newyorkdoll

Narrator has the weirdest voice

Revisado: 03-08-22

He reads the material as if he’s Siri. Very stilted. You can’t select chapters by content, so you have to listen to info on cities that you’re not interested in. Not great for an audiobook

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She makes a great point - over and over again

Revisado: 12-27-21

Justine Bateman doesn’t want to give any more personal details about herself than she has to - part of the principals behind her feelings about fame. I even embraced her grumpy declaration that she hates all memoirs (really Elie Weisel and Mary Karr?) She has lived an extraordinary life with significant insight into the weirdness that is celebrity. However, she gives precious little context of her own experience - just uncomfortable experiences. I get it that she doesn’t want to feed the curiousity machine but first-person story telling is the ultimate illustrator. There isn’t a lot of that in this book.

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Answers every question about why my life is this way

Revisado: 01-08-20

I loved this book so much it’s hard to put into words. It talks about all the struggles women face in middle age through the lens of Gen X: I.e. our parents drove us around without seatbelts and left us in the car to run errands but now we must supervise every minute of our kids’ lives, on top of working, caring for aging parents, etc. It covers everything: feeling unaccomplished in midlife, motherhood, infertility, marriage, divorce, money, sex, peri menopause, body image, why women our age are particularly addicted to social media. It always brakes before things get depressing and ends on a hopeful note. I think every Gen Xer should read it- even men

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Engrossing tale, awkward narration - but bearable

Revisado: 02-14-16

The story was great - and will be particularly interesting to people who lived in the East Village prior to 2000. The narrator has a young voice - but maybe she is too young. Referencing a local 'zine she made it rhyme with "vine." There were other awkward pronunciations - or just wrong emphasis. It was competent though - still worth the listen.

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Stories are ok but the last one is great

Revisado: 07-15-14

If you could sum up Thunderstruck & Other Stories in three words, what would they be?

interesting vignettes about sad people/ circumstances

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the detail and richness of the last story.

What about Erin Yuen’s performance did you like?

It was fine.

If you could take any character from Thunderstruck & Other Stories out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The Dad in the last story

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Compelling in lots of ways, from start to finish.

Revisado: 07-19-13

What made the experience of listening to Blue Plate Special the most enjoyable?

Kate Christensen has a lot of unique experiences growing up in various parts of the country (under various conditions) and later Europe, with unusual parents and extended family. She has a front row seat for some pretty exceptional experiences: living in France, the Iowa Writer's Workshop and working in NYC in the late nineties while living in pre-gentrified Williamsburg. Her voice is genuine and charming and I couldn't stop thinking about her when I wasn't listening.The only distraction is the narrator's voice, which has an affected, overly-respiratory breathiness that reminded me of an "I can't Believe it's Not Butter" commercial. You can get past it though, easy. Just would have been cooler if she'd read it herself. Reminded me lots of Blood, Bones and Butter.

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Narrator sounds like he's selling breakfast cereal

Revisado: 06-30-12

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

I would read it, not listen to it.

What didn’t you like about Robert Fass’s performance?

He had a brittle, perfectionist way of speaking that did not capture the character -like an English teacher or speech therapist instead of an actor. The material is very somber and sophisticated and his chipper, clean patter interfered with my being able to enjoy it.

Did Say Her Name inspire you to do anything?

read the book if I ever have time.

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Had to WORK to stay awake...

Revisado: 06-30-12

Would you try another book from Hilary Mantel and/or Simon Slater?

There could not possibly be a more boring perspective from which to tell the dynamic happenings of Henry VIII's court than that of Thomas Cromwell. In this telling, Cromwell is just a work-a-day secretary/ attorney to Henry. So it's like hearing about say, JFK's presidency from his executive assisant. It is interesting but I cannot fathom the people who say they LOVE this book. I love this time period so I stayed committed despite putting it down and getting lost innumerable times.

What three words best describe Simon Slater’s voice?

He is pretty good.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It was a new perspective on a much told tale.

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