E. Didi

OK Story, Not Ok Narration

Revisado: 03-07-18

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Given it to a stronger editor. This book basically felt like a really good second draft. Lots of interesting ideas, but a very underdeveloped romance and characters that never really clicked.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Just given it more time in the oven, really. It needed a lot more story editing. The romance not being fleshed out is a big one I mentioned above. It never felt like it built properly. They just kind of...didn't like each other, then were in love. OK? I guess?

The author also didn't do great at researching the regency period, in ways that were occasionally obvious and drew you out of the book. For example, declaring someone was experiencing "not simple melancholia, but depression!" This ignores the fact that melancholia WAS depression at this time; not some separate, lesser disorder. In fact, it's extremely unlikely the term depression would have been used to refer to a mood disorder at all in the early 1800s, let alone by a lay-person. Nit-picky? Yeah, totally. But blunders in historical accuracy like that are exactly the kind of thing that pull you out of a text, and should be caught before publication.

What didn’t you like about Mary Robinette Kowal’s performance?

The accent was forced. The voices were often poorly distinguishable or kind of annoying, particularly the baby doll voices given to young women. She did a poor job of conveying emotion and nuance. A few times, at critical moments, she mixed up voices for characters in a way that made things confusing.

Do you think Shades of Milk and Honey needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I might be interested to see what happens next; but if I decide to I will absolutely (barring a change in narrator) be reading the physical book rather than listening to the audiobook.

Any additional comments?

Despite my kvetching, it's not a terrible book. A lot of the writing is solid enough, and the idea of glamour is intriguing. It's entertaining enough that I don't totally begrudge the credit spent on it. But I do still really recommend anyone interested in reading the book buy a physical copy rather than listening.

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Entertaining But Lacking Compelling Characters

Revisado: 02-11-18

Would you listen to Strange Practice again? Why?

I may put it on in the background as something to do while I'm working, but I don't think I'd sit down and give it a careful listen again.

Would you recommend Strange Practice to your friends? Why or why not?

I'd recommend it as something light, with the caveat that it's very shallow, so not to get into it if you want anything at all meaty.

Have you listened to any of Susanna Hampton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to her performance before, but plan on seeking her out in the future. She did a great job. My only quibbles are likely the fault of production; i.e. that there wasn't a clear indication with POV shifted (which could be confusing), and the rushed, repetitive saying of the name 'Vestita Caelon' (I'm guessing the spelling) became very annoying. But neither is really her fault.

Any additional comments?

I was unsurprised to see the author writes a lot of fan fiction. She's a very good technical writer, paces her story well, and often has some funny lines. BUT, she falls into the trap a lot of fan fiction does: Perfect characters. Nobody has any flaws. I mean nobody. Everyone is perfectly brave, selfless, and kind when called upon. The worst 'sin' anyone has is a touch of melancholia. The only misdeeds are vaguely references as being deep in the past. Even Lucifer (sorry, 'Sam') is a caring gent. The bad guys? Either misguided, or a force of primal evil just acting on instinct. This makes the stakes and the characters....well...really hard to care about or differentiate. It's still a pretty decent fun listen, but it could have been a lot better if everyone wasn't some form of Mary Sue.

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Original and Entertaining

Revisado: 02-08-18

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

Yes; it's unique, well-written, and well-recorded. Little not to like!

What other book might you compare The Ghost Bride to and why?

Works of magical realism from Latin America spring to mind.

What about Yangsze Choo’s performance did you like?

Usually an author narrating their own work is the kiss of death, but Choo is a skilled storyteller whose cultivated tones are easy to be drawn in by.

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

The book is too long for one sitting, and does lull a bit in the middle, but I listened to it over about a week...which seemed just about right. It's one you actually want to pay attention to and enjoy rather than binge.

Any additional comments?

I really appreciated a uncommon setting (is anyone else as dreadfully tired of books taking place in Victorian London as I am?), as well as characters with actual flaws and foibles. Too often books I pick up lately seem afraid to make their characters less than perfect, to the detriment of the text. Choo avoids this and other common pitfalls well.

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Fun But Lacking Character Depth

Revisado: 07-17-17

What made the experience of listening to The Jane Austen Project the most enjoyable?

The author clearly did significant research into the period, and did a good job of weaving historical factoids into the story. That gave it a certain richness in places that was quite enjoyable.

What about Saskia Maarleveld’s performance did you like?

She did well giving personality to some characters that were otherwise a bit flat.

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

I chose this book for an extended car trip (6 hours each way). I wasn't enthralled by the story, but content enough that I was satisfied for the drive. It did it's job, but I don't know if I'll listen to it again.

Any additional comments?

Flynn's writing is solid, but the book never really pushes that far above mediocre. For me, the big thing holding the book back from excellent was lack of character development. The writer was never really able to make me care very much about her creations, and some of their decisions were simply baffling. SPOILER: For example, the main character's decision to have a sexual relationship with a man posing as her brother, despite the fact discovery would ruin everything she's supposed to care about most. It was not only extremely dumb, but also seemingly out of character for someone whose biggest character trait thus far was their devotion to saving Jane and not screwing up her job/the time continuum. There were other things like that which made the characters and their decision making seems shallow. END SPOILER.All that being said, it's still much better than a lot of the Austen-related books pumped out in recent years. It's a good beach read—just don't expect a lot more than that.

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Fairly Entertaining, but Ultimately Hollow

Revisado: 07-21-16

Would you try another book from Cristina Alger and/or George Newbern?

I wasn't totally crazy about Newbern's child voices, but he was a strong enough voice actor I'd certainly give him another try. Alger I'm less sure about.

Was This Was Not the Plan worth the listening time?

Borderline. It had entertaining moments, but the emotional core just never clicked for me. The main character's emotions (be it grief, anger, lust, etc) just never felt real to me, nor did any of the other characters ever really become vivid. Instead they seemed to fall into 'types': the perfect deceased wife, the perfect new girlfriend, the goofy/perfect best friend, the flighty/perfect sister, the estranged (but secretly perfect!) father... Not terribly nuanced or complex. That's not the end of the world, but it's also not very interesting to me.

Any additional comments?

This is nitpicky, but there were a few plot points that just didn't hang together that bothered me. 1) The main character's wife dies in a plan crash because of a drunk pilot, and he's a high powered corporate attorney. How is it that he doesn't start this book with a giant settlement at his disposal? It makes no sense. 2) (SPOILER) The author tries to have her cake and eat it to, by having the deceased mother and his estranged father both be the good guys. Key to this is us accepting that the mother turned down crucial money for her children for no good reason, including money for the main character to go to college. The selfishness and weirdness of this choice is never addressed, nor are any of the shades of grey in the situation explored. This felt unsatisfying and like the writer was trying too hard to have everyone be 'good' at the expense of exploring her own storyline.

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Serviceable Mystery, But Nothing Special

Revisado: 07-16-16

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only if they were particularly into the genre.

Would you be willing to try another book from Simone St. James? Why or why not?

Possibly. The writing was solid enough, even if the storytelling fell a bit flat for me.

Which character – as performed by Mary Jane Wells – was your favorite?

Pickwick, the dog. He was rather adorable and it's a shame he didn't get a bit more 'screen' time.

Any additional comments?

It's not bad per se, it's just not great either. The pacing and structure was fine, but the characters never really fleshed out fully to me. Still probably worth the credit if you particularly like stories about psychics or the 1920s.

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Quick Paced and Very Funny

Revisado: 03-02-15

What did you love best about The Devil in the Junior League?

Lee has a devious sense of humor I admire.

Have you listened to any of Jenna Lamia’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't heard any of her other performances, but if this is anything to go by, I look forward to hearing more from her. My only bone to pick with her is the very strange (and somewhat grating) interpretation of a Spanish accent she did for one character.

Any additional comments?

A rapid-fire pace makes this an easy listen, and the humor interwoven throughout kept me heartily entertained. The many twists and turns were always enjoyable, and sometimes even surprising (which was great, considering how formulaic light fiction often is). The only thing I disliked was the ending which, rather than provide closure, seemed created to set up for a sequel. That left me feeling a bit cheated.

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Enjoyable Light Read, Pure Fantasy Fluffiness

Revisado: 03-02-15

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

I would if they were looking for something really fluffy. This book also had a Christian slant I did not expect, but didn't mind. It might affect who I would chose to recommend the book to however.

What did you like best about this story?

It kept a reasonably fast pace most of the book, and never pretend to be more than it was: wish fulfillment fluff. Smith can also be quite a funny writer at times.

Have you listened to any of Laural Merlington’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm unfamiliar with her other performances, but would be happy to listen to more of her work in the future.

Any additional comments?

I rounded down from five starts for an enormously cheesy ending, as well as some repetition and dragging in the plot. Overall though it's still quite fun and well written. I'm not the target audience—the story is 100% wish fulfillment fantasy for the unhappily married and middle aged set—but the book had enough humor that I still felt it a credit well spent.

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Great Narrator, Blah Storytelling

Revisado: 02-08-15

Would you try another book from John Boyne and/or Alison Larkin?

I would love to listen to something else narrated by Ms. Larkin; her enthusiastic narration really saved what could have been a terrible audiobook. I'd be open to another book by Mr. Boyne as well, since his technical writing was good and the poor storytelling here may be a fluke on his part.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Boyne worried too much about replicating a gothic feel, and not enough about fleshing out his characters or story. If he'd reversed the tendency, it all would have been much better.

SPOILER: As an example of the poor storytelling, the sole motivation Boyne gave the mother for becoming a murderous psychopath was that she had been sexually abused as a child. This could have worked in theory, but the way he handed it left a bad taste in my mouth. The way he wrote the story, Boyne expected the reader to accept the idea that an abused child would naturally grow up to be a homicidal maniac as a truism requiring no further explanation. That just seems rather insulting towards the 99.99% victims of abuse that don't go on to commit multiple homicides to me. Handling that more intelligently would have improved the story, as well as given the mother greater depth.

Any additional comments?

Not a great book, but not a bad one either. If you like this style of gothic writing, it's worth a credit. Just don't expect it to do more than pass the time.

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Sampled Many P&P Audios, Loved This Narrator Best

Revisado: 08-03-14

What about Lindsay Duncan’s performance did you like?

When you are reviewing a book as well known as Pride and Prejudice, you aren't reviewing the story so much as the voice actresses' performance. I listened to the opening samples of just about every edition of Pride and Prejudice Audible had in stock before choosing this one, and I'm glad I took my time deciding.

Some interpretations of P&P I looked at were very overwrought, while in others the voice actresses sounded like they were about to fall asleep. Lindsay Duncan hits a perfect middle ground, delivering a nicely paced and engaging performance that is neither too sedate nor annoyingly energetic. She is a pleasure to listen to, and I look forward to returning to this audiobook again in the future.

Very well done.

Any additional comments?

Even if you think you don't like romances, I encourage you to try Pride and Prejudice. It's more than a love story—it's a very, very funny book and witty portrait of the social mores (and foibles) of its time. Well worth it for anyone that just likes a good story.

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