Elbara

Original and captivating.

Revisado: 08-05-18

Nice to find a book that's not "cookie cutter." The hero is a quite endearing scientific nerd, not a superman, and his computer-generated approach to identifying and solving the crimes, whether true or not, is certainly original. It was refreshing to exercise one's mind on more than the "whodunit" level. I'm not sure about his other books, which the capsule descriptions suggest rely more on the supernatural, but The Naturalist is definitely a winner.

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Too much Jay, not enough Lava.

Revisado: 02-05-18

I really enjoyed the earlier book, about the travails of bringing the treasured dog to the US from Iraq, but this one is too much of a self-help book and, from this standpoint, not very original. It's really life lessons after Lava, not from Lava.I can understand why Mr. Kopelman would want to write a follow-up memoir about what happened to him upon returning to the US, but as much as I got through, I didn't see any real link to Lava, which was what interested me.

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Laundry List

Revisado: 02-05-18

Basically this book just lists the serial killer cases without getting into interesting details like motivation, etc. I should have realized it was too short to be good -- and so annoying that I still couldn't listen to the end.

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Fascinating novelization of a true story.

Revisado: 08-30-15

Period piece with relevance to modern times; excellent characterization; very well narrated by the author who is also an experienced audiobook narrator. Engrossing story that raises interesting issues, develops in unpredictable ways and, as befits a novel derived from real life, comes to a satisfying resolution without tying up all the loose ends.

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Picaresque novel is alive and well -- from Sweden

Revisado: 12-07-14

Loved this gently satirical novel about unpretentious people of all ages who live by their wits and accomplish remarkable things. The way the life of a 100-year old escapee from a grim retirement home unfolds to encompass a century of world history is amusing and remarkably well-written in a most engaging tongue-in-cheek style. A growing cast of other eccentric characters adds further spice to this tale of a surprising and appealing centenarian. This is a great little book. I recommend it highly.

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Really tiresome heroine

Revisado: 11-11-14

The description made me think this book would be good, and I did listen to the end -- but only because I felt entitled to know the outcome after investing too much time hoping it would get better. I'm sick of mysteries with women protagonists who insist on doing stupid things and ignoring advice from others and their own heads, thus digging themselves deeper and deeper into trouble -- until the deus ex maxima ending that makes everything suddenly all right. I don't insist that all heroines be supremely strong and practical, but this one was practically catatonic except for her overly emotional inner commentary. Some of the side characters were interesting, especially the mother, and the plot might have been engaging if the main character hadn't been so irritating.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Witty and Winning!

Revisado: 12-02-13

Delightful book -- full of interesting characters, dark humor, and social/political commentary delivered with a deft touch. Terrific narrator -- local color is spot on. Oh, and a good story too. I even enjoyed some oblique potshots at my august alma mater. All in all, highly recommended.

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I can't believe I listened to the whole thing!

Revisado: 11-18-13

I don't expect all protagonists to be fully likeable, but Lee Fiora is one of the most self-absorbed, insensitive, imperceptive and downright tedious characters I've encountered. It's hard to believe that anyone so dim could have gotten into a prestigious prep school, much less with a scholarship, and even less that she would become the best friend of the most liked girl in her class. Somewhere I read a recommendation for this book as being better than another one I was considering. Can't remember what that was, but if this is really the case, I certainly don't want to! As a public school graduate who attended an Ivy League school, I don't have any reason to be defensive of prep schools, but I will say that even the "villains" in this book are more interesting than the "heroine." The book drones on far too long, and I kept thinking I should just stop listening. Maybe I kept at it thinking it would get better, but it didn't.

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Intriguing and Informative

Revisado: 08-14-13

New to this author, I found the book absorbing, original and a welcome change from the sadly formulaic mysteries by more local authors that I have sometimes inadvertently purchased. Notable features include (a) well drawn and interesting characters and situations, (b) insight into an Italian legal system quite different from our own (sometimes jarringly so), and (c) a satisfactory resolution without any apparent compulsion to tie up all the loose ends (e.g., whodunit?). A refreshing experience that leaves me eager to read more of the author's work.

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Alarmingly Instructive

Revisado: 04-20-13

A fascinating story, well-narrated. This is the second book I've read in the space of a year where persistent, even heroic efforts by persons close to someone suddenly manifesting mental illness to find the right doctors and treatment have discovered an underlying physiological cause that, when treated, restored the patient to a normal life. The other book was "Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD." It is alarming to think of all those diagnosed with schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc., and consigned to numbing drug treatment and mental institutions who might also be victims of ailments that, if properly diagnosed and treated, would give them a productive life rather than dooming them to the shadows. It cries out for better research into possible physiological causes for the most serious and disabling mental illnesses.

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esto le resultó útil a 54 personas