Jane

I wish I had listened to the abridged version.

Revisado: 09-01-14

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was very painful to listen to. Pat Conroy writes very luscious prose but the descriptions of the atrocities at the Citadel were too awful to listen to in such detail. I often find that some of the books that I hate when I am listening to are some of the best when I think back later. I am not sure how I will feel looking back on this in a couple of months.

Would you ever listen to anything by Pat Conroy again?

Probably not. I have read a couple of books by Pat Conroy before and, although he writes beautifully, I don't really like him as a character in his own books.

What three words best describe Dan John Miller’s performance?

He was just too harsh at some times and too wimpy at others.

Was The Lords of Discipline worth the listening time?

No - not for the length of the unabridged book. This would have been better as a novella.

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Don't ever buy a New York Times bestseller!

Revisado: 09-01-14

What disappointed you about Outlander?

This wasn't historical fiction, or adventure, or science fiction. It is only your basic bodice-ripping "romance". If you like that genre, I am sure that are better books, and I personally would rather read the printed page than listen to it. If you are looking for a good historical romance try Ivanhoe.

What was most disappointing about Diana Gabaldon’s story?

I love well-written and historically accurate historical fiction. This wasn't it. The author seems to think that describing a Scot's outfit accurately makes it "historical". Also, the main character didn't ring true for 1945.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Davina Porter made it possible to listen to this book. Her characters were fantastic.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No.

Any additional comments?

I am only glad that I bought this on sale. I would not have wanted to waste a credit on it.

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How did 3.5 million people fall for this......

Revisado: 06-05-14

Great title but I can’t find much that is agreeable or interesting about this book. The first half was maybe o.k. but it kept going on, and on, and on. I love to read mysteries by European authors for a view into different cultures, but this one really doesn’t do that. There is very little in the way of atmosphere, the characters are either boring or unbelievable, and the reader is annoying. The author doesn’t know how to write either a mystery or a police procedural. Some reviewers have excused the book for being a poor translation from the German - maybe so but there is no excuse to publish it, let alone spend the money to make it an audible book.

I hate to be so negative, so I will say that the reader has a very agreeable voice. But he is totally wrong for this book. He is so matter-of-fact that he lessens whatever foreboding or atmosphere there might be, and, most importantly, he has no business doing any of the voices of the characters. The women’s voices all come out whiney, or silly, and the men all sound sad and weak. The already unlikeable characters are made even more so.

I hope there are better German mystery writers than this.

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The Best!

Revisado: 12-16-13

What made the experience of listening to Society's Child the most enjoyable?

Besides the interesting and heartfelt stories, Janis singing parts of her songs was unbelievably wonderful. I grew up with these songs and it was great to hear what lead to her writing them. I also just loved listening to her voice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Society's Child?

There were so many great moments! The one I enjoyed the most was her story around the writing of "At Seventeen".

What about Janis Ian’s performance did you like?

Although Janis Ian had some awful things in her life, her telling of her story is always humorous, her reading of it makes it even more so. Her sense of humor in the good times and the bad times is amazing.

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

I did stay up until I finished it in one day.

Any additional comments?

For you boomers, this is a must. For anyone else, it is still a must.

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Not "sophisticated and suspenseful'

Revisado: 12-16-13

What would have made The Obituary Writer better?

This was very formulaic. Some original thoughts may have helped. If you are looking for a good read in the family or women's genre try Anne Tyler.

Has The Obituary Writer turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes.

What didn’t you like about Tavia Gilbert’s performance?

Her voice was way too girlish, I should have taken that hint and not bothered with this.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. The review led me to expect much more.

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Expecting more....

Revisado: 07-11-12

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The reader was fine, the book was trite. It took serious racial, social, economic and political issues and made them into something less than soap opera. I expected much more. I also expected prose that was closer to poetic than pedantic...

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Much better than you would think from the title...

Revisado: 07-11-12

Would you listen to A Jane Austen Education again? Why?

This book was very clear and easy to digest. I will listen to it again when I want to feel better about the world. The author does a great job of combining really great criticism of Jane Austen's works, the history of her life and historical period, and how it relates to his own life.

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Eye-Opening!

Revisado: 07-11-12

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

I would recommend this story because in encompasses the history of late nineteenth and early twentieth century America.

Andrew Carnegie was, in some ways, a pathetic, silly little man who was extremely lucky. He was always in the right place at the right time and knew how to use his luck. He stole from his workers, his country, and his business partners and managed to get away without paying his dues.

His life shows the tragedy of the American Dream. He succeeded, but at what cost to others?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Andrew Carnegie?

The saddest part of the book, and the most moving, was Carnegie's attempts to affect American politics, specifically his Peace initiatives. I am a big supporter of peace movements, but reading about Carnegie's efforts, I just thought how out of touch he was with the current state of world politics. The author conveyed the sadness and ridiculousness of Carnegie.

Any additional comments?

The author did a wonderful job of enlightening us on the current world based upon Carnegie's life over 100 years ago without any over politicizing. This is a great book....

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A classic!

Revisado: 07-11-12

Would you listen to The Locked Room again? Why?

I already listened to this twice, it is so dense with characters, humor, plot details, environment, and commentary on the Swedish state. I will definitely listen to this again in a year or two because it is so great.

What other book might you compare The Locked Room to and why?

This is one of the best of the series by the authors. If you like Michael Connelly or Ed McBain, you will love this!

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Lame

Revisado: 07-11-12

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I don't want to insult anyone by suggesting that they would enjoy it.

What does Susan Bennett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

If not for the reader, who was very pleasant, I would never have finished this book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger that anyone would publish this silly book, sadness that I paid for it and wasted my time listening to it, disappointment that this wasn't some juicy, guilty pleasure read that I was expecting. This was a sad soap opera with nothing redeeming about it. The only original idea the author (?) had was that the majority of political leaders were women. So what? No one really had any political thoughts (other than some sad Republican cliches) and no one conducted business as women. The author should be ashamed of herself for this drivel.

Any additional comments?

Don't buy this.

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