Alison Victoria

Book is interesting, narrator is annoying

Revisado: 02-21-22

I love Cornelia Funke’s books. Loved Inkheart, but Inkspell was ruined by Brendan Fraser’s narration. His exaggerated voices really grate on my nerves! Maybe if you are 4 or 5 years old, you will enjoy it. After that, the shouting, shrieking, snoring and grunting almost ruin the book. It’s a shame. I’m sorry I didn’t notice that he was the narrator.

The story is engaging and imaginative. I really love Funke’s books. But better to read this one on paper.

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Author on autopilot, Screechy narrator

Revisado: 01-15-21

I’ll start with the narrator, because that’s the thing that bothered me the most about this audiobook. She has a lovely speaking voice. I’m not sure why she, or the editor of this audiobook, did not give it a listen before unleashing it on unsuspecting audiences.

Mma Romotswe’s voice was fine, but every other character sounded exactly the same—chalk on a blackboard. Mma Makutsi and Charlie sound just alike and their screeching made this book almost painful to listen to. I missed the old narrator. Ms. Andoh has a beautiful voice. She could be a great narrator, but she needs to learn to modulate her voice and the editor should be fired for this version.

As for the story, it’s always nice to be back with old familiar characters, but the author (in all his series) absolutely has to dwell on “reverse discrimination” (usually against men) and it is getting quite tiresome. I really felt that there was very little effort in this book and that’s disappointing as I am a long time fan.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

Book is ok, background music is horrible!

Revisado: 07-25-19

I did not understand that the background music plays randomly throughout this book and for long periods of time. It is so distracting! Booktrack is a terrible idea. I wish I had known . The narration is also a little bit annoying. A lot of adults have difficulty with children’s voices. But this one seems to have difficulty with a lot of different voices . It’s really unfortunate and has colored my opinion of the story. I should have eye-read this one.

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esto le resultó útil a 10 personas

Gripping tale of resistance and redemption

Revisado: 05-21-16

Not everything is as it seems in this book. It is easy to write off characters (as it is to write of other people sometimes.) In this book, you finally see that things are more complex than they seem. There are many ways to be a hero during WWII--and many ways to misunderstand the motives of others. This is a story of history and an intimate portrait of a family and the different paths they take in the battles against evil. The narrator is excellent as well.

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Odd topic, but a good listen

Revisado: 05-21-16

I've never thought about what it would be like in the mind of a stalker. This book goes back and forth between two women. The hypnotist who has just started a relationship and the woman who is obsessed with the hypnotist's new boyfriend--who is the stalker's ex-boyfriend. As usual, Moriarty's book is witty and engaging. Perhaps not quite as engaging as some of her other books. Still worth reading. If you love Moriarty, just turn your expectations down a notch.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 02-18-13

I gave it to stars because at least I felt compelled to finish it. But overall it was a waste of my time. All the positive reviews set my expectations a bit higher. But this is the first audiobook I've ever listened to that went on and on and on only to tell a very mediocre story. This is my worst experience with Audible so far and I'm really surprised that the book got so many great reviews. To each his own, I guess.

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Twists and turns keep you guessing

Revisado: 11-03-12

I found this book to be a delightful surprise. It kept me guessing. I hate it when books are so predictable that you groan and the clumsy foreshadowing. This book gives you hints, but still leaves you wondering. I couldn't put it down. I listened while I drove and while I worked around the house. Wonderful company! I immediately bought another book by Ms. Morton, which I'm downloading now, and I also bought a copy of the hardcover book for my local public library. It is definitely a book to read and share. The narrator of this book is wonderful. Very easy to listen to.

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Darkly beautiful...but not for everyone

Revisado: 10-10-12

I didn't want to read any reviews before reading this book. I wanted only to have my own impressions first. During the first third of the book, I wondered where Rowling was going with this story. But like a train, the book picked up speed as it went along. When I reached the end, I went back to the beginning and read it again--just in case I had missed something.

This is certainly not a book for those who thought that HP Book 4 was too dark. This one is often dark, grim and gritty. Most of the characters are not really likeable--at least not at first. Then you get to know the back story...or you see a flash of tremendous courage in a person who seemed weak and useless. And slowly, you begin to see these people in a different light. It is as Sirius Black said, "The world isn't divided into good people and Deatheaters." (Or something like that.) The world Rowling created is complex and difficult and many people are not what they seem.

We don't get to know Barry Fairweather very well in the first few pages of the book. He dies right at the beginning of the story. (This is not a spoiler--his death creates the "casual vacancy" in the book.) It is only after the fact that you really get to know this man--through his friendships with the people who survive him.

There are not enough books which reveal real, 3 dimensional characters--people who come to life and remain like old friends in your head. Maybe for all your life. Rowling has incredible insight into teenage angst, marriage, addiction and love. The book is beautifully written. As you can see from the widely different reviews, it isn't for everyone. But I am among those who feel it is extraordinary.

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Fascinating story - best book in a long time

Revisado: 04-17-12

This is a wonderful story full of twists and turns, wonderfully developed characters and a sense of the sacred in ordinary things. I loved this book! In fact, right after finishing it, I went right back to the beginning to listen to the first 1/3 of the book again. I wanted to hear it again knowing what I then knew.

I was never bored with this book. The narrator is wonderful, his use of accents (which can be very tricky) was right on target. It really added to the story. This is an exceptional story told by someone who is obviously in the medical field. But instead of feeling like an outsider, the reader is drawn into that field and feels along with the surgeon. And that is just a tiny part of what makes this redemptive story so special. Great book!

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Brilliant moments, drags too often

Revisado: 04-17-12

What this book needs most is a wise editor. There are passages of truly brilliant writing. I like the weaving of the present with the past and, overall, the book held my interest, despite my impatience. It has the makings of a great fantasy. Some passages are like poetry.

The problem seems to be that the author does not distinguish between insignificant details - like why it is so hard to find books in the University library - and more important ones. The library explanation could have taken 30 seconds and been completely satisfactory. Instead, it drones on for about 10 minutes leaving you no more interested or enlightened than you were after the first 30 seconds. The story of the dragon-like creature goes on for hours when 30 or 40 minutes would have been more than adequate. The ending is weird. A relatively minor character shows himself to be different from what you thought. This does pique the interest a little, but also seemed a bit odd.

Kvothe is an interesting character, though his insistence on making one bad decision after another is a bit hard to take. When you see a character do something foolish, you expect him to learn from it somehow. Instead, he generally compounds those errors and goes on making new, yet very similar ones. When he has to make a decision, you can pretty much count on it being the obviously wrong one. The story with Dena is also tiresome in the as other readers have noted. It just keeps going round and round.

On the upside, despite my reservations, I'm seriously considering buying the second book. So there is something in this series and I'm curious to see how it ends up. I just wish an editor had taken a big chunk of rambling passages out or streamlined them. So I'm undecided about taking the plunge again.

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