Elizabeth

Classic for a reason

Revisado: 07-14-24

This book feels as relevant today as it must have felt almost two centuries ago. Filled with wonderful insights and observations expressed in beautiful language, and, although I rarely hear this mentioned, full of small moments of dry humor. I like the narrator very much because I think he perfectly brings out those amusing moments; his somewhat supercilious and haughty tone seems just right for Thoreau, who enjoys skewering the various foibles of the society he observes. Highly recommend.

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Great diversity of vocabulary, good idiomatic uses

Revisado: 10-27-22

I’ve been listening to this for a few months and have found it very useful. I do listen to it to fall asleep sometimes, but also while driving or going for a walk. I listen to chapters several times (since I sometimes fall asleep in the middle of them). It’s a good way to get the kind of repetition that is essential for language learning, without having to devote hours of focused study. I would recommend it for intermediate to advanced French learners.

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'Saga' is right! What an incredible story

Revisado: 02-14-18

I was aware of Jessica Mitford and Nancy Mitford as authors but hadn't read their works. And I had no idea at all of the amazing lives they led, not to mention the equally amazing lives of their four sisters. Certain aspects of the story reminded me of Downton Abbey, with daughters being presented to the king & queen as debutantes, scintillating dinner parties, fox hunts, and country estates. But I was even more reminded of Forrest Gump: collectively, the Mitford sisters seem to have been in the middle of everything and connected with everyone through much of the 20th century. And the drastically different directions the various sisters took were mind-boggling. How many families could claim one child who was a close friend of Hitler and another who went to fight the fascists in Spain?? Really a fascinating and entertaining read. The narrator was good, though not outstanding, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this recording. I am looking forward to reading some of the Mitfords' own works now.

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Fantastic narration of a classic

Revisado: 10-29-17

Frederick Davidson does an absolutely wonderful job of bringing to life the many characters of Great Expectations, a Dickens classic that I have been meaning to read for decades. I don't know what took me so long, it's a great story from the first scene. I went back and forth between reading the book and listening to this audiobook, and I found that Davidson's narration greatly enhanced my enjoyment, bringing out the sly humor of Dickens' writing very vividly. Davidson is very talented at giving each character a distinctive and authentic voice reflecting the many gradations of class, education, and personality found in the novel, which adds to the pleasure of the story immeasurably.

As with all of Dickens, the story and characters are entertaining, but ultimately it's the wonderful writing that vaults the novel into the stratosphere among literary achievements. I'll re-listen to this without a doubt.

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Excellent narration once you get used to his style

Revisado: 05-08-16

Would you listen to The King James Audio Bible again? Why?

I do listen to parts of it repeatedly. It's one of the great works of English literature, aside from its religious value, and is well worth a listen even if you don't share the religious belief. The audio narration is a great way to become familiar with both the stories and the hundreds of words and expressions that have become a part of our language and literature.

What about Eric Martin’s performance did you like?

I was put off initially because it's a more restrained style than I'm used to in audiobooks, where usually there is quite a bit of "acting" and emoting. Actually, though, within a matter of minutes I got into the rhythm and style of it and I have now listened to it for many hours and enjoyed it very much. I found that I was very captivated by the storytelling and I caught many details of these familiar stories, due to Martin's skillful reading, that I had previously overlooked. I highly recommend it even if your initial reaction to his narration is skeptical.

Any additional comments?

I believe anyone who enjoys books and literature will get great enjoyment from reading (or listening to) the Bible cover to cover, and specifically in the King James version. There are so infinitely many references to this classic, both obvious and subtle, throughout British and American literature, that your enjoyment and understanding of the other books you read will be multiplied by "getting" those references to stories, characters, and turns of phrase that come directly from this monumental work.

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Perfect narrator!

Revisado: 03-15-12

Katherine Kellgren brings Bloody Jack to life with humor and intelligence, and beautifully conveys the gamut of emotions as the story wends its way from London to the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. We listened to it in the car with our 15 year old and two 12 year olds (all boys) and everyone was enthralled. It isn't every book with a female protagonist that boys this age will be excited to read.

The beginning of the story is very dark, and I might have been uncomfortable listening to it with much younger kids. The early chapters were compelling and provide an important backdrop to the story, but I was expecting only the kind of seafaring tale that begins a few chapters into the book. Not a criticism, just a head's up to families with younger or more sensitive kids - there's a lot of trauma early on, though nothing graphic.

I have recommended this to friends, and my family looks forward to listening to the next book in the series.

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The perfect narrator

Revisado: 08-09-09

It goes without saying that the book is wonderful, but I am amazed at how much it is enriched by the great narration. I listened to it on a long car trip with my husband and 13-year-old son and we were completely engaged. I'm sure we'll listen to it again.

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