A little something different today — I’m reviewing a fun audiobook!
Title: The Road to Bremen
Author: Kelsey Bryant
- Date read: October 23, 2020
- Rating: 5 stars
- Genre: Retelling
- Age: Anyone
- Year pub: 2019 (book), 2020 (audiobook)
- Length: 2 hours, 27 minutes (122 pages)
- Source: the author
- Notes: I received a code for a free Audible download from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
- Links: Audible • Amazon (book format) • Goodreads • Author’s Website
Listening to this audiobook was delightful! The narrator, B. E. Berhow, brought the characters to life—I particularly loved his voices for Rudiger the rooster (my favorite!), and Katarina the cat (she felt so marvelously cat-like!).
All of the voices he did were splendid (solid, clever Etzel the donkey, and loyal, mournful dog Jager), and I love how the characters leapt from the page—er, headphones?
I had read the book before, so it was wonderful to re-discover in this audio form, especially with the foreshadowing that came with knowing what was in store. 😀 I can only imagine that discovering it the first time would be fun as well!
It was such a fun and soothing listen! ^_^ Highly recommend!
***
(As for the story itself, here are my — slightly updated — thoughts I’d shared in my previous review when the book first released.)
I’ve always loved the folktale of the Bremen Town Musicians, the old donkey, dog, cat, and rooster on the road to become musicians in Bremen. Kelsey Bryant skillfully retold this fun tale and the audio version brings a whole new charm to it!
I loved how the retelling felt true to the original tale but brought out new and unexpected things too, with some excellent twists and turns! It has its own share of excitement and adventure and, yes, peril at times! But it still feels so absolutely cozy at the same time, which made me happy. 🙂
The Road to Bremen is like a golden sunbeam across a field of wheat on a quiet summer day. It just FEELS lovely. You want to bask in it as you read. It’s rich and well-written and draws you along like a breeze calling you to the shade of the forest. You can feel the dust of the road and you’ll smile or laugh at the quiet humor or the banter between these larger-than-life (but so REAL!) animal characters as they go on their adventure.
The characters are so loveable! Etzel the donkey, from whose perspective the story is told, absolutely stole my heart. I just love this donkey and his voice! He has so much character. Jager the dog is sort of mournful but funny. XD Katarina is so CAT-like and prim, and I loved the dog-vs.-cat references. And then Rudiger is so extremely vain and always quoting Aesop and it’s great. XD I just love them all! You have to read this to meet them!
Also, I love that it’s set in Germany and how there are German words thrown in here and there. I felt so immersed in the forest and town and roads and setting. It made me feel at home. 🙂
I totally recommend this if you enjoy retellings and need a quick listen, or if you have children in your life. It’s a wonderful listen (or read, if you get the illustrated version!) and made folding laundry and so on much more enjoyable. Just— *hugs book* It feels totally classic and makes me happy! ^_^
Utterly charming! A tale full of heart. ❤
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Kelsey Bryant lives in Central Texas, but being one-quarter German, she’s always wanted to visit Germany. Bogged down during the crafting of a much longer book, Kelsey started writing a retelling of one of her favorite fairy tales, “The Bremen Town Musicians,” to resuscitate her creativity. She rather liked the result.
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