Espen Kvalheim

Interesting, but repetitive

Revisado: 11-24-20

The author has a number of interesting points and astute observations and presents them entertainingly, but hevalso has a tendency to incessantly repeat characterizations and interpretations - especially towards the end of the book. While not wrong, it soon gets old to hear for the fourth or fifth time how badly Trump wants to date his own daughter and how he paid shush money to a porn star from the oval office.

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Not an elegant transition into audioplay

Revisado: 11-24-17

I wasn't really a die-hard fan of the original series, but I did watch it pretty regularly back in the day. But while I will admit that it is good to hear all the characters "back in the saddle" again (the plot-line that enabled that was a nice way to solve it, by the way), I fail to find this very convincing as an audioplay, even though it would probably have performed beautifully on screen.

Listening to it, there are simply too many moments when characters are forced to say things in a very unnatural way in order to describe scenery or to give context - not enough to make this dreadful, mind you, but plenty enough to make me feel that the writers haven't yet acquired the proper level of familiarity with the subtle differences between teleplays and audioplays, and what one can get away with in each art form.

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Delightfully though-provoking!

Revisado: 11-19-15

I recently saw Ramo give a talk on China and Chinese politics, and found it very interesting to see some of the thoughts he presented there in a greater context. In this book he not only goes to some really interesting places and speaks to some fascinating people - he also "connects the dots" in a way that I found utterly fascinating - even now, more than half a decade after the book was published.

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Read the paper (or Kindle) version instead!

Revisado: 10-22-14

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Bill Bryson?

I have read several of Bryson's books, and I have enjoyed them tremendously. I am a big, big fan of his works, and I particularly love that delightful wit of his, but this is the first time I've heard him read his work. When I read his books, I invariably picture him sitting with that mischievous grin he sometimes wears in photos, and I'd suspected him to be veritably bubbling with his next wisecrack or funny formulation - which even this book is richly adorned with. However, there was absolutely no delivery of these punch lines - he just read on like it was a laundry list.

Any additional comments?

The book isn't bad at all, and the final chapter - in which Bryson kills dead any and all of the theories that Shakespeare wasn't actually Shakespeare - is simply phenomenal, and in itself worth the price of the book. But in my opinion, you'll have a better experience if you read it yourself than let Bryson do it for you...

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Interesting, but somewhat repetitive

Revisado: 10-22-14

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

I'd recommend this audiobook to anybody who watches the news and has an interest for the world economy. And yes, that even goes for those who rely primarily on Fox News to keep them up-to-date. The latter category may encounter views and information about the financial crisis of that differ from their regular news diet, but I hardly see how it can hurt them.

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

Not at all. He relates plenty of very interesting information in an open and candid fashion - he is not afraid to confess mistakes he has done and things he should have handled differently, and that was refreshing. However, once he gets into the thick of the crisis, he gets irritatingly repetitive at criticizing those who wished "old testament justice" upon bankers (and other low-lives). If trying to swallow this book in one sitting, I think these repetitions would appear quite choking...

Any additional comments?

The part up until he starts working in the Obama administration is very, very good. It is only after that he slips into annoying repetitions at times - but even then, there are gold nuggets in between. It is also refreshing that he reads his own story himself - he does that well, and it adds sincerity to the narrative.

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Fantastic book, magnificent performance!

Revisado: 10-22-14

Would you consider the audio edition of Shantaram to be better than the print version?

I bought both the kindle book and the audio version, since I often like to switch back and forth between them. The reader's performance was so good, however, that I never even considered opening the book.

What did you like best about this story?

The book totally changed my view of India. I still don't believe the slums are nice places, but this book gives some insight into how people can tolerate living there. It is also a very interesting tale of the main character's journey and growth as a man and a human being.

What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?

This book contains a multitude of characters from various nationalities, and Bower enacts each and every one of them to great perfection - he easily amplified my enjoyment of the book tenfold. I have heard some who've read the paper version say they got the characters confused, but Bower's performance made that much easier to follow (although I occasionally ran into trouble with than when they entered the Afghan mountains).

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

I cried several times, and laughed out even more. Just beautiful!

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