... complex, yet realistic with brilliant courtroom scenes which are William Deverell’s trademark. This audiobook also provides the listener with a discerning glimpse into life in British Columbia in the early 1960’s.11-8-14 AudiobookMonthly.com (susan-keefe.com)

A wonderful listen

Where does I’ll See You in My Dreams rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I drive between major cities and love audio books. Steve Scherf's performance is the best I have ever heard. Here's why: There is immediate suspension of disbelief and the story unfolds like a conversation with an old friend. As mentioned in my Amazon review, this is the sort of novel where you put on an old cardigan, throw a log on the fire and enjoy....

Who was your favorite character and why?

It has to be the protagonist: Arthur Beachamp (Beecham!) around whom the story is centered. Steve Scherf brings him to life without over embellishing the role. Maybe this is what works so well: the subtleties and nuances of the character are what make this story so compelling.

Have you listened to any of Steve Scherf’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my introduction to Steve Scherf's work. I listen to many audio books - some are 'hammy' and others are wooden or stilted. Lastly, I was amazed: Steve makes no errors in the entire read. I realize that there is editing involved but, nonetheless, this is an impressive feat!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A question of life.

Any additional comments?

Please see my review of the book on Amazon. I was delighted by William Deverell's careful crafting of this novel.

Read first book first or you won't get it

This audiobook is narrated by Steve Scherf. He does a good job. This book is slow and has no real tension. Scherf can do little more than read this book. I didn't care about any of the characters, I didn't care about the Canadian legal system. The story about a young lawyers lifetime of guilt over pleading a not guilty native Indian guilty for murder has no emotion. 

My research into this author shows this to be the 5th of 6 books in the Authur Beauchamp series. I reviewed a book Mecca also written by this Canadian Author. I had some of the same complaints about that book but it was far better than this book.

I may be kinder if I had known the characters but I am not sure it would help. It took me a long time to listen to this very long audiobook. The only incentive I had to finish the book is the fact that I received this from a publisher who asked for my honest review. I would like give the narrator Steve Scherf another chance with better material. 

This book was received for an honest review.

Great Entertainment

Steve Scherf’s narration William Deverell’s I’ll See You in My Dreams is a tour de force. One quickly comes to recognize each character’s distinctive voice and mannerisms. As Scherf speaks one is transported to and immersed in the scene. You find yourself seated in the public gallery of a 1960’s courtroom, watching the contestants as they spar and feeling the tension build. Then you are back in the present, relaxing on the patio of a sleepy island coffee shop and eavesdropping on the unique cast of local characters as they trade the latest gossip. Deverell has a gift for developing characters; Scherf has the ability to bring them to life.

William Deverell’s Arthur Beauchamp series are among my favorite books from this author. This is the first Beauchamp book narrated by Steve Scherf. I eagerly look forward to joining Beauchamp and the others in future Scherf productions.

Another Deverell classic

Have you listened to any of Steve Scherf’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Easily compares to his best works. Any limitations are really due to the characters and pace of the book itself.

Any additional comments?

I’ll see you in my dreams, by William Deverell and read by Steve Scherf was probably my best experience with one of Deverell’s books, and I’ve quite enjoyed the others I’ve listened to.
The book, the fifth on the series featuring Arthur Beauchamp, QC, is a reflection back on Beauchamp’s first case defending a capital charge. Beauchamp is, by this point, in the twilight of his career when a writer publishes his biography, causing him to reflect back on the case, and how his inexperience led to decisions that he has regretted since. Beauchamp believed that his client, Gabriel Swift, was innocent, and that the police had stacked the evidence against him. The story flips between present day and the early part of Beauchamp’s career. There aren’t a lot of surprises in the story line, but it is a hugely enjoyable story to listen to, particularly when well read. As usual, Deverell touches on a number of social issues, including aboriginal rights, women’s rights and the legal system in general. With a good part of the story set in the early 1960’s, it provides a good reference on how far we’ve come, while recognizing that we still have a way to go. The continued references to the musicians of the early ‘60s was pretty interesting/humorous as well.
Complimenting a great story was an excellent reading by Steve Scherf. As usual, this man of a thousand voices made a character-rich book very easy to follow, and very enjoyable to listen to. He brings the characters to life, and has captured the “voice” of the early 1960’s when the bulk of the story takes place.
Great book, great narration. What’s not to like?

I'll See You in My Dreams

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I didn't care for the language and sexual talk and was more interested in the mystery. But the second half of the book was better.

Have you listened to any of Steve Scherf’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Much better than the other one I listened to. His different voices and accents were right on.

A very detailed legal mystery

Frankly, I found this book tedious - it's a good story but too much detail, not enough action, in my opinion. Probably good for a long commute, but in my present situation I prefer something a bit livelier and more entertaining.

Very enlightening as to the Canadian legal system and the appalling treatment of the Native population in the mid 20th century.

I like the narrator. His performance is not perfect, but his voice suits the characters well. Some of his pronunciations are strange but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and assuming that's how they say those words in Canada.

A good book, but the narration annoyed me.

Maybe it's nitpicking because the narrator does a good job of matching voices to characters and handling various accents. However, mispronunciations are so frequent that I actually started listening for them. Examples are "stead" became "steed", "ribald" became "ribbled", "contemplative" pronounced with a long "a" and the accent on the third syllable, and probably most baffling given the background of the main character "Aeneid" was pronounced with a long "a" and the accent on the first syllable.

This work of fiction frames universal realities

If you could sum up I’ll See You in My Dreams in three words, what would they be?

Brilliant, relevant, balanced

Any additional comments?

I’ll See You in My Dreams by William Deverell and read by Steve Scherf provides the listener with a cornucopia of experiences as it is laced with universal themes. Arthur Beauchamp, pronounced Beechem, is a highly acclaimed criminal lawyer who has retired to a small West Coast island where he now faces reading his biography which stirs up a complicated past. As a young aspiring academic, Arthur decided to leave classical studies to become a lawyer, a profession far different from the cotton baton world of academia. He was seen as a bright rising star and given a murder case that was a political hotcake. Giving the young fledgling the case meant the partners could deny any responsibilities if he lost. Set in the 60’s when North America experienced one of its most dramatic cultural revolutions, Arthur soon lost his innocence in his pursuit of justice as he faced one of the top lawyers of the day. Flashbacks cover a myriad of issues the 60’s offered up, especially for a young, idealistic WASP. We see Arthur struggling to make sense of this foreign world. The case left him scarred and continued to influence decisions throughout his life. Fast forward to the present and we see a retired lawyer living in a countryside atmosphere where the antics of unique characters on the island make you chuckle and invite you to venture into the local coffee shop to listen to the most recent gossip. Steve does an amazing job of narrating. Not only does he enunciate clearly, but he has the type of voice you look forward to hearing. His characters are distinctive to the point where you can hear the angst and struggles of the young Beauchamp versus the now wise, experienced lawyer. I have read all the Arthur Beauchamp series and look forward to more on tape because I love Arthur and the supporting cast, the settings and the mysteries. I found that Steve’s rendition opened up new avenues of discovery I missed when I read the book.

Great Story but...

The story line is very interesting, the mystery of what truly happened kept to the end. The author keeps up the patter and draws you in to the main characters life and experiences. I found myself rooting for Arther, Gabriel from the start.
The only objection about the story is the needless references of sexual activity. I realize sex sells but you know what if the story line is good you can sell it without the filth. I wanted to delete the book after the first reference to the these detailed activities but at same time wanted to know what happened. The story could have been told without so much graphic details.

Good story, faulty narration

Would you try another book from William Deverell and/or Steve Scherf?

I like William Deverell's writing. I enjoy reading his books as well as listening to them. The one thing that stopped me, almost cold -- almost prevented me from going to the end of this story -- was Steve Scherf's deadpan, frequently flawed, narration. So I'd try another William Deverell book, for sure. But not if it's narrated by Steve Scherf, I'm sorry to say.

Would you recommend I’ll See You in My Dreams to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend it as a book to read, but not to listen to. The voice just didn't match the story in any way.

Would you be willing to try another one of Steve Scherf’s performances?

No, I'm afraid not. His performance in this book was drab, dull, almost a monotone. I felt he was reading it as a high school student might -- a high school student without the necessary charm of delivery; perhaps someone who was bored by his task. His accents were dreadful, I thought -- although he did a fairly good rendition of Gabriel Swift's way of speaking. That DID sound real. The voice of Annabelle was ridiculous and implausible. Stoney sounded realistic, if a bit overdone. Arthur himself sounded like a robot. What just about drove me crazy, and this was the very worst of Steve Scherf's performance, was his constant mispronunciation. There were so many mispronounced words that I wish now I had made a list. Words like "picturesque" ("pikaresk") and the name of a well-known composer and violinist... common words, too, with what should have been true Canadian pronunciations. "Foyer" became "fwyai"; there were so many others. This is why I'm writing this review, to ask: Didn't anyone listen to him before the audiobook was published? Isn't there a form of audio "proofreading"? My ears were offended. If this voice represents a Canadian way of speaking, I'm even more insulted. I almost stopped listening, but I wanted to see how the story ended.

Was I’ll See You in My Dreams worth the listening time?

It was, but that was only because the story itself was compelling. I like William Deverell, and I loved hearing about Garibaldi Island and Vancouver. I like the character of Arthur Beauchamp (Beecham!). But next time I'll read the books so I can hear Arthur Beauchamp and the others in the voices I imagine the author intended.

Any additional comments?

William Deverell is a brilliant author. He's funny, sharp, and a tremendous storyteller. I just wish he had listened to the audiobook version of "I'll See You in My Dreams" before it went public with his name attached to it. I have a feeling he'd be as disappointed as I was.