SBG

Gorgeous. Brilliant. Hilarious. Poignant.

Revisado: 07-18-24

I had no idea what to expect from this; I originally expected more of a conventional memoir, but very quickly loved the fact that it was not. Not to mention that I could listen to his voice forever. Going into it I had no idea that I would laugh, or be haunted by it, to the degree that I was. Nor did I expect to be blubbering like an eejit behind my sunglasses in the street as I listened to its final moments. I loved it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fun, immersive listen; but the narrator...

Revisado: 02-22-23

Yet another well-researched dive into a specific Parisian era; but I'm baffled by the narrator,
She's got an appealing voice and cadence and (unlike many) actually tackles the accents with some skill, but it seems like she is sight-reading and committing bizarre inconsistencies. Among the more egregious are Proust, to whom she refers as "Proo" and "Proust" -- even in the same paragraph. Other names are similarly butchered. I don't expect everybody to master every accent, but the weird thing here is that she actually does have a grasp of accents. She just drastically changes the pronunciation of recurring names for no reason whatsoever. PROO? Really? It's almost like she has no idea what is going on. Would it be too much to ask for a narrator who does a modicum of research? Are there no editors here? It just feels lazy -- and kind of strange. That said, I happily stuck with it, thanks to Mary McAuliffe. But come on, readers. Try doing just a minimum of homework.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Fun, juicy, and thorough

Revisado: 05-08-22

I don't understand the negative reviews about the narration -- Tina Brown narrates with wit and emphasis and it was an extremely entertaining and informative read, and a fun follow-up to her Diana book. My only gripe -- and I had to grit my teeth mightily -- was the overlong, overly detailed, gushing praise of Meghan Markle. From her sparkling auditions to repeated references to her beauty (really?), the minutiae of every audition...and the fact that she ate a lentil salad on such-and-such a date. It was a bizarre, overblown emphasis in an otherwise stellar, balanced, and entertaining portrait of the royals at large. That aside, loved the book. Exactly the kind of frothy, fun, yet intricately researched listen I'd hoped it would be.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fun and immersive -- despite the narrator

Revisado: 01-10-21

An entertaining and informative odyssey through the decadent, hedonistic, and creative world of Paris fashion in the '70s, with an exciting and comprehensive emphasis on YSL and Karl Lagerfeld. But I will never understand why -- for a book that is so obviously focused on France and the French -- would this be given to a narrator who clearly has NO clue as to how to pronounce French words and names, and pronounces them inconsistently throughout, to boot? At the very least, one would expect a reader to make the teensiest effort to check on pronunciations before rattling off words and names?
I was literally gritting my teeth through much of this. At the very least, learn to pronounce "couture." Gaaah.
But a good listen anyway.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

A note to the pronunciation police

Revisado: 05-03-20

For all of those commenters who fussed about the "Don Joo-an" pronunciation, please note that that is how the name is pronounced in British English. The narrator was absolutely correct.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Wonderful

Revisado: 03-01-20

Another atmospheric, satisfying, beautifully written suspense novel by the inimitable Arnaldur Indridason, beautifully read to perfection by George Guidall.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

It was fun... for a while.

Revisado: 10-23-19

I basically get a huge kick out of Cat Marnell and truly enjoyed her first book. This one -- which I would recommend to die-hard Cat Marnell fans only -- started out as an entertaining romp but got a little tiresome about halfway through. By the end of the book I was rolling my eyes and was wondering how/why she was even getting paid for this dialed-in, repetitive, diary-format narrative. She checks into a new city, goes out on a "wizard walk," gets loaded on wine, and misses her flights and buses -- lather, rinse, repeat. It becomes less and less "dope" and more and more.... well, dopey. If the nonstop wacky antics of a precocious teenager in her late 30s is your thing, you'll like this, but it gets seriously old seriously quickly, dude.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 10 personas

Well-written (and narrated) Kennedy history.

Revisado: 09-17-19

I've been on a bit of a Kennedy binge, for reasons I cannot fully comprehend. This one (which was referenced in another, lesser, Kennedy tome) was quite a surprise -- very well written, witty, insightful, hampered by neither the bile nor the gushing that usually leave their mark on Kennedy histories. I also have to throw in a huge round of applause for Christopher Hurt, who does a remarkable job with the narration. His impersonations are completely spot-on (I admit to embarrassing bursts of laughter in the street), but always respectful and never parodic. He even pronounces French words correctly -- an (English-language) audiobook miracle. The only term he mispronounced, oddly, was Skakel (which he rhymed with "spackle")--for which he is eminently forgiven. A highly recommended listen in every respect.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

I really wanted to like this

Revisado: 08-15-19

This had all the makings of a riveting and inspirational story. I've always had a fascination with the FLDS and the accounts of those who made it out and survived/thrived upon their escape. The problem with this story, for me, starts with the narration -- it was overly bubbly, with silly inflections, as though the narrator were addressing a group of toddlers; cringeworthy. And though I respect what Flora Jessop has done, and does, her story is diminished by her penchant for making herself sound cool, bad-ass, and rebellious. If I hear one more brave, sassy retort I'm going to scream. Some of the recreated conversations just seem.....made up. I came away from this assuming that, despite a riveting life, much has been embellished to drive home her cool factor.(How many references to the damn studded leather jacket do we need?) She seems to like the limelight, and deserves it; I just wish it wasn't made that obvious.
I strongly recommend Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" and Rachel Jeffs's riveting "Breaking Free."

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great

Revisado: 04-27-18

Wonderful book, beautifully written -- a perfect storm of history, science, and honest personal experience. The only drawback -- and not a big one -- was the narrator, who, though clearly talented, added an unnecessary breathy theatricality to the performance. Especially given Sean Strub's own elegant, understated, restrained vocals. The emotions ring loud and clear and don't need emoting. That said, the book is brilliant. A true stroll back down an inspirational if painful memory lane.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña