Uncle Cresty

Bourdain as Food Punk

Revisado: 02-12-15

Where does Kitchen Confidential rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

"Kitchen Confidential" gets at least a yearly listen for me. Sometimes I'll forget I have it, but then I watch the Travel Channel or, these days, CNN, and I'm reminded it's been a while to hear about how it all started. And I love the trip it takes me on.

What did you like best about this story?

I don't think you can "not" like a part of the story, since it's all a man's life as he lived it. None of it really comes off as bragging, and he's self-deprecating and painfully truthful where appropriate. Bourdain doesn't shy away from admitting the times when he was a bit of an asshole, and while some exaggeration seems to be a normal part of the story-telling, nothing comes off as ludicrous.

Which character – as performed by Anthony Bourdain – was your favorite?

Anthony Bourdain was reeeeally good at capturing the character of Anthony Bourdain ...

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

Absolutely ... it's engrossing, and always seems over too quickly. After purchasing, I listened to it twice in a row, making sure I didn't miss anything.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoy his shows, you'll more than likely enjoy this book. Just remember, this isn't a travelogue to various far-away lands (although France and Japan play prominent parts), but more the prequel to the Bourdain you now know. It's a rough journey, but extremely entertaining, often hilarious, and almost a "coming-of-age" tale from a guy who started out as a fairly typical brat, only to be humbled into starting the journey that brought him where he was today. I'd like to find Tyrone, the man who in a short minute was able to knock the young Bourdain off his pedestal and start him on the road that brought us the man he is today, and thank him for his services.

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Love this series!

Revisado: 12-16-14

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this book and series to a few of my friends. The story might not be for everyone, but I know a few who will get a kick out of it.

What other book might you compare Patient Zero to and why?

It's sort of an amalgamation of a classic monster genre (in this book, zombies), mixed with genuine modern mad science and high tech spies and general action. I don't know that there is another book to compare it to.

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

The first book I listened to with Ray Porter as narrator was "Hell House" by Richard Matheson, which led me to "14" by Peter Clines (which I only tried because Porter narrated it ... turned out to be another great book with great narration). Maberry's "Joe Ledger" series, to me, could only be narrated by Porter. To me, he is the voice of Ledger, and he does so well with all of the characters and narration. Couldn't imagine another narrator taking over. Porter obviously loves the character/series, too.

Any additional comments?

This series is never going to achieve "classic" status, and while the material is smart, it's still easy enough for a layman such as myself to follow easily. The action is non-stop, the dialog is fun, and the characters are always entertaining. Of course, there are a lot of "yeah, right" moments, but Maberry puts enough science behind his plots to make them, if not believable, at least they aren't bizarre to the point of dismissal. Sometimes a gadget will end up being a bit of deus ex machina, or a character will find life when he should be dead *cough*JoeLedger*cough* but that's sort of the point. Ledger is a meat head, but he's not incompetent. The drama is sometimes heavy-handed, but then again, I never rolled my eyes at it.

At times dramatic, funny, scary, always thrilling and full of action ... I never wanted the story to end.

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Come to the London underground

Revisado: 08-15-14

What did you love best about Neverwhere?

Neil Gaiman has such a way with words, and the people and places he writes about become a part of you. You could feel Door's world of London Below, and fall into step with the quirks of the various citizens of that place. The city itself is a character in the novel, always throwing new challenges at Richard.

What other book might you compare Neverwhere to and why?

Gaiman is singular in his style, so I'm hard-pressed to compare this novel to anything other than his other offerings. "Stardust" comes to mind, since the premise is sort of the same ... a normal fellow dealing with the trials of being whisked off to a different world.

Which character – as performed by Neil Gaiman – was your favorite?

Croup and Vandemar ... he was really able to bring out their nonchalant evil.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I'd read the novel over the years I don't know how many times before buying the audio, so I knew what to expect. If anything, it felt like finally meeting in person an old friend you'd only ever talked to in letters.

Any additional comments?

Gaiman as narrator, especially for this book, makes the entire experience perfect. I cannot suggest this offering enough.

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Egh ....

Revisado: 03-16-10

I love the series. The book is awesome, but I don't know why they couldn't bring back Sam Tsoutsouvas to do the narration. I got used to his inflections, and he seemed to be really into the story. This guy seems like he is just reading words off of the paper; sometimes it appears it's the first time he has seen the words. Where was the director?

The worst part? Zed. Sam Tsoutsouvas gave a great voice to Zed. Jim Bond turned him Irish for some reason. When I thought of Zed, I didn't picture him as Darby O'Gill.

Anyways, the story is still great, and if you can ignore the narration and just listen to the story for what it is, it's still a decent purchase.

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