MAUREEN

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Revisado: 08-18-17

Are you kidding me?

What a HUGE disappointment. The author totally lost her focus unfortunately. So many weird zigzagging themes/Ideas that my head was spinning by the end. From the embedded writer in the cow patch to the strip tease joint to the kid w autism that repeats his words 3 times--how about Iraq War, Iraq War, Iraq war, ice cream, ice cream, ice cream, pistachio, pistacho, pistacho. Maybe it was the name Daisy--the cow.

Darn. I was hoping. I could go on but am too confused by the totally idiotic & disappointing ending. Daisy becomes a WHAT? Her brother a manatee? Or was it a jersey cow? Oh and BTW, Daisy was not wheelchair bound. She uses a wheelchair. But then her father is gonna "come back as a giraffe" and Daisy is advising the surviving in bird talk, so in comparison, wheelchair bound is nothing.

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A weak & disappointing conclusion

Revisado: 03-23-17

After the first hour I considered not reading further--the canned kitschy tone was disappointing & the mispronunciations so distracting. Then suddenly, the middle of this long protracted story showed promise. Many subplots were distracting and lacked development-- teasing the reader into thinking a meaningful turn in this saga was just around the next turn. Sadly I spent some 24 hours listening to a book that ended so weakly. Remembering that Dawn couldn't read--as told to readers multiple times--an ending that relied on a lengthy written message from Naomi was such a bomb.

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The narrator mispronounced so many words that following the stories became sometimes distracting

Revisado: 05-28-15

The stories were amusing--who doesn't enjoy a laugh now & then? I thought of returning but

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Good book if you can suffer through chapter 1

Revisado: 05-18-15

I thought of returning this book in the beginning because the story being told was so crass and superficial. I hung in and decided the story was interesting enough to continue. Unfortunately the author believe carnal communication was the most important determinant in terms of whether a relationship was worthwhile--also leaves the reader hanging in terms of the character Peter--what's up with that?

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Boring

Revisado: 04-15-15

Kept waiting for something.....guess I was hoodwinked like the rest
Hi Hum
Z z z z z z z

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A new standard for a 5 star rating

Revisado: 01-29-14

What made the experience of listening to Orfeo the most enjoyable?

The words, the phrases, the sentences, the paragraphs, the chapters, the imagery---difficult to contain my review--so much beauty & depth

What other book might you compare Orfeo to and why?

A rare blend--Powers' knowledge of the musical and scientific rendered so masterfully that it is difficult to compare this brilliant literary contribution.

What about Christopher Hurt’s performance did you like?

I liked that his mispronunciations did not annoy me more.

Who was the most memorable character of Orfeo and why?

Peter Ells--professor extraordinaire—aware that in teaching others, one reveals his soul. Two warnings from the professor, that discovery leads to creation and fermatas reveal the beauty of the music remained with me and left me wondering what else he teaches.

Any additional comments?

The author’s generosity has helped me resurrect fond memories of Mahler, deepen my hopes in life’s mysteries and thank God for these glimpses of the divine.

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A better way to narrate a book about death?

Revisado: 10-21-13

What would have made Knocking on Heaven's Door better?

The narrator droned on and on--much like a dirge.

Would you recommend Knocking on Heaven's Door to your friends? Why or why not?

Perhaps--although I would suggest he or she try reading the book--and avoid the audible format.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Katy Butler?

Not sure--John Lee?

What character would you cut from Knocking on Heaven's Door?

This question does not pertain to this book.

Any additional comments?

The author's thesis has merit, but her atheism was a huge obstacle to my finding it applicable to my life. I would periodically nod to myself agreeing, "She has a point here." But then her super depressing voice and "story" with no twinge of joy or hope would overwhelm my ability to relate.

I too lost my father recently so have been thinking more about death and agree that our society could benefit from discussing its inevitability. I still miss my father and talk with my mother and siblings about him and the feelings of emptiness brought on by his death --but then I recall his deep faith and how much he looked forward to Heaven. When my father took his last breath, my younger sister rushed to open the windows and doors so that the angels could enter. And later when all 8 of us lovingly zipped up the bag containing his body, and walked alongside staff from the funeral home as they wheeled the gurney to the hearse, we knew he had already gone to Heaven. It was such a comfort and a beautiful memory. In conclusion, I felt sorry for the author quite often—she was without God, faith or community, sisters or any children of her own, left alone with all that grief.

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Seriously? "Carved a rut in your heart?"

Revisado: 08-09-13

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

So full of sophomoric aphorisms and her references to American Sign Language were totally off--she was not using A.S.L., she was gesturing, using signs--not 'speaking' to her child with A.S.L. This is misleading to readers--especially those unfamiliar with the language

What was most disappointing about Susanna Daniel’s story?

I was disappointed by her reliance on the trite.

Would you be willing to try another one of Karen White’s performances?

The narrator? Her voice added to the misery.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointed that the author did not research more into A.S.L.

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Many interesting and revealing insights on PTSD

Revisado: 08-07-13

What did you love best about Sparta?

LOVE about the book? That's not possible--I liked the honesty that was portrayed by the main characters as they struggled to help their son/brother/friend whose PTSD became so obvious after his return from active duty and multiple tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. I read a few other people's reviews--mostly from veterans that described the author's innaccuracies on PTSD--and I cannot comment on these because I am not a veteran, but I can comment on the family and close friends. The author's treatment of the devastation these wars have wreaked on our society and my immediate family were accurate.

What did you like best about this story?

I don't know if 'like' is a prompt that I could respond to in terms of what was liked about the story--except perhaps the ending--it was positive, albeit too abrupt. It was like--okay, you took us here, and now you are just going to leave us here--and many of us already knew what it was like to get there--we want to know what to do next.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Learn how to pronounce words correctly--many words were mispronounced by him. I always wonder if authors listen to the reading of their books--because I think they should and then get these narrators to correct their pronounciations. We pay for audible books and deserve the best in audio presentation.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was too upsetting since much was too familiar--my nephew returned from his third tour and completed suicide with a bullet to his brain.

Any additional comments?

The author should have described more about what could have been done to improve the experiences of returning veteran soldiers. I know the criticism of the V.A., the Military etc. about its terrible aftercare for veterans is commonplace--yet we need to know what to do. The author suggested rather superficial (although helpful) strategies to help vets with PTSD such as 'seating in restaurants'-- AHEM--something she mentioned multiple times, yet she never provided the reader with any glimmer of hope for promising methods of care for soldiers with PTSD.

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A great start with disappointing results

Revisado: 08-07-13

Would you try another book from Susan Nussbaum and/or the narrators?

Why not?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Good Kings Bad Kings?

The descriptions of the situations the young people were forced into were very good. Since I have worked with children that have challenging behaviors, emotional disabilities and the like, I know about some of these awful experiences.

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

I appreciated the different accents--although knowing children with cognitive and intellectual disabilities--the words and sentences were so far from what a person would ever hear--if he or she were in a position to converse with the youth.

Could you see Good Kings Bad Kings being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I can't imagine this--no.

Any additional comments?

I wish the author would have continued writing the book with a more indepth look into what was going on in the institution--the one that housed the youth. She had so many different problems coming into focus and then letting them just fade without adequately justifying all the details and hoopla--e.g. the woman with physical disabilities that worked at ILSI--we get to know her so well and understand her role in the story--and then she gets fired and boom--she's gone.

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