M. Leavell

The very best of American regionalism

Revisado: 01-14-23

A beautifully written book; the reader accurately captures the essence of a Maine accent, enhancing the reading experience considerably.

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One of the best novels I've ever read

Revisado: 09-12-20

Like The End of October, which I finished right before reading The Overstory, this could be filed under the category of historical fiction, save for the fact that it is set (largely) during the 20th and early 21st centuries. While the story is engaging, I enjoyed the non-fiction aspects at least as much as the fiction. Given my presumed lack of interest in anything botanical (I'm a physician, so I have an innate appreciation of the natural sciences), I was truly surprised by how engaged I was by learning about trees.

Toren's reading is very good; I recommend setting the speed to 1.1X.

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A brilliant reading

Revisado: 05-17-20

This reading enhances one's understanding of the work, a rare gem among readings in that respect. I chose to reread it right now (May, 2020) based on a terrific article in The Atlantic Monthly by James Parker. (Search for "The 1798 Poem That Was Made for 2020.") I quote from Parker's story (one in which he recounts an on-going public domain project to engage multiple people reading the poem, a project in the works prior to the pandemic):

"Six hundred and twenty-six lines of customized Coleridgean English, a strange and wildly flexible hybrid idiom in which the long strains of the King James Bible are looped around a kind of loping, hacked-off folk doggerel, the “Rime” is … What is it? The last epic. The first case history. A Jungian voyage into modernity. A trip. On his way to a wedding, at the very door of the banquet hall, a man is buttonholed by a haggard and compelling stranger. He is detained; he is enthralled. No choice: He must hear this person’s story. And the ancient mariner (for it is he) has no choice either: He is condemned to tell his tale, to recite his rhyme, over and over again."

If it's been as long for you in reading this poem as it was for me, the end of part one will be truly shocking - jaw agape. The effect is stunning.

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The Best Iliad for Audible

Revisado: 10-05-19

I love the Pope translation of The Iliad, but the reading is terrible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Iliad-Audiobook/B003RB9V5O?pf_rd_p=6a5ce8e4-798e-4a64-8bc5-71dcf66d673f&pf_rd_r=BFSEGC7C0XEH96AX3B8R&ref=a_lib_c4_libItem_B003RB9V5O

I love the Lattimore translation, as well, but the reading is also terrible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Iliad-Audiobook/B002V0PV5Q?qid=1570308277&sr=1-4&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=FPXYQ4YWSSC2JQ0CVRXX&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_4

I am new to the Fitzgerald translation of The Iliad, but I have always been a great fan of his translation of The Odyssey. Interestingly, like his translation of The Odyssey, his Iliad strikes a brilliant balance between prose and poetry. Couple that with Dan Stevens nuanced reading of the text & the availability of a Kindle edition and I think it will be difficult to find a better edition on Audible.

If you're looking for a Kindle edition, only, I recommend the Alexander Pope, the most poetic translation of this poem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QMN2YCP

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I would give the performance 6 stars if I could

Revisado: 03-28-18

Keiper's narration, the way he seems to bring to life a narrator who makes J Alfred Prufrock seem bold and dashing, is simply extraordinary. The effect is to underscore Ford's ironic tone and makes one understand (thoroughly) why Dowell's wife might take a lover, or want to kill herself. I purchased this over my tried and true go-to narrator (Frank Muller) for the whispersync, but it's hard for me to imagine even Muller handling this better than Keiper.

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This reading is unintelligibile

Revisado: 03-19-18

There might be other good options, but I recommend the BJ Harrison over this, hands-down. Davies' Irish and Scottish brogues are probably quite authentic, but (if so) they are TOO authentic. Most US readers will find this reading incomprehensible. The Harrison, in contrast, while very British, is more approachable.

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Read this, not the David Ian Davies

Revisado: 03-19-18

I can't compare this to other readings, but this is far preferable to the David Ian Davies. While a distinctly British reading, Davies' Irish and Scottish brogues are so authentic as to render his reading of the story unintelligible.

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Brilliant reading of this book

Revisado: 03-19-18

Branagh's reading is spot-on. It's hard to imagine anyone handling the material any better. (This is NOT a given among screen actors.)

The decision to read Conrad is yours. A suggestion: do not give up on this book. It picks up steam and is well worth the time, especially given the modest length of the novella.

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Poor narration detracts from reading Hemingway

Revisado: 10-28-16

This is arguably Hemingway's greatest work, but the narration is painful. (Not as bad as Deaver Brown's narration of The Monster, by Stephen Crane, but almost.) Celebrity narrations are not required to be bad. John Slattery is brilliant in his narration of A Farewell to Arms. Campbell Scott (For Whom the Bell Tolls), and Jake Gyllenhall (The Great Gatsby) are both quite good. William Hurt succeeds, with this narration, at diminishing a 20th century masterpiece.

It should be a source of embarrassment to audible.com that this is the only narration avaialbe (probably due to the stranglehold that Simon & Schuster still have over Hemingway's work, but just a guess.)

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A brilliant reading of a brilliant work

Revisado: 01-23-16

One either reads Henry James, or not. If yes, this is a very good reading of the novel that is (arguably) his best.

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