Kiskadee

Gripping, great acting, beautiful music and sound

Revisado: 11-28-24

I’m a great fan of the Hercule Poirot collection of stories, but was unfamiliar with this first story. Although confusing at times, I found the overall plot gripping and could not put it down. To me, Hastings has always come across as a fairly practical, constant and somewhat Stoical character. So, his periodic episodes of PTSD after his harrowing experiences in the first world war, really added an extra human touch. The acting was amazing: great British Theatre, which will not disappoint! The music was stunning! Beautiful orchestral arrangements, them with themes somewhat Persian and mystical; and intimate guitar interludes. I almost missed that haunting, but beautiful song at the end of the finale. You have to wait for it. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought of the soldiers in those dreadful trenches. Finally, the atmosphere, sound effects space created in this production was amazing.

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Interesting at the beginning, but disappointing at the end

Revisado: 08-29-24

The content was really interesting and quite moving toward the beginning in the middle. But I was expecting a strange twist at the end and only found an anti-climax. The main character’s performance was heartfelt and, at times, the emotions he portrayed were moving. However, overall, I was not terribly impressed by the story or the performance.

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A Moving Poortrait Of Grief

Revisado: 10-18-22

This short but moving a count of the different stages of grief is written as a stream of consciousness. Dideon’s portrayal of two devastating losses in a single year followed by the various physical, emotional and psychological stages of grief, touches a rare intimacy with which one who is suffering bereavement can assuredly identify. The tricks of the mind, the relentless passing of time, the denial, the memories, all our intertwined on a journey where the nature of existence itself is in question. Beautiful imagery, such as the river, leaves falling from the hand, accentuate the deep sense of sadness, hope and resignation of this intensely personal human experience. And yet, at the same time, Dideon gives us a story book of two lives, two characters who we really only meet through her stream of consciousness memory. Vanessa Redgrave gives us an astounding performance! The expression in that voice, the profound emotion, the complex feelings, even the accent! She does a fantastic Job of engaging and absorbing the listener in watt, I can only imagine, must be a very difficult book to actually narrate with that kind of expression. I think that this would be an excellent listen for those who are suffering bereavement, as well as for those who enjoy a book that provokes deep reflection.

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Overall, a draining listen

Revisado: 09-27-22

Carty-Williams tends to tackle some tricky subjects in her books - domestic violence, search for identity, racial issues - and this one is no exception. The book was well-written and the performance was excellent. The author is also clever with her humor. The downfall for me, however, was the negative tension throughout. I also found Dimple's never-ending introspection both irritating and wearing. I wondered which of the characters most represents the author. I cannot say that I enjoyed this listen, certainly not as much as Queenie. But I was invested in it and wanted to follow the journey to the end.

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Calming, well-written and well-researched

Revisado: 09-27-22

This simple but deeply satisfying story and narration is as warm and hearty as the masala chai latte that is Eleanor's morning choice. Capturing the beauty and charm of a typical English village at Christmas time, this book always makes me feel warm, cozy and a little home sick for my England! Whenever I listen to the book as I drift off to sleep, I am compelled, the very next day, to make my own masala chai latte. If I do not have maple syrup as our heroine recommends, I use organic buckwheat honey: it has a deep, rich flavor and makes the tea taste almost like a chocolate chai latte.

The author obviously knows a great deal about tea varieties and their origins, skillfully weaving in facts about the history of the industry and the various regions in India and China where they can be found. Touching on the Ayurveda system, the author also teases the listener with a few hints about certain qualities associated with tea types - fruity, citrus, black teas, green tea etc.

Those other sweet little touches - the little cat, the friendly baker, the glowing Christmas lights in the windows of the village homes -make for a delicious brew. This short but beautiful little gem wins my heart every time.

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Disappointing And Dated

Revisado: 06-21-22

Having seen the documentary several times, I was hoping that the book would have been as inspirational and would have provided a more in-depth Analysis of the health benefits of a plant-based diet, as well as a more objective look at the medical, economic and physiological implications of employing such a lifestyle. Moreover, the fact that it was produced as an audible work in 2019 attracted me as I was looking forward to some supplemental and updated information. One point in particular which drew my attention, was the assertion that in 10 years from when this book was written, 2011, restaurants would likely be Divided into meat-eating and non-meat-eating diners, rather like smokers and non-smokers, and that the non-meat eating diners would be looking at the meat eating diners with pity. I was looking forward to some new and exciting recipes to try out. But there were none. Having said all of this, the book was quite well written Conan just rather short and too subjective. I do happen to have their app which I love. Full of wonderful recipes. If this book had a Contemporary foreword, this could solve the dated issue. However, for those considering a plant-based diet and are new to this field, this book could be a good introduction and contains some useful information.

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Disappointing And Dated

Revisado: 06-21-22

Having seen the documentary several times, I was hoping that the book would have been as inspirational and would have provided a more in-depth Analysis of the health benefits of a plant-based diet, as well as a more objective look at the medical, economic and physiological implications of employing such a lifestyle. Moreover, the fact that it was produced as an audible work in 2019 attracted me as I was looking forward to some supplemental and updated information. One point in particular which drew my attention, was the assertion that in 10 years from when this book was written, 2011, restaurants would likely be Divided into meat-eating and non-meat-eating diners, rather like smokers and non-smokers, and that the non-meat eating diners would be looking at the meat eating diners with pity. I was looking forward to some new and exciting recipes to try out. But there were none. Having said all of this, the book was quite well written Conan just rather short and too subjective. I do happen to have their app which I love. Full of wonderful recipes. If this book had a Contemporary foreword, this could solve the dated issue. However, for those considering a plant-based diet and are new to this field, this book could be a good introduction and contains some useful information.

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A magical dramatization

Revisado: 05-30-22

This audio dramatization of the story and of the 1970s BBC series was truly magical. It reminded me of one of those classic radio dramas in which we are plunged in to a world of sound, sites and periods of history, capturing our imagination and our senses. The performance was excellent, the sound affects were wonderful and the music was enchanting. I have always loved the theme tune, Galloping Home. At the end of the production, where the theme tune is played in its entirety, I was filled with nostalgia as I remember being mesmerized as a young child at the TV series. Thank you for this amazing production. I will listen to it again without question. I have also recommended it to a friend who said she could not stop listening to it.

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A jaw-dropping eye-opener!

Revisado: 11-18-21

I also purchased the kindle version of this book because I wanted to study the details and the statistics. What shocked me about so many of the facts in this book was how intertwined the corruption is at such a high level. I haven’t yet finished this book but what I have read so far is well researched and well written. However, I find the Narration to be dry and too devoid of emotion. When narrating, there is a balance, true. One does not want to influence the listener and inject too much emotion, nor be aloof and distant. But this one does not strike a good balance for me. I find that increasing the narration speed helps.

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esto le resultó útil a 16 personas