Malin

Beautifully written and performed

Revisado: 08-26-21

This beautifully written novel underscores the complexities of family relationships, the tangled web of human connections, and the decisions, difficulties and yes, wondrousness at the end of our not-so-golden years. I was invested in the characters from start to finish, and the performances by the readers only added to my experience. Northern Ontario is a character as much as Clara and Liam; now I want to visit. My only critique lies in the somewhat abrupt ending, but then, that could be because I was enjoying Lawson’s jewel of a story so much, I did not want it to end.

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Ponzi before Ponzi

Revisado: 12-31-19

It took me one chapter to be drawn in to Clinch’s prequel to A Christmas Carol, after which I was hooked. Clinch, a Dickensian name if ever there was one, beautifully captures the cadence of Victorian England, along with every trope of Dickens’s classic. As luck would have it, I had the chance to see the new Steve Knight version of the story right before beginning this Audible performance. It was like getting a double whammy dose of darkness added to an already cautionary tale. Business convolutions and shadows are given free reign in Clinch’s Marley, and although the book centers on the title character, Scrooge is not given short shrift. He becomes a more understandable figure under Clinch’s pen; I saw him as a boy to man dealing with a type of OCD and perhaps spectrum challenge that influences his emotional intelligence. We also are given compelling spins on Fan and Belle, welcomed additions to the tale. Davies gives an excellent read, imbuing Scrooge with an interesting humanity when the storm of numbers and sums finally settle and he can truly talk to Belle, but there is a tinge of undue malevolence in his speech for most of the novel. Still, it all works. A super read all around, and I will now be looking for more from the author.

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Compelling

Revisado: 12-11-19

I'm a fan of Soren Sveistrup, and this first novel did not disappoint, He indirectly injects the reader into the plot from the start, and although there are many twists and turns along the way, I agree it was a good puzzle. The characters are all flawed and therefore human and relatable, and each of the central ones come with their own baggage which is (mostly) gradually revealed in a cadence that allows the novel to flow well. The crime element was horrific, but not gratuitously so, and in truth I had a hard time putting down the novel as the plot unpacked.

Peter Noble is an excellent narrator, and he added much to my listening experience, unfamiliar Danish locales and all. I'm sure he is one of the reasons I liked this as much as I did, and I will look for him in future Audibles.

That being said, the novel is not without its own wobbles. Thulin is given slightly short shrift in comparison to Hess. Her character should have been as thoroughly dissected as his, but perhaps that will come in a sequel. Additionally, Thulin's daughter is too conveniently packed off to grandpa-not-grandpa for much of the novel. As much as this is a crime/mystery/thriller and the emphasis is certainly not on typical family dynamics, that easy exit did not ring true and nagged me throughout the story, as Thulin is both detective and mother.

I'm looking forward to reading/seeing more from Sviestrup. The ending seems to portend this story is not completely finished.

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We never know the end of the story until we get there

Revisado: 11-04-19

Although the chronology of the aunts’ ages can be confusing, this novel provides a compelling backstory to Practical Magic. Hoffman captures a slice of NYC of the 60s, an age rife with change and the promise of the New. I hope readers appreciate the historical and literary research she wove into this story, as it is considerable. Maria Owens’s history is also thankfully provided. More than anything, there is so much magic here...the dynamic between the siblings, the city that becomes as much a character as the characters themselves, and most of all the poetry Hoffman imbues in her writing. I’m glad she gave us this gift, no matter how long after Practical Magic. Sad to have finished it, which is always a good sign.

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#thehumanedge

Revisado: 11-11-18

I could happily listen to Meryl Streep read off my CVS receipt. The performance she delivers here and Toibin's treatment of Mary are nothing short of mesmerizing- bone-weary, simultaneously bitter and content, cynical and altogether human. If you're looking for the Divine or a literal spin on the story of the Prodigal Son, meander somewhere else. This brings us the human edge; Toibin's writing is masterful, poetic, and makes a well-known and well-studied story new again.

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Dread

Revisado: 11-01-18

Of the many emotions that we experience, dread is perhaps the worst. It is different from fear, which can be composed of familiar elements. We can grapple with fear. Dread, though, is like anxiety plus fear to the tenth power. There is a huge unknown What If component. Bone White creates a landscape of dread, along with a compelling story. Paul Gallo embarks upon a quest to find his missing ne’er do well twin brother, who has mysteriously vanished after leaving Maryland for Alaska. Journey motif, the curious nature of twinship, family blood and the stark geography of Alaska are all in play. Malfi does a solid job unpacking all of these elements, but his real mastery is creating superbly dread-full atmosphere. It is a slow, chilling burn, both with character turns and setting. My only reservations came when I was unwilling to suspend disbelief. As an example, Paul is a university professor, informed and intelligent. He sets off into the Alaskan wilderness completely unprepared for the actual geography he encounters and the survival skills and equipment needed to survive it. His drive to find his brother trumps all reasoning. Logic and reasoning are not main players here, however. Ultimately, this is a story of identity, purpose, and the nature of sanity. And the creep factor easily slides off the scale.

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Brilliant Eco

Revisado: 10-22-16

I first read The Name of the Rose 12 years ago, and with each consecutive read, I learn more. Eco weaves many lenses and genres into this work- mystery, philosophy, history, drama, morality tale, romance just begin the list. The characters are singular, endowed with personalities all their own and skillfully brought to life by the rich resonance of Theodore Bikel. This audio is master meets master, and on this read, whether encouraged by the reading or because I am still mourning Eco's departure from the planet, I purchased the post script to help me through unknown allusions. The book is a living, breathing text, and keeps Eco alive, burning bright.

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Mooooonnnnoooootttooonnnneeee

Revisado: 04-08-16

Love Kim Gordon as a musician in all aspects, but she steps out of her wheelhouse as a narrator. Her delivery is a flat monotone, at times halting and disjointed. She conveys tedium, as if she herself were bored. Her read informed my experience of the book, which had interesting Sami detail and colorful characters but a predictable plot arc. I much preferred Jussi Adler-Olsen's series Q books, both from a writing and narrative standpoint.

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Ramblemess

Revisado: 03-18-16

I forgave all of Rickstead's wooden "he said, she said" tag lines in The Silent Girls, because the characters and plot were compelling. The narrator's story was layered, and in truth, I believed we would learn something about the crazy cliffhanger ending that novel in Lie in Waiting. What a disappointment. This work rambles about loosely, the contrived plot unravels lazily, and the characters inhabiting the story were essentially static. The read itself was just ok...too many characters sounding the same and not a lot of energy when it was needed. Meh.

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Hauntingly lovely

Revisado: 08-26-15

Hoffman's The Marriage of Opposites is a delicious literary pastiche. Part historical fiction, biography, and fairy tale, the novel has magic ( a la Hoffman) twined around its very heart. The characters inhabiting the story are complex and layered; my feelings about Rachel, the novel's center, remain conflicted even now. I have no problem with Pissarro not occupying the entirety of the story, as our journey as readers winds along the path that made him who he was, even before he was born. St. Thomas is as much a character here as Adele or Isaac, and the magic and mystery so embodied in that island is well represented.
The narrator's voice drew me into the novel after two minutes. In truth, I'm not sure of the purpose of the other different speakers, as they were not totally consistent. I will listen to this again, however, as the story was so interesting and poetically unpacked. It will remain in my literary Loves Rolodex.

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