Joe Barlow

Computers shouldn’t read books!

Revisado: 07-27-24

Horrible A.I. narration detracts from the great content. Please stop putting good narrators out of work.

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Great story, horrible narrator

Revisado: 11-09-23

I'm a big fan of the original film, and wanted to hear this audiobook of the novelization, written by the film's screenwriter and director. The story is just as good as the movie, but the narrator is one of the worst I've ever heard. He gives every single character in the book, and I do mean EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER, a cartoonish, overly exaggerated, Gomer Pyle-type Southern accent, which the characters in the movie didn't have. It's horrendous and unlistenable. I'll probably buy the Kindle version and finish it that way. I don't ever want to hear this narrator's attempt at "characterization" again.

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A mixed bag

Revisado: 06-18-23

Most of this book reads like a condensed version of Helter Skelter, with little new to offer. However, there is a bit of interesting new info about the various appeals hearings that have taken place in recent years.

The choice to use an Aussie narrator to tell this decidedly American story is strange, especially since he continuously mispronounces Vincent Bugliosi’s name. For the most part, he's okay. But the final chapter, an interview with Manson, is nearly impossible to get through. It’s acted out like a play, with the “actor” portraying Manson prattling on in an exaggerated Southern accent that sounds like Foghorn Leghorn.

It’s a book, not a drama. You can just read it.

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Missed opportunity

Revisado: 05-27-23

Want to know about the life of a working voice actor? Not much here. Want to learn about the author’s unfortunate medical condition which causes him to poop his pants from time to time? Plenty here.

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Okay, but less than this brilliant show deserves.

Revisado: 04-01-23

This is a sporadically interesting collection of essays examining various aspects of the wonderful South Park television series and its impact on pop culture through the prism of philosophy. Often dry and academic, it does nonetheless manage to deliver sporadic food for thought. But since each chapter is written by a different author, on a different topic, you're unlikely to enjoy the entire book equally. Topics include the show's morality, stance on feminism, religious representation, LGBT representation, and Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Libertarian values. The narration is good.

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Good, with some missed opportunities

Revisado: 12-18-22

What you get out of this will depend on what you're expecting.

If you want a true autobiography of James Rolfe, from his childhood to his high school and college experiences, to a few horrible-sounding day jobs before he created the Angry Video Game Nerd, you'll get it.

If you want to hear how James learned how to make short movies and videos on a microscopic budget, you'll get it.

If you want to hear about his band Rex Viper, you'll get (way too much about) it.

If you want to hear how James created the Angry Video Game Nerd and eventually made the feature film of the same name, you'll get it.

If you want to hear how James met his frequent collaborators Mike, Bootsy, and Kyle, you'll get it.

If you want to hear James talk about the very public termination of his friendship with Bootsy and Kyle, or the controversial and tone-deaf actions that Mike took on behalf of the Cinemassacre channel while James was away shooting the AVGN movie, or to finally hear James address the fan outrage of Screenwave taking over most of the AVGN production duties, you'll be very disappointed. James has never spoken publicly about these events, and this book remains silent. (Screenwave gets maybe three sentences.)

A pity, since these are the events I most wanted to hear about. It's as if James thinks controversy doesn't exist if he ignores it. This is a huge omission, especially since Bootsy and Kyle just vanish toward the end of the book with no explanation. Also, James refers to Mike by his last name, Matei, almost exclusively. It's weird. That doesn't like something you do to a friend.

I liked most of the book, though. It's nice to have James doing his own narration, although he does mispronounce the same words he regularly mispronounces in his Cinemassacre videos (for example, things get "burryed" in the desert, not "buried.")

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An intimate and raw look at talented dysfunction

Revisado: 12-09-22

What a story. I'm a recent convert to the Louvin Brothers' music, and this is a perfect overview. This amazing audiobook really lets you feel what Charlie and Ira went through as they pursued their musical dreams while also trying to stay one step ahead of Ira's demons. The narration is excellent, and truly makes you feel like you're hanging out on the front porch with Charlie, listening to him tell gripping stories about the past.

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Supremely silly, in the best possible way

Revisado: 08-11-21

What a fun story!

Gertrude is a cantankerous busybody with a walker and an attitude, who takes matters into her own hands when she discovers that her neighbor is missing. Full of hilarious antics (I chuckled many times while listening), colorful supporting characters, excellent narration, and a good mystery at the center of it all. I love how Gertrude needs a walker, yet is capable of Jackie Chan-like antics when the need arises.

Light and frothy. A great comedic mystery for a short(ish) car trip.

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Love letter to Chandler and Christie

Revisado: 08-08-21

Lawrence Block is one of my favorite authors, and this book plays like a love letter to two of my other favorites: Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie. It would be impossible for me NOT to love it!

Richard Ferrone is my favorite narrator of the Burglar books, because it's so clear he gets it: the playful tone, the gentlemanly sarcasm, the smiling banter between Bernie and the other characters. Throw in an Agatha Christie/English cozy mystery setting, and a plot that involves a rare Raymond Chandler 1st edition of "The Big Sleep," and I'm in heaven. I desperately want to travel to Cuttleford House and spend a snowy weekend reading by the fire and chatting with the Colonel.

This isn't one of the most beloved Burglar books, but since it was practically tailor-made to my interests, I love it beyond all rationality. A+.

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Birth of a Legend

Revisado: 08-08-21

Laconic detective Matthew Scudder hits the ground running in "Sins of the Father," his first adventure.

After he accidentally kills a young girl in the line of duty, New York cop Scudder quits the force, leaves his family, and takes up residence in a dilapidated hotel. He makes ends meet by working as an unlicensed private investigator and spends his days trying to drink away the numbness of life. But after a grieving father hires him to look into the murder of his daughter, Scudder finds his staid routine disrupted. The police consider the case open and shut... but could there be more to it?

As usual, master storyteller Lawrence Block gives us a gripping mystery full of memorable characters and intriguing plot twists, while introducing one of crime fiction's most enduring protagonists. Although Scudder here isn't nearly as nuanced or developed as he'd eventually become, he's still recognizable. A must-read, if only to see the birth of an iconic detective.

The wonderful narration by Alan Sklar brings Scudder to world-weary life. Highly recommended, as is the entire series.

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