DarylP

Love this series

Revisado: 08-04-21

Here’s to Rhys Bowen for her characters and her sense of humor. Here’s to Roger Clark for bringing it all to life. He’s a master at Welch pronunciation and making it clear, without changing his tone, as to who is talking. I hope we haven’t heard the last of Constable Evans and his adventures in a small town where big things happen.

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Around the campfire...

Revisado: 10-19-20

Tana French is one of my favorite writers. The Searcher is beautifully written, her best writing yet. It is not the usual police procedural you expect from her, but a character-driven story that gets to the heart of a rural Irish town and evokes old American westerns. Roger Clark, who narrates the audiobook, does a fantastic job of delineating each character, no easy trick, especially in the populated pub scenes. Whether the speaker is a man or woman, American or Irish, adult or child, you never doubt who is speaking. All have distinctive accents. All sound natural.
Cal, a retired American cop, is seeking a life change in the rural west of Ireland. You won't be surprised that he doesn't stay retired for long. Clark tells his story in a way reminiscent of tales told around a campfire. His performance is entertaining, but never overwhelms the story. He lets the good writing shine through.
This goes to the top of my list of all-time favorite audiobooks.

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Alas. Interminable.

Revisado: 12-13-18

I love Tana French’s books. I so looked forward to this one. It was way too much of a good thing. I kept listening for more than 22 hours (!) simply to find out whodunit. Unfortunately, it turned out to be more like a who didn’t do it. French has a knack for police interrogation. These bits were the high point of this book about a long-deceased body found on a family estate outside Dublin. But the excruciating level of detail, delivered by a hyperdramatic narrator, had me shouting at the narrator, “Just get on with it!” more than once. I almost gave up several times. Sorry I didn’t.

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Unbelievable

Revisado: 10-12-18

I feel guilty giving this much-touted memoir low grades. But I found it difficult to believe that a woman as smart as Tara -- who earned a PhD from Cambridge without benefit of a secondary school education -- could continue to allow herself to be abused by her religious zealot father and very sick brother. She showed dogged determination in every aspect of her life, except where they were concerned. She continued to place herself in harm's way. I know this is her story, and I don't judge her at all. Familial relationships are complicated. But I did not enjoy her story of repeated physical abuse in the name of religion and her insistence on blaming herself. I'm glad she finally got help.
The narration was competent. I got a chill every time her voice shifted to that serpent-like tone of the father.

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A mouthful of fun.

Revisado: 08-01-17

If you like "visiting" unique parts of the world and plugging in to the local lore, this series is for you. Evan Evans is the constable of Llanfair, a bucolic valley village in Wales. Everyone is named Evans and called by their professions, i.e. The constable is know as Evans the Law. Evans the Meat is the butcher and chief murder suspect in this charming story which involves the deaths of two outsiders within 24 hours. The village charm is made vivid by the expert narrator, Roger Clark, who impresses with his ability to pronounce Welch names of Record-setting length. Treat yourself.

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History and mystery

Revisado: 07-24-17

Roger Clark's mesmerizing narration has kept me waiting for the next Tom Tyler mystery from Maureen Jennings. This book, set in WWII England, did not disappoint. It combines two eras of English history with a romantic turn for the star detective. Clark's sonorous tones and subtle shifts of emphasis to differentiate between characters, including two children and an Italian prisoner of war, produce a professional audio experience about the discovery of old coins. Bravo, and thanks.

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An American Horror Story, Beautifully Wrought

Revisado: 05-03-17

If you could sum up The Underground Railroad (Oprah's Book Club) in three words, what would they be?

Magnificently told history.

What other book might you compare The Underground Railroad (Oprah's Book Club) to and why?

This book carries the same theme as many that tell the shameful story of slavery and its effects, a horrible scar on our nation that has yet to heal. Like Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings," it chronicles the human imperative to be free. Yet it is a freshly told tale. Through its main character Cora, a Georgia slave girl, it is a poetic and touching version of the slavery story. It chronicles the hope that arises from the darkest pit of cruelty to the light of human kindness at the other end.

Which character – as performed by Bahni Turpin – was your favorite?

Cora, the slave girl who escapes via the Underground Railroad (a literal railroad, which is a deft convention) to a life beyond shackles, but can never be truly free from the damage of her past.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I found any excuse I could to take walks and listen yet dreaded finishing.

Any additional comments?

The author's words are spare and poetic. His simple sentences evoke the best and worst of the characters and situations he describes. The listener/reader is thrust back in time to an era of unspeakable treatment of blacks and forced to look at its ugliness full in the face. Whithead's writing could not be more economical, yet his words are precisely the right words that cut to the heart of his message. I came away with an abiding respect for human resilience via Cora and an uplifting belief that, in the end, the good in people stands out.

The narrator Bahni Turpin could not have done a better job of gliding smoothly from character to character, whether good, evil, old, young, black or white, with complete competence and clarity.

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In-depth police procedural

Revisado: 11-17-16

Would you consider the audio edition of The Trespasser to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print edition, but the narration of Hilda Fay brought Antoinette Conway to life. Her accent rang true and it was easy to distinguish which character was talking. Her portrayal of Breslin made me want to punch him.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Trespasser?

Conway's interview with Lucy, the murder victim's best friend, was poignant as well as skillful. It was so beautifully written that you felt you were in the room.

What does Hilda Fay bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Conway's Dublin accent and the level of her anger, which might not have been obvious in print but was important to the story.

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

A fairy tale gone wrong

Any additional comments?

Tana French writes wonderful detective stories about the Dublin murder squad, but they are far from routine. She gets inside a detective's head and weaves his/her personal story in with the mystery at hand to inform the action. She makes clear that there are gray areas in how police operate, and doesn't settle for the obvious black-and-white solution. I loved the way this book took you inside the interrogation room and revealed many of the tricks that police use to elicit the truth from suspects. French also explains the loyalty that pervades the police force and the lengths detectives will go to protect it.Antoinette Conway, the main character in "The Trespasser," is a smart, strong detective. She just doesn't know it yet. I hope we will hear more from her.

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Not for everyone, but a brilliant work of art.

Revisado: 11-22-15

Would you consider the audio edition of A Little Life to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print edition but the audio really brought the story and characters to life.

What did you like best about this story?

Its brave exploration of how hard it is for victims of unimaginable childhood abuse to leave the shame and self-hatred behind, no matter how successful the majority of their life.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to pick a favorite but I think I appreciated best the scenes where Willem coaxes the truth out of Jude simply by holding and reassuring him that Willem is worthy of Jude's trust.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really, because each layer was more and more disturbing and it was hard to take except in small doses. I listened to it on my daily walks and could go for miles without realizing I had done so.

Any additional comments?

This is a brilliant novel, not necessarily for everyone. But it gets to the heart of some very disturbing facts of life that even true friendship can't overcome. The character of Jude particularly is one I will never forget. I find myself thinking of him as real, and will never stop wishing that he could have believed those who loved him that he was worthy of their praise; that his life was worth living. This novel took me to places I never thought I'd want to go, but it made me understand the profound suffering of the abused. I am more compassionate because of it.

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Spooky story. All it lacks is the campfire.

Revisado: 10-09-15

Where does The Silence of Ghosts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very entertaining, mostly due to the narrator, Roger Clark. He can scare the heck out of you just by whispering. I don't read many ghost stories but this one is compelling and has the added benefit of historical perspective.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Octavia. Never a friendlier nor more appealing ghost.

What does Roger Clark bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I can't say enough about this narrator. He has the ability to be all characters, including women and children, without being obvious or patronizing. His narration never detracts from the story but carries the listener through it as if he/she were there. He's a natural story-teller.

If you could rename The Silence of Ghosts, what would you call it?

Well, they aren't really silent.

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