MRD

Gillian goes over the top

Revisado: 10-24-24

Lots of variety, some of it titillating some of it not (personal preferences acknowledged), but the one thing I couldn't understand was why Gillian Anderson felt the need to do her narration in overwrought, gushy whispers. She sounds like she's trying too hard to sound *sexy* and it comes off as cringey and cloying. All the other narrators approach their bits straightforwardly and trust the words to deliver the impact. But Gillian's breathy, pseudo-sultry introductions and preludes sound like they're from another production, audio brought to you by Pornhub. That aside, it was a great idea to update Nancy Friday's groundbreaking work for the 21st century.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

DDM a life

Revisado: 05-21-23

Excellent narrator, great examination of the writers life in all its ups and downs. I enjoyed the novel-like approach.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fantastic narration

Revisado: 04-27-20

I just wish Eleanor Bron had recorded more books, she's terrific. Elizabeth and Eleanor make a great team.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The format is evolving...

Revisado: 01-12-20

No, it's not a book, it's an AUDIObook. Print and audio are different mediums and it's good to see audio developing some independence. The performances and direction here are first class, as is the writing, I thought the father, voiced by Harsh Nayyar, was particularly effective as a supporting character, 100% believable. Two things (spoiler warning)...

1. I wish there had been one more twist. Once the "reincarnation" course is set, the story barrels ahead to a fairly predictable climax. If it had led us down the reincarnation path only to reverse direction at the climax, into a rationale that didn't completely rely on the supernatural, it could have been even more effective.

2. Loved the purity of using only phone calls and voice messages and realistic sound effects. Then when the suspense kicked in, there came music cues, just a few tones underneath the vocal tracks, and even though the music did do what it usually does to deepen the emotional tension, I had to wonder if it was necessary. Usually music goes in when the dramatists feel the moments need enhancement. But in EVIL EYE I think the performances and audio techniques would have carried the suspense without the convention of musical accompaniment.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Very thorough review of the subject(s)

Revisado: 11-11-19

At first I thought I might not like the narrator. But after awhile I grew to appreciate his clarity and verbal vigor. Not warm and fuzzy or intellectually nuanced, Gingold delivers in a straightforward robust manner. Ultimately it works well for the subject matter and writing style. Beyond that, the book is a deep dive into cultural stereotypes that goes well beyond Charlie Chan in print and on screen. Comprehensive, authoritative, and proves that not all racial stereotypes are created equal. Biggers actually created Chan in counterpoint to Fu Manchu, and the stereotyping was more a product of Hollywood studios repeatedly casting non-Chinese, non-Asian actors in the Chan role.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Format breakthrough

Revisado: 03-30-19

A clip from the NYTimes book review by Eleanor Henderson: "But while it makes for a heady journey through the band’s ascent, the script format inherently limits our access to the characters’ innermost selves. The camera is locked on a tripod, the interviewees confessing their greatest fears and loves in the same shoulders-up shot for much of the novel. After a while, we long to get closer, to hear what the characters aren’t confessing on the record, or to zoom out, to take in more of the decade than its miniature backstage dramas. When only the characters narrate the story, their reminiscences can fall flat."

The reviewer is clearly referring to the print version here. I think this critique doesn't apply to the audio version with multiple narrators performing the "script." The voices are distinctive and nuanced, and they do provide the listener access to "the characters' innermost selves." Like all good dramatic storytelling, the characters evoke emotion through HOW they express themselves as much as through WHAT they express. That's not available when all you have is words on the page and no authorial intermediary commenting on the characters' inner states and outward behaviors. Others have said it here and on other sites, this book is uniquely suited to audio and takes the audiobook experience to a new level of listener engagement. For me, the story itself is nothing special and does not transcend the familiar tropes about rock stars/bands in the 70s. But the format, voice casting, and performances make it a truly compelling work of audio fiction.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 61 personas

Great professor, history of faith articulated

Revisado: 11-04-13

Where does Early Christianity: The Experience of the Divine rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the top "course" books - tough to compare it with fiction or nonfiction

What was one of the most memorable moments of Early Christianity: The Experience of the Divine?

The last chapters did a wonderful job of bringing the course to a peak experience

Have you listened to any of Professor Luke Timothy Johnson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Best

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

Tension Between The Institutional And The Charismatic

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 8 personas