A Kirk

The Return of Aussie Rural Noir

Revisado: 11-26-22

I loved "The Dry", the first book in the Aaron Falk series; both the book, and the film come to that. I loved the twists and turns of the plot which came to an unexpected but believable conclusion, I loved the background stories of (mostly) likeable but flawed characters with a lot of depth to them. You could even feel a degree of sympathy for the unlikeable ones. Sometimes. Sort of.

The second book, "Forces of Nature", I… enjoyed... but it's a stretch to say that I loved it. Falk was a more peripheral figure in that book. The main characters were flawed but not, on the whole, particularly likeable, and there really wasn't much of a twisting and turning plot. (Though there was still an "aha!" moment when all was revealed.) It was interesting, and I'll doubtless go and see the film which is now in production (thankfully with Eric Bana back wearing his badge), but it's not one that I expect to stay with me.

"Exiles" returns to the style of "The Dry". The characterisation is deep, complex and interesting, the parallel stories weave around in ways that keep you thinking and looking for clues, and the setting is relatable even for people who have never lived in small country towns. I also enjoyed the segments which involved characters reflecting on their life choices; what matters, what doesn't. I think that most people beyond the age of 35 will be given something to chew over there.

I found myself listening to it as often as possible, being pulled in by the story and hungry for more.

I did not, however, care much for the ending. No, not the ending to the twin central plots, which were in my view believable and tied up all of the threads neatly, but the ending to the book itself. I'm not sure that certain characters would make certain choices quite as readily, albeit with options being left open. Without giving too much away, it will make it difficult (not impossible, but difficult), for there to be a fourth Aaron Falk book. To me that's a pity because we've barely scratched the surface of where the character could go. On the other hand it's possible that the author has painted herself into a corner; after all, her preferred genre is small town noir, and there's a limit to how many times a city based Federal Police officer who specialises in financial crimes can plausibly get involved in small town crime and mystery. Still, no bridges were completely burnt in the making of the ending, and perhaps Harper is just teasing us.

The audiobook was narrated by Steve Shanahan, who did both of the previous Falk books as well. He speaks clearly, is easy to listen to, and has a pitch and accent which fits perfectly with this style of book. There were a few glitches in the recording's editing, such as a few paragraphs that were repeated, or gaps of silence which run on a little too long and make you wonder whether the recording has stopped, but nothing that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the recording.
This is the longest of the Falk books to date by a significant margin (The Dry being 9hrs 37, Forces of Nature being 8hrs and 57, and Exiles being 12hrs and 28) but in my view it wasn't "padded"; it didn't feel to me to be excessively long.

I don't know that I'll be listening to it again any time soon, but I enjoyed it (except for the one bit that I didn't) and would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well put together story with interesting characters.

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There is one word that I hate in an audiobook...

Revisado: 06-15-20

And that word is "abridged". I remember reading this book in text format. Great story, excellent book, brilliant writing. But I can't read it while driving or walking the dog, which is why I spend so much time with Audible titles these days.

This story needs to be told in full. In this recording, it isn't.

It was recorded 13 years ago according to the date of release, when data limits were much stricter. People were still listening on disks in a lot of cases. But that was then and this is now. I can understand why Michael Lewis may not want to re-record it himself - recording is an art, and not an easy one if you're creating a 10 hour long title - but it NEEDS an unabridged recording.

If Lewis himself does it, I'm fine with that. He's not the most naturally talented narrator, but I find him easy to listen to. (The random music that crops up in this recording less so, but I'll bet that those were CD intros and outros from the original recordings, and not particularly well done ones.)

The story may come from the 1980s but really, the mentality was seen again in the GFC (thankfully The Big Short, its natural heir, is unabridged), and you can bet it's still alive now.

Release an unabridged version (with no random music, please), and I for one will be in the line to purchase it.

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It's about the (mostly) men, not the machines

Revisado: 01-15-19

Even if you aren't a petrol head, Formula 1 addict, or even particularly interested in cars, you shouldn't click away yet or you may miss out on a story which is worth your time.

This is no dry, technical tome about the mechanical aspects of Formula 1; as the subtitle suggests, it's a "people story" at its heart. And a pretty compelling one, with a cast of characters who are so much larger than life that they would stretch believability had they been in a novel. But this is not a novel; the characters are all real, and these events happened.

There is drama, there is conflict (oh my yes, there is conflict), there is tragedy and the occasional touch of humour too.
Though the storyline flows (more or less) from the earliest days of what would become F1 through to the modern day, it's not a linear narrative. The best books usually aren't. Most chapters are based on a theme, and build on the foundations that were laid in the earlier chapters.

It's a style that I like; it doesn't drag you down into mind numbing detail at any one point. Instead the book builds on itself, layer by layer, chapter by chapter so that over time you learn more about the cast of characters. The earlier chapters provide context for the stories that will be told later.

I found it to be a very even-handed book, neither hagiography nor hatchet job though no doubt some of the characters will take issue with some of the things said about them. It's a very human trait to look past 5 positive things which are said about us and home in on one slightly negative one. Indeed nobody comes out of this book looking anything but human, with both strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices.

Yes, even Uncle Bernie, believe it or not.

I initially listened to rather than read the book, having purchased the Audible version which was narrated by the author.
That was a bit of a gamble, I think, but one which paid off. Many people underestimate the difficulty of narrating a work for hours on end without slurring or ending up with a voice that would not sound out of place in a frog. There is a reason why voice artists can make a living; it's a genuine skill.

I found Eason's tone to be calm and measured, but not boring. It may help that he was reading his own words, and it was therefore easier to impart the tone that he intended than it would have been for a voice over artist.

(I subsequently bought the Kindle version as well; it's easier to find passages that you want to re-read in an e-book than in an audio file. There are no illustrations, photos, etc in the Kindle edition other than those on the front cover not, I think, that it really needs them. I'm not sure whether that's also true of the printed edition since the photo acknowledgements section at the back seems a little too long to cover the 4 cover photos, suggesting that there may be more, but I'll leave readers of the print version to discuss that.)

So why read this if you aren't a Formula 1 fan? There can be enjoyment in a good story which is well told whatever the subject, and this satisfies both branches of that. Second, like it, loathe it or ignore it, Formula 1 has had an impact on the way the wider world works. When you turn the key in your car ignition, the parts of your car may not trace directly back to Williams or Ferrari but such teams will have had an effect, especially when it comes to safety features. Also, the sponsorships that were dragged into Formula 1 have had a profound and lasting effect on the relationship between the corporate world and the sporting world generally, and one which may outlast the sport itself.

By chapter 19 I was wanting to get to the end of the book. Not because I was tired of it but because I wanted to see what Eason had to say about the future of the sport. I've only recently acquired an interest in it but can see the storm clouds on the horizon, many of which Eason has also seen... but I'll leave him to speak for himself on that. For mine, while Liberty Media has done an excellent job in using social media to promote the sport, one of the stupidest things it could have done was to lock the broadcasts away behind paywalls of pay TV channels. The short term cash hit was wonderful no doubt, but I've lost count of the people I've heard say "F1 is dead to me" now that they have to pay to watch it. And without millions of viewers, why will advertisers continue to spend the sponsorship money that keeps the sport afloat?

Does the sport have a future? Time will tell. But it has a past, and a colourful past it is. I doubt you'll find many books tell the story of it better, from someone who was actually there for a lot of it.

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So you aren't a baseball fan?

Revisado: 09-24-18

It's OK, neither am I. I wouldn't know a shortstop from a triple play. Actually that's not quite true, I do now courtesy of this book, but it doesn't matter because Michael Lewis is a (perhaps THE) master of telling a story on a specific subject and making it about a whole range of issues related to that subject. You won't even notice that you've left the main road for a scenic detour through (for example) one player's formative years, his thoughts and hopes and aspirations and experiences, until you're suddenly back on topic and cruising through the main story again. You never lose sight of the main road, but the detours let you see it in context.

As is often the case he looks into the technology of his subject (without ever making it dry), the schools of thought surrounding it, both the conventional ones and the heretical ones... and most of all the people. Just as you don't need to be a finance expert (or even be particularly interested in finance as such) to appreciate The Big Short, you don't need to be a baseball fan to appreciate this story.

The story is about overcoming odds. About developing new ways of thinking to achieve something when conventional wisdom says you can't. About finding value in skills and people where the world says that the value doesn't exist. And, of course, about the people who come up with those ideas, the people who are affected by the ideas, and the people who push back against them.

As with many of Lewis' books you'll meet an interesting array of diverse characters who come to life through the words Lewis uses, and the stories he tells about them.

Scott Brick does an excellent job of bringing the story to life; he has a good voice, is easy to listen to, and adopts just the right pace to keep the listener engaged.

I really couldn't tell you how many times I've listened to this book since I bought it, save to say that I know the last time I listened to it won't be the last time that I listen to it.

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Exceptional narration of extraordinary writing

Revisado: 12-13-15

Where does The Killer Angels rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I don't think it is fair to compare. My library covers a range of subjects and topics. Let me say this instead; I can find no fault with either the book or its audio presentation. I know that other writers and narrators can do as well in their own way, but I cannot imagine anyone improving on the quality of this book.

What other book might you compare The Killer Angels to and why?

I wish I could compare it to the novels in the same series by Michael's son Jeff Schaara but annoyingly the Audible titles are abridged and sorry Audible, but the word "Abridged" immediately makes a title a "no go" zone for me. (Incidentally, Jeff's prologue to the book explaining its history is also well worth reading.) I have read some historical novels previously but I'm really not sure that they compare to The Killer Angels; it was something new at the time. Schaara sticks to history as far as he can but what's unique about the books is the way they try to place you inside the minds of the different participants without flights of fancy. (True, you can never know what's in another person's mind but the author seems to have tried his best to, based on what's known of them.) I wouldn't go so far as to say that Killer Angels is one of a kind, but certainly its approach is very different to most historical novels in my view.

Have you listened to any of Stephen Hoye’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Unfortunately not. But I almost feel as if he was born to read this book. The way his voice slips easily and in a readily identifiable way between the characters was outstanding. His delivery was pitched perfectly, his enunciation flawless, and he knew how to handle pace, particularly during Pickett's Charge.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were so many pieces of fine writing and narration in that book it probably be hard to do justice to any single one of them. If I had to choose, if there was no other option but to choose... perhaps the conversation between Lee and Longstreet after the battle, when Lee realises how badly he screwed up and Longstreet, though quietly angry that his advice had been ignored, still melted when Lee asked for his help.

Any additional comments?

I don't really like giving 5 star reviews; very few things in this world can be perfect. And it is probably true that this book isn't as well. Look long enough and hard enough and there will always be a fault to be found with anything. But in this case I was left with a feeling that I was dealing with literature (both written and audio) at its finest; the sort of writing and narration that can take you to another place and time and meet people that you will never be able to in real life. I would love to have met both Longstreet and Chamberlain, but it can never happen. This is as close as I can get. And if I were to find fault with this book I would feel it to be cheap and petty thing, undermining the insights that I had gained from it. Perhaps a couple of characters from history could have been explored in more detail; but more likely doing so would merely clutter the story rather than expanding it. Accordingly I give it 5 stars simply because nothing could improve the core of the story, the characters, the telling or the narration of it. This is a fine book (both written and audio) that I would not hesitate to recommend for anyone with an interest in the past, even if they aren't Civil War buffs (which I was not, though I'm much more interested now).

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