The Art of the Engine Driver, Steven Carroll
The Art of the Engine Driver, Steven Carroll
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The Art of the Engine Driver

Author: Steven Carroll

Narrator: David Linski, Tom Bromhead, Fiona Hardingham

Unabridged: 6 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/01/2015

Synopsis

On a hot summer’s night in the 1950s, the old and the new, diesel and steam, and town and country all collide—and nobody will be left unaffected.As a passenger train leaves Spencer Street Station on its haul to Sydney, a family of three—Vic, Rita, and their son, Michael—are off to a party. George Bedser has invited the whole neighborhood to celebrate the engagement of his daughter. Vic is an engine driver, with dreams of being like his hero Paddy Ryan and becoming the master of the smooth ride. As the neighbors walk to the party, the story delves into the lives of a bully, a drunk, a restless girl, and a young boy forced to grow up before he is ready. The Art of the Engine Driver is a luminous and evocative tale of ordinary suburban lives, told with an extraordinary power and depth.

About Steven Carroll

Steven Carroll was born in Melbourne. His first novel, Remember Me, Jimmy James, was published in 1992. The Art of the Engine Driver and The Gift of Speed were short-listed for the Miles Franklin Award, which the final book in the trilogy, The Time We Have Taken, won in 2008. Steven Carroll lives in Melbourne with his partner and son.

About David Linski

David Linski (a.k.a. David Ligudzinski and David Atlas) is a graduate of the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, Australia. He has numerous voice-over credits, an extensive theatrical résumé, and has starred in short and feature films both in the United States and Australia.

About Tom Bromhead

Tom Bromhead is a uniquely international voice artist. He now lives in Los Angeles, but having grown up in Australia and England, as well as being a musician, has given him an ear for accents and characters. He has appeared in commercials with Jane Lynch and Mena Suvari and performed voices for animation and video games, including Skylanders, Transformers, and Call of Duty. Tom performed as a stand-up comedian, traveling as far afield as Kuala Lumpur, Darwin, and London. He studied at Richmond Drama School in London and Second City in Los Angeles.

About Fiona Hardingham

Fiona Hardingham is a British-born actress, singer, voice-over artist, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. On stage, she appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in her comedic one-woman show The Dark Show. She has also starred in the dark-comedy short film The Ballerino. She earned a BA honors degree in performing arts from Middlesex University, London, and also studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by John on July 07, 2015

Evocative: that single word greatly describes Steven Carroll’s book, The Art Of The Engine Driver, because, for the older reader, it evokes long-held memories of Australian society sixty years ago. Contextual might be a better word for the younger reader. We intrude on the lives of folk residing in a......more

Goodreads review by Gemma on May 04, 2013

A book that tantalises and frustrates! Tantalising thumbnails of characters drifting through a season in their lives. The just outside Melbourne setting of the 1950's is like a weigh station - taking stock of past and present before moving on. Initially, the sense of place is beautifully described a......more

Goodreads review by Chris on January 17, 2018

The 5th book of Steven Carroll's I've read and I've enjoyed 4 of them----all of a similar standard---good at describing ordinary situations---similar to Richard Russo and Kent Haruf---but not quite in their league. This is a simple story of working class people well told, set in an outer Melbourne s......more

Quotes

“A veritable little gem…a beautiful discovery.” Elle (France)

“Subtle, true, and profoundly touching.” Le Monde (Paris)

Awards

  • Miles Franklin Award
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