ShelbyC72

Kooky story, very well told.

Revisado: 02-18-23

I love this author! I’ve listened to all three of her books (I think there are three) and they are all well paced and make for a good time especially in the car, especially in LA traffic. I enjoyed the way, in this one, LA becomes a very loud and infuriating character that Steadman accurately pegs.

The performance is lovely — especially when the English narrator/main character (Mia) is voiced. Steadman also gets the American accents well, impressively even the male speakers. A couple of discordant notes: the American Marla/Emily says “car park” instead of parking lot, and I “fancy” something instead of I want something. Something an editor could have/should have caught.

A big part of my joy in the book is that it is both suspenseful and literate, which seems like it must’ve been difficult to pull off. Jane Eyre inhabits the book without being too heavily drawn. Mia, who has played Eyre successfully before the action starts, is also strong and finding her way alone, hurting and in the dark.

A key difference is that Eyre is largely a child’s story. In this book, you rely on the suspense to kick in to move you past moments of disbelief as the adult woman of The Disappearing Act, while strong and decisive, repeatedly makes boneheaded decisions. And yet she’s anything but dumb.

So give it a go. It’s flawed but entertaining, and the product of obvious hard work.

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Whodunnit in West Ireland

Revisado: 07-11-22

I read such positive reviews I suggested this for my book club. Very well worth the read or listen. Tana French has written a compelling, character-driven crime story with steady pacing and mostly sympathetic players.

This audible version is read masterfully, with realistic accents (even though Cal is from North Carolina and has no trace of a southern one). The narrator skips among characters smoothly, and it is easy to ID who is speaking.

It’s a crime story sympathetic to the “searcher” that doesn’t hide his flaws but forgives them.

It’s not glamorous, but it’s a good read about being human and evolving.

Highly recommend.

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I love this writer!

Revisado: 04-16-20

She is 100% committed to her story from syllable one, carrying the same passion for her own story all the way through to the last. It's also wonderful for me that she's the narrator, because she is so familiar with the characters and I love a high-English accent. With one exception, she transitions distinctly but smoothly between characters. I felt that Chris' wife sounded a bit too much like Emma - but that was a relatively minor issue. I find this and her previous novel really worked as suspense entertainment. Please, Ms. Steadman, keep them coming.

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Some of the writing is downright lyrical

Revisado: 01-28-20

It's a deeply disturbing story about characters that aren't really that compelling. You don't identify with much about them, you don't find out the truth (really) about the main character and you want the woman detective to be more dazzling. But it's entertaining and some of the sentences flow together beautifully.

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Reader has as a beautiful voice, but...

Revisado: 01-17-19

I noticed right away the narrator's rich, clear and beautiful voice quality, so was ready to enjoy listening thoroughly from the start. However, the reader needs direction. I've heard tell that all actors do. Raising the tone to a breathless screechy panic to match the events does NOT help place us in the scene. Rather, it's a big distraction.

The story premise is gripping, and no one doesn't love a shrink who is possibly batty, The setting is perfect. But the story fizzles -- too much is hard to swallow. Still - I learned after listening all the way through (yes, I stayed with it to see what would happen) - that this was the author's first book. So, that's a big achievement, I think. And I can imagine it becoming a film fairly easily, with some good notes and minor tweaks.

For example - and this is really minor - I would suggest rewriting the female detective: she's a one-sided absolute bitch and unbelievable; the male detective should be sharper. Also, a self-questioning shrink like the main character, who is fully cognizant of psych protocol, should be slightly more self-aware, or just stronger. This woman is a professional victim. I won't add more specifics to avoid spoilers. Still - It's a story that could be great - as is it's OK, good in spots.

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The Trollopeville Special

Revisado: 06-01-18

The only reason I give the performance 4 stars instead of 5 is that the American voices in this novel ring untrue. Also, the characters too frequently drift into one another. It is an immense achievement anyway, to read through 30 hours of narrative and deliver distinct voices and cadence. I prefer Timothy West, but Mr. Patterson does an admirable job. I love Trollope so I easily ignore most of the repetitiveness of the story’s characters and their relentless world views. For me, this work immerses the listener in Trollope’s own domaine. It rolls on and loops back, carrying us effortlessly along for the ride. There are laughs — including a key character‘s oft-repeated name — and groans, and a weirdly pre-feminist look at marriage and male dominance. It’s a tragedy you don’t want to end. Not because you enjoy finely drawn human defects and suffering, but because Trollopeville is just a great place to be.

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WOW what a story!

Revisado: 01-30-18

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

The book is fascinating, suspenseful because it really happened. Pino Lella is a real person with self-doubts and flaws, although he is brave, athletic, talented and very smart. He's also a good person who goes through extraordinary and horrible challenges. It's inspiring.

What aspect of Will Damron’s performance would you have changed?

The good news is his articulation -- careful, plenty loud and distinct. Also, he paces himself very well throughout the book--no small task. But... there are times when he becomes so shrill he sounds like he's kidding. The women mostly sound the same, and when they're angry or even the head of the Gestapo sounds shrill, and exactly like the women. I think some directing or voice coaching could have helped. It took a while to get past that, and it was worth staying with the book for the story.

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Inventive Plotting and Narration

Revisado: 09-22-17

What made the experience of listening to Magpie Murders the most enjoyable?

The readers deftly deliver the characters. The plotting is original and genuinely interesting. I wasn't dying to know whodunit or surprised that much to find out, but the journey was truly enjoyable. I really don't even like Whodunit's very much. But this one was, as billed, exceptional.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The first narrator - the editor. She's a believable struggler, and not whiny in the least. It's great that to have female characters that are strong and smart in mainstream work.

What about Samantha Bond and Allan Corduner ’s performance did you like?

Their excellent voice quality, timing, weaving in and out of characters. I love Audible's sound quality across the board.

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

What's in a name? More than you might want to know.

Any additional comments?

Some of the names of the Magpie Murders characters are too awful - then you get it. Highly recommend.

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Lovely! I'm a fan -- Of both Eliot and Stevenson

Revisado: 11-23-15

If you could sum up Middlemarch in three words, what would they be?

How I got through a northeastern U.S. liberal arts education without reading Middlemarch, I can't quite figure. Eliot runs rings around the more popular Dickens in terms of lyrical writing and character development; and she beautifully fleshes out the interior of life of middle- to upper-class women in Victorian England. However, this is not action packed to say the least. And while some of the caricatures are amusing, if not quite Dickensian, the entertainment is there.

What did you like best about this story?

The genius of the writing, the very subtle yet profound humor, and the 360-degree compassion for even the most flawed characters. Eliot exhibits amazing intellect and facility with narrative.

What does Juliet Stevenson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Stevenson's performance was exquisite and really flawless. It was almost as amazing as the writing. She naturally gives voice to a variety of characters such that you always know who's speaking, male or female, without noticing the reader - a key success of the piece. The longer passages come to life beautifully. In the hands of a lesser talent these might not have been so dazzling. LOVELY!

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

Sometimes the most profound force of nature is an interior whisper.

Any additional comments?

Thank you!

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Truly Prose's Masterpiece

Revisado: 08-16-14

Would you consider the audio edition of Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 to be better than the print version?

Very simply -- the audible version is one of the best deliveries by "readers" who, to be accurate, must be called actors in this performance. Extraordinary reading that is a credit to the author's hard work.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932?

One of the characters, who must return to the U.S., invents an incredible way to carry back Parisian bakery smells -- revelatory of both the character, that section's narrator, and the times.

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

No.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending is mesmerizing.

Any additional comments?

On the print-edition Amazon write-up, the publisher calls this Francine Prose's masterpiece and I was skeptical at first -- she's written a lot, and it's all good. But I agree wholeheartedly. The story line and character weaving are brilliant. Most important for me was the lyrical writing that shifts from character voice to character voice, like a graceful seamless dance, from heartbreak to touching intimacy to hilarious perceptions, all ahead of, within and then underneath the biggest horror of modern history. The epistolary form -- usually not a favorite of mine -- was genius. It all works. I love the way Prose describes (also on the Amazon page) her decision to write the story -- at all and as a novel. Lucky for us. Don't miss this one.

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