Cynthia Bazinet

Marvelous

Revisado: 07-16-24

Crisden's narration is a tour de force, making this dense novel an easier and more accessible read. Highly recommended.

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Needed an editor

Revisado: 06-20-24

This novel is an unformatted screenplay for a television miniseries. That said, McBride needed an editor, as the narrative is baggy, meandering, and cliche-ridden. Hoffman's narration, however, is outstanding. I wonder if he rolled his eyes as many times as I did.

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Insightful and Delightful

Revisado: 06-20-24

An absolute jewel. Lively, funny, sad, and, above all, humane. Handler's unique approach to writing, reading, and literature (for all ages) is simply a joy from beginning to end. Aside from a compelling life story of his own, Handler offers a refreshing and abiding respect for children who, like their adult counterparts, live rich interior lives, a fact not often evident in a literary culture that ceaselessly churns out cynical and formulaic "young adult literature." The writing, too, is energetic, quirky, and creative. Although I listened to the Audible version, I have ordered a hard copy for use in following up on the wonderful list of literary works he cites. Of course, it'll also be fun to revisit some of the truly insightful passages on the value and meaning of art and literature and its place in the human experience.

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Holy Moly! What a ride!

Revisado: 06-13-24

The narrator was absolutely amazing!! Let's have more of Damian Gildea!

This novel was spectacular--suspenseful, nuanced, humane, and beautiful. Mr. Barrett has a tremendous future ahead of him.

Sentences to make a body swoon.....

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Haunting and unforgettable

Revisado: 01-22-24

Not for the faint of heart. Compelling, disturbing, relevant--deserving of every accolade the novel has received. O'Brien's reading is pitch-perfect.

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A Marvel

Revisado: 12-14-23

I listened to it twice because I was sure there were wonderful things I missed the first time through, and sure enough. This lovely, moving, and, at times, laugh-out-loud humourous meditation on marriage, time, truth, and loss is stunningly beautiful, even incantatory. Not for everyone, I imagine, but for those who (a) can appreciate the unusual and who (b) do possess a love of literature, this one may be for you. Can't say enough good things.

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Bar none, the best novel I've read all year

Revisado: 10-16-23

Lethem's new novel is not for everyone, but if you are inclined to appreciate experimental novels, this is one for you. Cantor's performance here, too, rivals his reading of Motherless Brooklyn, giving heart and soul to the mostly nameless characters who populate Lethem's Brooklyn patchwork of vignettes that bring to life Brooklyn's Boerum Hill of the 60s through 90s. This isn't relax-in-a-comfy chair storytelling; this is constant footwork, energetic and fast-paced. Lethem's narrator is by turns terse, cutting, philosophical, wry, tender, and riotous. Absolutely pure joy. Bravo, Mr. Lethem! Thank you thank you thank you!

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Utterly amazing...

Revisado: 04-25-23

Bar none, one of the most engaging, edifying, and provocative listening experiences ever. The performances of the narrators are nothing short of astounding. Both this and The Passenger are fantastic--and I'm not normally a McCarthy fan. I feel compelled to go back and reread.

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Missed opportunity--and too many "toes" in Toronto

Revisado: 08-08-22

I know that there has been a recent effort to have Canadians read Canadian literature, so each time Joan Allen says "ToronTOE" (and even "Noo-fin-lin") I was able to resist the impulse to throw something.

That aside, the novel is a miss--meandering, digressive, self-indulgent, and ultimately pointless. Norah's journey from troubled teen to "goodness" self-exile is unconvincing, Reta seems to be an unreliable narrator, either by design or by error. I found myself annoyed with her much of the time since she has much to say about everybody else, everybody else's appearance, everybody's possessions, etc., and pretty much nothing to say about her own shortcomings, her marriage, or her other children. And there's the misandry rumbling beneath it all.

Another point: I'm mildly offended by the prop that is Danielle Westerman, whose presence seems to both trivialize the Holocaust experience and embody the "wise old woman" trope.

Lastly, the musical intros are laughable and merely reinforce the sense that I was listening to a soap opera.

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Perfect Reading

Revisado: 05-09-22

Irons' reading is one for the ages and may even be one of the finest narrations ever recorded. Irons' performance is akin to a dramatic monologue, an acting tour de force. The problematic issues of Nabokov's novel aside, anyone who approaches the novel with an open mind will be rewarded.

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