Kate

Enjoyable enough but ...

Revisado: 04-10-14

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If you've been with the Scarpetta series for this long, you may want to read this too. I don't think it's the best in the series but it's what we've got. I found it enjoyable enough.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was interesting enough for me to stay with. The familiar characters are here. Some unfamiliar criminal types are also here and they're mildly interesting without being particularly compelling. In the recent novels Scarpetta seems either less angry or more world-weary, or both. Having said that, this novel conveys genuine anger about Newtown. It also expresses objections to so-called spectacle murders, which seems ironic given the contribution of the earlier Scarpetta novels to the forensic crime genre, which in its screen equivalents does involve spectacle.

What three words best describe Lorelei King’s performance?

Well read, predictable.

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

I think of a younger Glenn Close as Scarpetta. Jennifer Lawrence would be her niece. The late James Gandolfini could have been Marino, but I'm not sure who would be best in the role now. As for Benton .... ? Also, on second thoughts, I'm not sure this cast would be so great together ... would like to know how other readers respond to this question.

Any additional comments?

Recent Scarpetta novels have received bad to mixed reviews. At this stage in the series, anyone who knows the earlier novels can decide for themselves how interested they are in persevering. Those unfamiliar with the novels should start with the early instalments.

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A good read

Revisado: 09-10-12

Rob Lowe tells a good collection of stories, written in a wry and unaggrandising way. The narration is memorable and includes good impersonations (Christopher Walken is one of my favourite examples). I was struck not only by the range of extraordinary people that Rob hobnobbed with - having been one of the most high-profile teen stars of the 1980s - but also by his circumspect way of recounting things, sometimes with years of hndsight. This book is time well spent because it's packed with interesting and often uncannily timed moments, offering intelligent insights into the pitfalls as well as the dazzling experience of fame. A pioneer of intelligent autobiographical writing about the "Brat Pack".

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Great!

Revisado: 08-21-12

I've been a fan of Patti Smith's music for years, but initially hesitated to listen to this book because I thought it might be mainly about the relationship between two people, one of whom died tragically young, and therefore a bit depressing. I'm so glad I did listen to it, because it's very much a portrait of a time and place (the late 1960s and the 1970s in New York). It is also about the relationship between Patti and Robert Mapplethorpe, which is handled in a delicate and not at all maudlin way. I gained a lot of insight into all of the participants and their artistic milieu, making me curious to know more about some aspects of the latter, even though I'd already read a fair bit about the topic. The book is read very well by Patti Smith in her distinctive way, which somehow manages to combine directness and deceptive simplicity with emotional complexity and surprising ideas, just like her music. This is a well-crafted and sensitive book that impresses me with Patti Smith's writing.

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Deserves attention

Revisado: 05-27-12

Would you listen to The Wild Palms again? Why?

Yes. As well as having a compelling story that builds gradually to an intriguing conclusion, The Wild Palms is structured in a way that made me go back to earlier chapters to see how subsequent events are foreshadowed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wild Palms?

The climax of the "Wild Palms" portion of the novel is unforgettable. Having said that, the account of the flood in the other portion, "The Old Man", is also remarkable. The quote, "From grief and nothing, I choose grief", resonates and has an interesting relationship to the French film Breathless, in which this line is quoted.

What about Marc Vietor’s performance did you like?

Marc Vietor gives an excellent performance, well-sustained and with a dignity that serves Faulkner's prose well. The Southern aspect is evident in a good way, without ever seeming overplayed or affected. Faulkner's work is read impressively by various narrators at Audible.com, and this book is no exception.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I took a while to get into this, mainly because of the unorthodox structure. It is difficult to understand the relationship between the two alternating stories. The relationship is not direct but involves themes that echo between the two: loss, endurance, sacrifice, the transience of human relationships, attempts to comprehend intense experiences and to resolve threads of existence. It's a sad book that includes an element of the absurd.

Any additional comments?

I was surprised to see that this audiobook hasn't been reviewed yet. I downloaded it a while ago and had assumed that other listeners would have reviewed it by now. Although it's not the most famous of Faulkner's books, nor, like any of his work, a light read, I found it to be moving, intriguing and memorable.

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Cornwell in good form

Revisado: 01-08-12

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

Yes, in my opinion this is one of the better recent Scarpetta novels. It's got a good range of interesting characters and explores subject matter that's not too similar to the previous novels. At times I thought this one is less pessimistic than some of the earlier novels, though it's hard to put my finger on how.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Mist?

Interesting plot twists, including one dramatic demise (there's always got to be one). Although I foresaw one of the other plot developments - and I don't think I'm particularly good at doing this - I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Like the other Scarpetta novels, it has numerous plot strands and is not spoilt if you can predict part of what's coming.

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

Lorelei King is a great reader of Cornwell's Scarpetta novels. She does a good job with all of the characters. With this novel she even does an Australian accent - not the easiest for a non-Australian to do and it comes out sounding a bit like a parody, but perhaps this fits the situation.

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