Swallowtail

Just Let Me Add One Note

Revisado: 01-04-25

I have only one thing to add to the multiple stellar reviews here. I'm wondering whether I would love this book in hard copy as much as I love it in audio. Éanna Hardwicke's narration is perfect for these characters and this story. Kudos to him!

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I Guess You Either Love Him or Hate Him

Revisado: 01-06-23

I'm one of the inveterate Joe Goldberg lovers, so once again I'm taken aback by the haters. In YOU LOVE ME, Joe has evolved in some surprising ways, and I'm all in. Santino Fontana knows Joe, so once again he reads him with precision. Well done, Caroline Kepnes; well done, Santino Fontana; and well done, Joe!

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Unnamed Narrator

Revisado: 02-12-22

This novel is about so much more than Vladimir. It is, first and foremost, the unnamed narrator's story. Without revealing the plot, I will tell you that this book is intense, unsettling, complicated, thought-provoking, literate, and insightful; if you are or know and care about a "woman of a certain age," this book is for you. I found the narrator's thoughts/feelings about being a woman who has come of age in modern-day America stunningly identifiable. I understand that Vladimir is being called a #MeToo novel, but I assure you that it is much, much more.

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A Tour de Force

Revisado: 02-01-19

This one-woman play (the author, Dennis Kelly, calls it a "monologue") is astutely and poignantly written, and Carey Mulligan's performance is perfection. Many thanks to Audible for making this piece available through Audible Originals--I doubt that it would have come to my attention otherwise. I listen to audio books daily; this one is my favorite since Mark Helprin's Paris in the Present Tense, nearly two years ago.

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Cried Out for a Different Narrator

Revisado: 08-13-18

I honestly believe that I may have enjoyed this novel more had it been read by a better (or, at least, more appropriate for this genre) narrator. Shannon McManus did nothing to enhance the mystery and, in fact, read the novel like she was reading a newspaper article aloud--much too rapidly and without nuance.

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Brava, Helen Duff!

Revisado: 08-13-18

Yes, it was a very good read, but it was an even better listen. Helen Duff's interpretation of Noelle is a work of art in itself.

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Bronson Pinchot's narration is exquisite!

Revisado: 07-11-18

This novel is lyrical in its own right, offering by turns serious philosophical/existential questions and quirky, humorous situations; fascinating characters (especially the emotional AND taciturn Jules Lacour); and rich descriptions of the City of Light. As rendered by Bronson Pinchot, Mark Helprin's graceful prose reaches brilliance. I am not certain that I would love this novel as much as I do had I read it rather than listened to it.

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Paul Simon the music

Revisado: 05-28-18

This book is mistitled. It is not about Paul Simon's life (including friendships and other personal relationships) in any but a superficial fashion. If what you're looking for is a well-researched, detailed chronology of the evolution of Simon's music, this is the book for you.

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A Must-Listen for Women "of a Certain Age"

Revisado: 05-06-17

Sheila Nevins may be a hugely successful documentarian, but the life events and dilemmas that she details in these essays are for every woman who is or has been a wife, a mother, a "working mom," a daughter, a friend. Ms. Nevins is both self-aware and a keen observer of the behaviors of others. She approaches her subjects, which are very personal, as honestly and objectively as one can and manages to bring out the humor/poignancy of each situation. Not every vignette is a success (e.g., "Eunice's Period," read by Gloria Steinem), but there are far more winners than not.

I strongly encourage you to listen to (rather than read) this collection, because the majority of the narrators were perfectly chosen for the particular essays they read, and their voices add much to the overall experience. I enjoyed, particularly, Judith Light, Marlo Thomas, Kathy Bates, Edie Falco, Lily Tomlin, and Tovah Felshuh, while Gloria Vanderbilt, Liz Smith, and Diane Von Furstenberg were disappointments. Gayle King is delightful in her readings about foodies and frenemies, and I was surprised at how moved I was by Rosie O'Donnell's narration of a story about parenting a child with Tourette Syndrome.

Although these are "fairy tales" about women, Alan Alda and Ru Paul are fun additions to this impressive collection of narrators, which also includes Martha Stewart, Glenn Close, Lena Dunham, Whoopi Goldberg, Katie Couric, Christine Baranski, and Meryl Streep.

Give it a listen! I think you'll be glad you did.

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Serious Whimsy--or Whimsical Seriousness

Revisado: 04-07-17

This novel, at least as read by Elizabeth Cottle, is a deceptively light-hearted take on issues that we've all had to deal with when embarking on (or already in) relationships with others: How much compromising is too much? Are some friendships made to last while others should just be allowed to run their course? What's the difference between loving someone and being IN LOVE with that person? Must we sacrifice and suffer for the things we want in life? How can we be sure what it is we really want and that we will remain satisfied if we get it?

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters are quirky but remain likable, Cottle's narrative voice is perfect for them, and Zoey Peterson's story-telling style is delightfully innovative. For example, at the end of several of the phone conversations, Peterson poses a series of questions that could have/should have been asked but were not--usually because one or both of the conversants was too self-conscious to ask or was attempting to sound less insecure/more emotionally evolved than (s)he felt. I think it's safe to say that we learn at least as much about these characters from what they don't say as from what they do.

One more comment about Peterson's writing: For the first time ever in reviewing a book for Audible, I was wishing there were four categories, i.e., that writing could be separated from story. If I'd had that option, writing definitely would have gotten five stars.

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