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My 2023 favorite
Dominique Roques' remarquable book
In Search of Perfumes

translated by Stephanie Smee

RED ZONE 

From the Offensive Line to the Front Line of the Pandemic 

by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Narrated by Jean Brassard 

As plans for the 2020 NFL season ramped up and daily cases of Covid-19 continued to skyrocket, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a fixture on the offensive line of the Kansas City Chiefs, stepped away from the game he loved. Not only an active player but also a medical school graduate, Laurent withdrew when he realized that continuing to play—and potentially spreading the virus—was antithetical to everything he believed in. 

From the incredible highs of winning the Super Bowl to the burnout of working as an orderly, Red Zone takes readers inside Laurent’s life as he grapples with his roles of medical professional and NFL football player during a global pandemic. But this captivating memoir also reveals Laurent’s remarkable personal story, detailing how his insatiable curiosity and solid work ethic led him from his family’s bakery in Montreal to his role as one of the most fascinating and accomplished people in professional sports. 

 

THE PRAGUE CEMETERY 

by Umberto Eco 
Narrated by Jean Brassard

Nineteenth-century Europe—from Turin to Prague to Paris—abounds with the ghastly and the mysterious. Jesuits plot against Freemasons. Italian republicans strangle priests with their own intestines. French criminals plan bombings by day and celebrate Black Masses at night. Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. Conspiracies rule history. From the unification of Italy to the Paris Commune to the Dreyfus Affair to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Europe is in tumult and everyone needs a scapegoat. But what if, behind all of these conspiracies, both real and imagined, lay one lone man? What if that evil genius created the world’s most infamous document? 

  

Umberto Eco takes his readers on a remarkable journey through the underbelly of world-shattering events. Here is Eco at his most exciting, a book immediately hailed as a masterpiece. 

 

Brought to life by the rich voice of Jean Brassard

Praises - accolades

English narration demos
Followed / suivies de
démos en français

The Prague Cemetery, by Umberto Eco,

 Weldon Emerson - Audible listener:

Excellent Narrator 

I was worried I wouldn’t be able to follow all the french but I was sucked in soon enough. An accomplishment to keep you zoomed in on the banal inner workings of such a despicable dude. Breezy narration on some of our darkest cultural DNA, with some detailed recipes taped on.

The American Fiancée, by Éric Dupont, translated by Peter McCambridge  

Peter McCambridge, translator - traducteur:

"I'm so glad that Jean was chosen to narrate the audio version. It's at once warm and delightful and very much larger than life - just like Eric's characters. Jean Brassard delivers the novel with a flourish, a suitably dramatic rendition of what is a fiercely dramatic family saga." 

"Je suis vraiment heureux que Jean a été choisi pour faire la version audio de ce livre. Sa lecture est à la fois chaleureuse, ravissante et plus large que la vie elle-même - comme les personnages d'Éric. Jean Brassard fait resplendir ce roman tout en respectant et même augmentant l'aspect dramatique de cette saga familiale.

Herwitchiness - reader comment on Instagram:  

 "finally, I was in the mood for a lengthy literary fiction novel, so I picked up the wonderfully written "The American Fiancée" by Eric Dupont with the perfectly chosen narrator Jean Brassard! Jean Brassard narrates it in such an Amélie way that no other narrator could have done it as well."  

"J'avais finalement envie d'un bon roman, je suis alors tombée sur le superbe "The American Fiancée" de Eric Dupont, avec le parfait narrateur Jean Brassard! Jean Brassard raconte cette histoire à la manière d'Amélie qu'aucun autre narrateur n'aurait pu accomplir."

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The Missing Matisse ,by Pierre Matisse 

Audiofile Magazine:

WWII is a source of limitless stories, and that is the case with artist Henri Matisse's grandson, the author of this memoir. Jean Brassard narrates Matisse's distinctive childhood experiences during the war in sing-songy French-accented English. Only minimally about art, this memoir recounts how war disrupts Pierre's idyllic life, which was peppered with encounters with his famous grandfather and family friend Pablo Picasso. With increasing intensity, Brassard recounts the transient, action-packed life of a family steeped in the French Resistance. Papa involves his precocious son, and as Pierre gets closer to the war, his childish adventures become those of an adult, and he endures starvation, illness, and separation from his family. Afterward, Pierre investigates family secrets and claims his identity. Pierre Henri Matisse himself opens and closes the narration, with his gravelly, thickly accented English providing authentic bookends for listeners.

Jean Renoir, Projections of Paradise, by Ronald Bergan 

RONALD BERGAN, author - auteur: 

"I'm thrilled by your reading of my biography of Jean Renoir.  (...) I think that nobody could have been better cast. You have just the right accent and timbre. In fact you make my book sound better than it is. (...) Congratulations on a great job of bringing my book alive." 

"Je suis ravi d'écouter votre lecture de ma biographie sur Jean Renoir. (...) Je crois que personne d'autre n'aurait pu la lire aussi bien. Vous avez le parfait accent et timbre de voix. En fait, dans votre voix mon livre sonne meilleur qu'il l'est. (...) Je vous félicite d'avoir donné vie à mon livre d'une façon magnifique."

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And Their Children After Them, by Nicholas Mathieu (original Et leurs enfants après eux -Prix Goncourt 2018)

Readers' comments on Audible.com - commentaire de lecteur

"The narrator does a great job with different voices between characters, and his French accent is completely palatable."

"Le narrateur fait un superbe travail avec différentes voix pour les personnages et son accent est absolument savoureux."

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Jean Brassard provides perfect narration, with a light accent that makes the story seem more French."

"Jean Brassard nous offre une narration parfaite, avec un léger accent qui rend l'histoire encore plus française."

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Revolution, Emmanuel Macron - English translation

Audible listener's comment:

The narrator has done a perfect job, and made listening to this book easier.

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French Twist, by James Paterson

Jackie Hudson - Audible listener's comment:

Fun story with excellent reader. 

Fun mystery that also made me laugh out loud. The reason is the excellent reader

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The Werewolf of Paris, by Guy Endore 

Readers' comments on Audible.com: 

"Jean Brassard provides perfect narration, with a light accent that makes the story seem more French." 

"Jean Brassard nous livre une narration parfaite, avec un accent léger qui donne un ton encore plus français à cette histoire."

"the reader//renderer does an excellent job, providing a more-than-5-star production of the story, with some real french inflections, unlike so many american readers whose three words of french [...] this rendition by a master linguist in american english and french is so helpful, so enjoyable to listen to.

"le lecteur fait un excellent travail, avec une prestation valant plus que 5 étoiles, avec de vrais inflections françaises, contrairement à plusieurs lecteurs américains qui ne connaissent que quelques mots de français (...) cette production de la part d'un maître linguiste en anglais américain et en français est des plus utiles et agréables à écouter."

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Murder on Brittany Shores and Death in Brittany, by Jean-Luc Bannalec 

Readers' comments on Audible.com - lecteurs sur audible:

"Jean Brassard is the narrator who not only sounds like he is Commissaire Dupin but does a great job with all of the characters." 

"Jean Brassard est le narrateur qui non seulement sonne comme le Commissaire Dupin mais qui fait un excellent travail avec les autres personnages."

"The narrator Jean Brassard really made the book come alive. He was able to communicate the personality of each character, something only the best narrators can do well. Brassard has that talent. (Sad to read that he will not be narrating the rest of the books in this series. I think I will just read them instead of listening.)" 

"Le narrateur a vraiment donné vie à ce livre. Il a su communiquer la personnalité de chaque personnage, une chose que seuls les meilleurs narrateurs savent faire. Brassard a ce talent. (Désolé de lire qu'il ne lira pas le reste de cette série. Je vais par conséquent les lire moi-même au lieu de les écouter."

"It was an excellent who done it with a reader who evoked a true French feeling for the local." 

"Un excellent polar avec un narrateur qui évoque une vraie saveur locale française."

"His accent. His apparent knowledge of Brittany. His apparent respect for the characters." 

"Son accent, sa connaissance Ă©vidente de la Bretagne. Son respect Ă©vident des personnages."

"Jean Brassard makes the pronunciations of the unfamiliar French sound so easy."

"Jean Brassard rend l'écoute des prononciations de mots français qui ne sont pas familiers si facile"

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The Waning of the Middle Ages, by Johan Huizinga 

Reader's comments on Audible.com - lecteur:

"This is a great classic work made more accessible by a wonderful reader." 

"Un superbe classique rendu encore plus accessible par un merveilleux narrateur."

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St-Cyr and Kohler Mystery series (8 books ) by J. Robert Janes (8 livres lus de cette collection)

Readers' comments on Audible.com - lecteurs:

"The narrator is excellent with his heavy French accent and French pronounciation of English words gives the book a whole lot of atmosphere. He really adds to the story." 

"Le narrateur est excellent avec son accent français et sa prononciation de mots en anglais donne au livre beaucoup d'ambiance. Il ajoute beaucoup à l'histoire."

"His lovely French accent brings a touch of authenticity that enhances the listening pleasure. Plus, his way of speaking helps me to understand how to say words in French!" 

"Son charmant accent français donne une touche d'authenticité qui rehausse le plaisir de l'écoute. Sa façon de parler aide à savoir comment prononcer des mots en français."

"As always the narrator is excellent." 

"Comme d'habitude ce narrateur est excellent."

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Wishbone, by Brooklyn Hudson 

Readers' comments on Audible.com: 

"Brooklyn Hudson's well-written and unputdownable story is brought to life by the rich voice of Jean Brassard. Whether you listen while driving in the car or snuggled under the covers WITH THE LIGHTS ON, this audiobook will keep you engrossed."

"Cette histoire captivante de Brooklyn Hudson est rendue palpable grâce à la voix riche de Jean Brassard. Que vous écoutiez sur la route ou sous les couvertures avec les lumières allumées, ce livre audio vous absorbera jusqu'au bout."