P. M. Rivard

A story of friendship and muses

Revisado: 12-10-23

I loved this for the same reasons others have given this five reviews: true, intimate character development, authentic friendship that has a natural arc. I haven’t gamed since Donkey Kong, but that did not matter. I am a native of Los Angeles and its naturalism rings true. The settings of both the book and the games are vividly created, and I was transported to each. Many themes are explored, and I will definitely reread this! The prose and narration are excellent.

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Stunning Production!

Revisado: 11-08-23

I have read this book twice previously, and listening to this, in my senior years, a completely different, deeper understanding of the story, and appreciation of Tolstoy as a writer. It is a classic for a reason, and I will leave my discussion of the story at that.


Maggie Gylenhaals reading elevates the prose even higher! Her voice is gentle, and she does not overdramatize. She changes her voice subtly to portray characters, not attempting deep male voices (readers who attempt characterizations that do not agree with their vocal chord structure are a pet peeve of mine).

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Disappointing

Revisado: 10-25-23

I have listened to five of these stories, and they just do not engage me. They repel me, but that may be the author’s intent. They are really, really well written, and the author certainly has a novel voice. I can see why they are so highly praised, but the characters in the stories are too callow and casually cruel, even. The author is apparently a point by speaking in the voice of characters who are lost, victims, or abusers. They have no agency and can only act in the form they are molded into; they have no hope. I have a strong tolerance for gritty stories about the highest and lowest of human experience, but where the humanism remains. While I admire these stories, I cannot enjoy or learn from them.

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Meh

Revisado: 04-19-23

I come down on the side of those who were disappointed with this book, to be sure. Her essays had as their subjects her history and day to day life, but I cannot finish this book, for all the reasons already elicited. This coming from someone who is obsessive about finishing books; I have had to kiss the money goodbye. I like her reading of the material, which is why I gave performance a higher score.

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Really really fun!

Revisado: 05-25-22

Spot on narration. Believable characters, heartwarming story. The end develops in a natural manner, and Tayari Jones’ prose is fluid and natural. I really recommend this, as well as her other novels.

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Amazing Book

Revisado: 04-01-22

I enjoyed the story greatly, and felt like a companion of Lilith, the protagonist. She is a deeply self reflective woman, and I witnessed the savagery and degradations of that era , learning lessons no history book could teach me. The narrative is violent, but the violence not only serves the purpose of storytelling, but is historically accurate, in keeping with other accounts of the time. Nothing is extraneous.

There is a lot within the book to dig into and enjoy, including the theme of family bonds, and the nature of good and evil. Also, the barbaric action is set on underpinnings of Classical Greek mythology.

I ended the book in thrall to the rhythm of James’ narrative and the excellent narration, which deserves special mention. I gave the book five stars because, for me at least , it has pushes the boundaries of what a novel can be. Lastly, as a white woman, it gets me as close to the lived experience of a black person as I am likely to get, and I am thankful for the experience.

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A masterwork by Fitzgerald brought down by its narration

Revisado: 06-07-21

As a mature person, I am coming to a new appreciation of FitzgeraldI, after reading him extensively as an adolescent and young adult. His insight into and portrayal of human character is incisively drawn. Hearing his prose read aloud exposes its beautiful rythmns and cadences.

The production is brought down by the narrator-he should be banned from doing women’s voices! I could go on but I will stop here. You are warned.

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Awfully racist.

Revisado: 03-08-21

I was looking forward to this book, but had to put it down. A few chapters in, the authors express dated, Eurocentric racist views which were offensive and unfounded. My European gut churned and recoiled at the words that entered my ears. I believe the book is only useful for the studies of racism and will not give it any more time. The Lessons of History should be entirely discredited.

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Entertaining!

Revisado: 03-08-21

This is my first Poincaré story. I don’t usually read detective novels, but thought this would be enjoyable, and it was that and more. I get invested in narratives through character, and Poincaré’s is revealed in the course of events and his response to them. The plot is exciting and plausible; it is tied to current (at the time of publication) events. Family relationships and the abiding bonds between loved ones are the fulcrum of the plot. This unfolds at an exciting pace, and for the last three hours I was entirely captivated! For total escapism, this book is a worthy listen. The narrator is perfection.

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Excellent character driven novel

Revisado: 06-08-20

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. I liked how the author described people with fine detail, and the sense of place was beautifully drawn-I felt like I was there in Portola Valley. The plot follows the inner lives of its characters; it is not driven by outer events. Packer has created a slow meditation on themes of family life, estrangement, both from others and self, and redemption, quietly delivered. It’s true protagonists are James, the fourth child who lost out on the love of a mother, and that mother, whose name embarrassingly escapes me now.

If you are a reader who prefers fast paced action and an exciting, page turning plot, you might not enjoy this novel. I read “A Dive From Clausen’s Pier” before this, and wondered where Packer was going with the narrative. I was surprised by the ending, which gave me an enjoyable understanding of her storytelling. Both novels show a love and positive outlook on humanity, a refreshing change to the current trend in popular dystopian fiction , which I also enjoy.

The narrative is excellent. All the voices are read naturally,not over dramatized, which distracts from the language.

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