Darren

Clever. Has potential.

Revisado: 10-14-24

One of the things I dislike about so many shows and/or stories, is that the characters don't lewarn from their mistakes. They don't grow, or mature, and make the same bad choices over and over. But that's not at issue here. The heroine starts out thinking she's smarter/better/quicker than everyone else before realizing she has a lot to learn. The choices she makes at the end of the story are far better than at the beginning. She grows into someone I could actually like.

The narrator's voice is quite young sounding; very age appropriate for the main character and her friends. Yet I somehow grow weary of that young childlike narration rather quickly. SHe's not bad, as narrators go, but I find it hard to take her seriously. It would be interesting to see if the narrator choozes to deepen her characters voice over time, to go with the character's development throughout the series. Were that to happen, my rating would go up for the performance.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Still relevant.

Revisado: 05-12-17

This comedy, dark comedy, black comedy, reads like a stage production. It contains philosophy, poetry, ranting and raving and tears.
Some may call it a story about the black condition. But I think it is a story of the human condition. Human, not humane.

I knew the story was taking place in the 20's and 30's, possibly into the 40's and 50's. I wondered how far it would look. 60's? 70's? and then I learned that it was first published in 1952. It can't go on to describe life later than the 1951. And yet, somehow, it does. it describes how we all feel, when we look inside ourselves. It describes how we all feel when we look at how others treat us. It is timeless.

The narrator, Joe Morton, reads and laughs with such an ease and Grace I can't help but wonder how much of the laughter is written and much is his interpretation? He does a most excellent job with clearly defined voices and an easy to follow rhythm that sometimes I forget that it is only one actor.

I look forward to reading/listening again. But not for a while. it's too rich a meal to consume two back to back. I need to sit and let this one digest for a little while.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Real science disguised as fiction.

Revisado: 05-12-15

I can't remember the last time I read, or listened, to a book this good.

To compare this to Robinson Caruso would not do it justice.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not easily categorized.

Revisado: 08-20-13

Where does NOS4A2 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought this would be a classic vampire novel; a monster novel, if you will. But it's not. It's fantasy/horror/adventure/suspense and loss of innocence all rolled into one. I've not read a book like it before. Just as I thought I knew where this was going it changed genre's on me again.

I give the story four stars because I am not a horror fan. I like my fantasy adventure to offer me a sense of escapism and wonder. This story certainly had some of that, but it was so dark, and the characters were so flawed and real, that I kept getting jolted back into a sense of the real world.

Fans of horror may find the story too fantasy like. Fans of adventure or suspense may find it not realistic enough. But if you want a story about people with a foot in both worlds, written with a foot both worlds, I cannot think of a better example. That is why I gave the overall five stars.

What about Kate Mulgrew’s performance did you like?

This was the first time I had heard Kate Mulgrew. Her voice has just enough rasp to clearly define the adults, the children, and the beast. She has just the right pitch that I was not thrown off by the male vs female characters, or the innocent vs the not-so-innocent vs the villain.

Mulgrew approached the reading with the mature confidence that not only wrung every possible emotion from the story, but was almost refreshing to hear the villain cuss the parents trying to save their children. Call me old fashioned, or chauvinistic if you will, but normally I flinch at such language, particularly when a female narrator cusses as a male character toward another female character; using all of the vile language that no one should have to endure. But Mulgrew blew right past it, adopted it, and made it flow so natural, she recognized that it was necessary and defined the characters mental state.

Without Mulgrew's voice, this story would have lost a lot of the grit, the power, the sensational, and the real. I applaud her and plan to seek out other stories she has read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Very entertaining.

Revisado: 08-06-12

Would you listen to another book narrated by Neil Gaiman?

The best part about listening to an author read his own work is that you hear his intent. You hear the intended mood swings, the pronunciation and enunciation, the vocal pauses and the unsaid sentences left hanging.

But not all authors should read their own work. The ability to write is not the same as the ability to perform. Using distinctive voices is itself an art form, and not everyone can do it.

As much as I loved this story by Neil Gaiman, I'm not sure he was the right voice for the audio. The children sound too old. The women sound too masculine, (save one that sounded perfect!)

His pace was excellent. Slow and calm actually heightened tension

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

I would have loved to listen to this book in one sitting. In fact, i used earphones and listened to a great deal of it while sitting at my computer in the office.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña