Victoria

lovely for a maugham fan

Revisado: 11-01-24

This expands and imanges Maugham’s trip to Malaya and the background of his short story “the letter”. The world is much richer and quite enjoyable for someone who likes Maugham.

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slow burn but cannot stop listening

Revisado: 08-29-24

I read the paperback when it first came out and lost the book. However, I have not been able to forget it. Very glad to see this on Audible and listened nonstop. This is a quiet but exquisite book about the immigrant experience. I especially love the 2nd half of the story.

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loooong book but worth it

Revisado: 06-10-24

This is the longest audiobook that I’ve listened to. Took me more than a year on and off, almost abandoned it several times. It takes patience but pays off. The history of Istanbul is so rich and complicated that it deserves the time to unfold. The author has a way of telling stories and a fresh viewpoint. I will be listening to her other books.

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Her books are getting better and better!

Revisado: 03-01-24

I have listened to all her books, and they have always been so enjoyable: mixing old Chinese mythology or folklore with a unique time period, mysteries and love. This time the setting is different from her first two books and quite refreshing. Her writing is stronger as well. Always nice to listen to the author reading the book!

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funny and uplifting

Revisado: 08-28-23

I knew MM from Blackadder, and the sage of Innocence, but did not know her well. This autobiography is totally enjoyable, even for me who does not like autobiographies. She is the embodiment of “authentic”: opinionated, outspoken, funny and totally comfortable in her own skin. Her voice is marvelous. She is right when she told the queen that she is the best storyteller in the world!

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don’t waste your time even it’s free

Revisado: 04-07-23

flat characters, stereotypes, old plots from soaps stitched together. A waste of my time and the performers’ talent.

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like a great dessert

Revisado: 03-28-23

It is sweet and wram and uplifting, just want I needed on a rainy day. The dialogues are so charming that I cannot help smiling. I also like that it is not “stereotpyical” in its characters and touches on topics such as vulnerability, masculinity, self-care, boundaries…

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wonderful history of Chinese diaspora and food

Revisado: 03-06-23

I have not anticipated loving this book so much! I picked it based on a recommendation from the Economist. I have learned so much about the different Chinese immigrant history around the world, and how the community and the food adapted to the local environment. The stories of each location were deeply personal and moving. I appreciate that they are mainly from places not too well known (from an American perspective anyways) and give a voice to what would have otherwise been lost.
I also watched the documentary series on YouTube by the author. If you like the book, you must watch them! I especially love the episode about Noisy Jim, and the one in Istanbul.
The narrator had a mission impossible, handling so many languages and Chinese dialects. He performed admirably👏

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esto le resultó útil a 19 personas

Christie + Stevenson = heaven

Revisado: 12-10-22

I am both an Agatha Christie fan and a Juliet Stevenson fan, so this review is biased :)
I’ve listened to the Joan Hickson’s version of the same Miss Marple short stories. As much as I adore Hickson’s Miss Marple in the BBC series, Stevenson’s audio version is much superior. The articulation is much clearer, and there is differentiation of tone, accent and volume amongst various characters that are consistent with my interpretation. I thoroughly enjoy it and will undoubtedly listen to it again and again!

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Cute story, but not a masterpiece

Revisado: 12-10-22

I don’t claim to be a Wharton fan, but I have listened to the Age of Innocence and the House of Mirth again and again over the last few years, and thoroughly enjoyed both. I was really excited to get into this book, but…I can see why it is not rated at her best.
The theme and the characters are familar enough, and you can think of it as the light comedy version of the House of Mirth. However, there is very little meat in terms of character development and social critique, which were both so powerful in her more well-known work. It seems to me that Wharton’s sentiment has gotten in the way, and in wishing to give her characters a happy ending, she has lost her touch on this one. If you want a serious examination of marraige, money and society, you will be disappointed. If you want a lighthearted romantic comedy, you will find a very tame one, almost boring.

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