brenda

Two story arcs come together in an unexpected way; completely absorbing

Revisado: 06-05-24

I loved her book The Miniaturist and this book did not disappoint. The narrator for the 1930s story had some accent issues that were distracting but that did not distract from this excellent book. The end was tied up a bit too neatly for my preferences but it’s such an absorbing story. Don’t pass this one up.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Narration, plot, this one is on par with The Henna Artist

Revisado: 10-18-22

I so enjoy the stories and the narration is just lovely. The voices the emotion, it just makes for a wonderful listen. The Henna Artist, the first book, had me completely enthralled. I knew so very little about divorced Indian women . I suppose the story line crosses cultures in so many ways. In this book, Lakshmi is settled in her new life, Malik is grown, and everything gets disrupted. In some ways, I wanted the second book to pick up right where the last one ended like the Gabaldon Outlander series. But the history gets filled, although Malik needs more character development. I could see the plot coming more so than in the first book but it didn’t matter because I was enjoying the book so much.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Totally engaging with carefully attuned narration

Revisado: 10-30-21

This book was hard to listen to because the Stella character was dominant—in both her actions and amount of text in her voice. It’s dysfunctional with a capital D. While the narration gets top marks, there is no attention to the impacts being a prostitute had on Ane, A sexually abused child lured into prostitution by unscrupulous Stella just gets brief attention and yet that is HUGE. The big reveal is awesomely written but the happy ending just left me flat. A damaged “beautiful” woman scooped up by a man who is attracted to difficult women. Oh, and he just happens to be an architect from Chicago who drives a Land Rover. It sets up book 2, which I will read but does the author gives child sexual abuse and it’s subsequent damage that leads to prostitution adequate weight? No.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Going back again and again

Revisado: 03-09-21

The story is compelling and the narrator’s voice fit the characters well. I gave the narrator a three because there was no break between time periods. I would have to go back to figure what I had missed but I had not missed anything—it was just abrupt. Even a short pause would have helped the reader keep track of the jumping back and forth between time periods. The story line kept my interest but I got irritated at how the author dropped some things and then left them undeveloped. I get that this was to build toward the big reveal but I kept going back thinking that I had missed something. maybe the print version would be better for this one. I enjoyed Hamnet immensely and I like this one too. But some books are best read

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Compelling story made all the better by narrator

Revisado: 02-10-21

Narrator’s voices helped keep all the characters straight and she gave them personality. The story was compelling and I had expected a tragic end. Sometimes Lakshmi was too simple for such a smart character. But overall I appreciated the storyline and its telling.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Narrator is amazingly versatile

Revisado: 10-15-20

I loved this narration so much I kept listening even when I got irritated at the plot. If I had been reading a hard copy I would have stopped when Stella rejects Alex, and again when Fabian is so cluelessly unsupportive of her supposed love interest. It is not realistic that two dynamo women would be that emotionally clumsy. I have to lead the discussion at book club so we will see what others who read hard copy think. For me, the narration was key.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Tedious narration

Revisado: 02-23-20

Such a masterpiece and so poorly performed. No variation in speed, little change is in character voices. I bought this version based on reviews that were completely wrong.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Misogyny at its worst

Revisado: 01-15-20

Do not read this book if sexual violence triggers you. I hated this book because Stella is broken relentlessly over and over. I had hoped for an ending that validated her pain. But no, only pain. Is it realistic? Yes. Women trying to survive under violent men who abuse their bodies and souls is all too real,

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 83 personas

Madame Curry and all it can focus on is getting married

Revisado: 04-19-19

Such a disappointment for this book to focus on meeting her husband. No depth and the narrator is the same as the Eleanor Ferrante’s books, which is why I have yet to finish them. She manages to make every one sound bored. Audible missed the mark on this story

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Narrator’s performance is perfection

Revisado: 01-27-18

This is a compelling, emotionally gripping story that the narrator seems to have been born to portray. The insights into the traumatic experiences of its characters made me think and reflect about how childhood stays with us. The mother-daughter relationship in this story is complex but all the more so with the “got mommas” envy of the no momma foster kids. The narrator inhabits every character completely and expertly. Her voice and drawl for Candice was particularly good. Brava!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona