Paige Turner

Eerie on Many Levels

Revisado: 08-23-19

Paul lulls you into a comfortable place by beginning this tale with his beautiful prose and a light hearted depiction of a happy little girl playing with grasshoppers...then the story starts to play with your head. The story, that we want to think is impossible becomes completely believable. The story is fiction but explores some very scary- all too real aspects of human behavior. I was sorry to read that the lackluster narration spoiled the experience for so many, There were times when I too felt the narration was tiresome, but Paul painted the mental pictures so vividly that the story shone through. Someone commented that the story left too many questions unanswered. I think that was the point...to leave the questions open for the reader to ponder and for smart book clubs to discuss...

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Love Roth, read this. Don't? Read it anyway!

Revisado: 02-08-17

What did you like about this audiobook?

I didn't read the print revision, but I suspect if I had, I would have stopped reading it way too soon. The beginning seemed like a rambling stream of consciousness, but when you move past it, you see it in hind-sight as the idealized memories of a boyhood friend. That carefree presentation of "before" contrasts with the intensity of confusion and quest that makes up the bulk of the book.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

The "Swed", of course. The main character. The protagonist, the ever man just trying to be a good man. He did everything right, but things went terribly wrong. A character we can all relate to one way or another.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Nothing, I haven't listened to anything else by him, but I will.

Do you have any additional comments?

A very important, very relevant book to read and discuss in light of current events.

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Why?

Revisado: 02-08-17

What disappointed you about Swing Time?

The story rambled like a common memoir. The characters were poorly developed.

What could Zadie Smith have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Find a good editor and have some point to writing out the story.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The tone of the story droned on, with few highs or lows. The story's narrator which Bennett-Warner gave voice to was dull and flat in her observations and descriptions. Most of the character's emotions were muted. There was no build up to any dramatic moments or story twists. There wasn't much the Bennett-Warner could do with the material.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Sadness, at the futility of the lives of those in the story. There was disappointment because the reviews had me expect more. Anger, that I wasted credits on it.

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Great fun, sneaks in social and human comentary

Revisado: 01-09-17

Where does We Are Legion (We Are Bob) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top. And I have listened to some great books!

What does Ray Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He somehow captured the individual nuances of each "Bob" which made them even more distinct, real and 3 dimensional than I believe just reading the written descriptions could have. It was a stellar performance!

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

It is quite a journey. There were plenty of lol moments, but there was more than that. Humor is a habit for Bob but also a survival skill. You laugh with him at profound irony as well as at stupid middle school puns. All other emotional reactions, all part of being fully human, sneak in to his rationalizing, intellectualizing psyche. You ride with Bob(s) to distant galaxies and to the core of humanness.

Any additional comments?

Don't miss it!

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Nothing new.

Revisado: 01-09-17

What did you like best about Miller's Valley? What did you like least?

What I liked best was the potential for empathy and insight promised by the premise. What I liked least was that it turned out to read like a lazy, stream of consciousness, memoir with shallow characters and a "surprise" ending that was no big surprise at all.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Some more imaginative.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was good enough. The story was flat, prodding and predictable. There wasn't much a narrator could do to liven it up.

Was Miller's Valley worth the listening time?

No.

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Loved every minute of it!

Revisado: 02-29-16

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

Absolutely, It was fascinating, touching, entertaining, and inspiring. What more could you ask from a novel?

What did you like best about this story?

A truly brilliant story isn't just interesting for the time you are experiencing it. Brilliant stories stay with you. They come as significant an experience as any other in your life. They become a reference point and continue to alter your paradigms and perspectives.

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

I could visualize each character through the unique tones and intonations he lent to their "voice".

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What if?

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The truth about turning 50

Revisado: 02-29-16

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
My impression was that it was a stand up comedy routine stretched out to fill the pages of a book. Not great literature but a few funny spots.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
I read it as a book club member and was glad I had gotten through it.

Have you listened to any of Annabelle Gurwitch’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
nope

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Not 5 star, but still a must read!

Revisado: 10-15-15

What did you love best about The Circle?

It is ingenious.

What did you like best about this story?

Relentlessness

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When she spontaneously took the canoe and went out on the water alone. It was like a final farewell to being a free spirit. She was slowly being sucked dry of every last drop of free will, but she did not know it, not consciously at least.. It was like her one last fling with simple joy, and wonder, before she surrendered....there was this moment of quiet protest from that part of her that was dying.

Any additional comments?

This is no where near a 5 star book. The 4 star rating is generous. The author is very clever and insightful, even ingenious, just not a great writer. Still this is a must read book. I saw myself and all of us reflected in a magnifying mirror. There were imagines that annoyed me, horrified me, and made me laugh at myself. The book made deep impressions on my psyche. It has become a reference point. My mind refers back to The Circle over and over. Ignore the bad writing. Grit your teeth and jump into it, and keep swimming. You'll see why. We are all Ana.

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Hauntingly contempory, with surprising twists.

Revisado: 10-14-15

If you could sum up Love Is Red in three words, what would they be?

Unique, engaging, embarrassing

What did you like best about this story?

The all too relate-able characters. It is at once a cautionary tale confronting the humbling realities faced by woman today...or the realities that should be faced by woman today, and a well crafted "who done it", with a silver strand of mysticism.

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

I enjoyed spreading the story out over several listens, so I could take time to review and think about the new information, dialogs and alter my assumptions and predictions.

Any additional comments?

This book reminded me of a mash up of The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule and The Golum and The Jinni by Helene Wecker. However, it stands alone in uniqueness as it breaths fresh, hauntingly contemporary, air into the plot. It was a wild ride and I would readily recommend it and seek to read other titles by the author.

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What more can I say

Revisado: 03-20-15

What made the experience of listening to All the Light We Cannot See the most enjoyable?

The narration was flawless. He had great "material" to work with for sure but those of us who listen to audiobooks know that the narrator an make or break a story. Appelman was a great choice. I will look for other books to enjoy more of his performances.

What was one of the most memorable moments of All the Light We Cannot See?

There were many, but I have a particular connection to snails, so the whelk analogies resonated with me. And of course the ending hit a home run. I get so disappointed by ending that seem so contrived. This ending was beautiful work of literature all on its own.

What about Zach Appelman’s performance did you like?

See above..

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

No, but other then a non-fiction, I don't ever want to take in and entire complex story in one sitting. I prefer to let my brain process the story in parts. The sections of the story then permeate my consciousness, making it relevant, and like a new looking glass through which to view my otherwise unremarkable daily experiences and interactions.

Any additional comments?

This is one of the very few books I would read again...and then maybe again.

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