The Haunting of Falcon House

Young Prince Lev Lvov is finally going to take his place at the home of his ancestors. The last of a proud line, Lev dreams of noble stature and military glory. He's determined to emulate his grandfather, a true hero. However, life at Falcon House is not exactly what Lev expected: the house is dusty and most rooms are closed up, the servants are quirky, and the only other member of the family in the enormous house is his volatile aunt. Left for the night in his grandfather's study (believed by the servants to be haunted, but Lev is a true Lvov, not given to superstition!), Lev meets the only other child in the house, an odd boy named Vanyousha. In Vanyousha's company, Lev sets out to learn the secrets of Falcon House -- but what he show more discovers does not throw a positive light on his illustrious grandfather. Just who is Vanyousha? Why has Lev been brought to Falcon House? These are only a few of the questions that readers will uncover as they journey with Lev and Vanyousha through the dank and moldy halls of Falcon House.

Though at first it appears to be just a ghost story, this book has surprising depth as Lev learns the truth about his grandfather and decides what sort of man he is to be. Ah, Russians: even your ghost stories are more melancholy than scary! This book runs the gamut of emotions -- there are a few frightening moments, some sad ones, and a surprising amount of humor, too (I loved the scene where Lev and Vanyousha slid down the banister!) There are two twists at the ending, one of which I was expecting, and one of which surprised me. Recommended. show less

The Haunting of Falcon House
Written by Eugene Yelchin
Narrated by Michael Bakkensen and George Guidall
Published 2016 by Recorded Books
5 hours and 2 minutes

I received a free audio copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I was in my early twenties, I discovered the writing of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky which sparked in me an enthusiasm for Russian literature. The Haunting of Falcon House appealed to me because it’s a middle-grade ghost story set in late Czarist Russia. The story begins when twelve year old Prince Lev Lvov goes to live with his aunt Olga at Falcon House in St. Petersburg. The story moved very slowly for me and wasn’t as spooky as I had anticipated but about midway through the book, I show more began to enjoy it. What I liked most was the message to be your own person and “not follow the rules”—especially as it applied to the context of this story.

There are two narrators for this book. George Guidall narrates the prologue, introduces the beginning of each CD, and closes the book by reading the notes. There isn’t much to say about his performance in this book but I’ve listened to some of his other work and he is a solid performer. The main narrator and voice of the story is Michael Bakkensen. This was my first experience hearing this narrator. Unfortunately, I didn’t like his pronunciation of some words—especially the Russian words—and thought his reading pace was too slow. His performance was okay for most of the story but I was so annoyed with some of the pronunciation that it detracted from the rest of his performance.

I would have probably enjoyed this book more if I had read it. In the prologue, George Guidall mentions the book’s illustrations which I missed in the audio version so I’ve placed the book on hold at the library. show less

Nice plot twists-engaging mix of mystery and ghosts. Loved the language-not a huge fan of the art.

Title: The Haunting of Falcon House
Author: Eugene Yelchin
Publisher: Recorded Books
Narrator: Michael Bakkensen and George Guidall
Minutes Listened: 80 minutes (25%)
Vote: NO

Plot: 12 year old Prince Lev is sent to his aunt to take his place as heir to Lvov family estate in this mystery.


Production: I am a huge fan of this author and I hope that reading this book will be a wonderful mystery for its readers (middle grade). However, the production is lackluster. It does begin with a long author note about the story and the drawings (which obviously, we do not see in the audiobook). The reader reads very slowly and with very little emotion or excitement or fear (when required). Hence, the No vote.

A long undisturbed bedroom. A startling likeness. A mysterious friend.
When twelve-year-old Prince Lev Lvov goes to live with his aunt at Falcon House, he takes his rightful place as heir to the Lvov family estate. Prince Lev dreams of becoming a hero of Russia like his great ancestors. But he'll discover that dark secrets haunt this house. Prince Lev is the only one who can set them free-will he be the hero his family needs?