Vrodhogrider

Juvenile Sci-Fi By One of the Greats of the Genre,

Revisado: 03-24-15

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I remember my first exposure to the book as a young person, and it is that wonder, pleasure and excitement that weight my evaluation of the story so highly. I still enjoy it with my older understanding, but I will never forget its original impact on me, as a younger reader. I would change nothing, except the narrator. All of Miss Norton's works carried a richness of detail and excitement, drama and impact of high adventure that preclude the effrontery of second-guessing the author.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Shan Lantee (rhymes with Ann or "an", not, as the narrator so badly mispronounces, like Shane), the central protagonist is the character that stands out and, really, no other choice is possible. It is he who tells the story, lives it and carries the reader or listener along with him to experience the fullness of the adventure of the strange planet Warlock, ruled, not by warlock, but by a civilization of alien, female, witches. It is he who, finds a peculiar kinship with the witches that allows him to forge a bond which overcomes prejudice and strangeness to allow the story to reach a triumphal conclusion.

How could the performance have been better?

The performance could have been better by employing a reader who, first of all, was capable of pronouncing the central character's name acceptably, something that should have been simple and obvious. Secondly, and more importantly, the performance is so deadpan and lifeless as to detract significantly from the story and its impact.

Was Storm over Warlock worth the listening time?

Despite the marginal delivery, the audio book remains well worthwhile. Even Mr Roberts' inadequate reading skills are incapable of ruining Andre Norton's delightful and original story.

Any additional comments?

Despite a certain commonality among her many works which, in no way, detracts; Andre Norton's huge body of work was ever unique. Other authors certainly have written as well as she, but she had a uniqueness that will ever make her stories a special treat.

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Dated, But Still Meaningful, Classic Wylie

Revisado: 06-07-14

Where does Tomorrow! rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Wylie, co-author of the classics, When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide, social critic and philosopher; was a skilled crafter of post-apocalyptic novels in the Cold War Era. This is one of his best, contrasting two philosophies of life. one of preparation against the possibility of disaster and the other of refusal to face unpleasant possiblilty and taking refuge in denial, leading to a total lack of preparedness. The characters major and minor, are well-drawn and varied, the story skillfully crafted. The reader, or listener, becomes concerned and sympathetic wirth some of the characters; irritated at and angry with the self-inflicted blindness of others.

I cannot rank this book with many of the others, to which I have listened. Wylie is almost a genre unto himself and my interests range widely.

What other book might you compare Tomorrow! to and why?

Tomorrow can only be compared with Wylie's "Triumph". Both are Cold War Era nuclear apocalypse stories. Tha major difference is the scale of the stories. Triumph concerns itself with a microcosm consisting of 14 people of mixed ethnic, edducational, economic and social backgrounds; while Tomorrow is set against the background of twin cities in neighboring states, located on opposite sides of a river and concerns itself with contrasting disaster preparedness political philosophies and the results when nuclear disaster strikes. The subject is patriotism and the willingness to courageously do what needs to be done to protect family, community, city and country, in spite of the resistance, refusal to face facts and denial of those unwilling or unable to accept the possibility of disaster.Wylie delves into the individual characters in such a way that they become intimately familiar with them. He deals with nothing in a superficial manner. Even minor characters are thoroughy presented. Opposing philosophies of life are explored equally well. Wylie is a social critic. It is an overriding factor in his writing. He deals often with what he perceives as the flaws and the strengths, he sees in American society; and the ways in which he feels society should grow.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator could have, I think, drastically improved his performance by slowling his delivery and taking more care in his reading. It is clear that some of his mistakes are due to the speed of his delivery. As it is, he misreads and mispronounces words frequently. It irritates. The narrator has a pleasant enough voice and has vocal drama skills; but he mispronounces and misreads so many words, the listener is frequently distracted from the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Two cities; In one are those who believe in responsibility and preparation for the unthinkable and in the other, those who deny possible catastrophe, taking refuge in denial; till disaster strikes.

Any additional comments?

I liked this book very much when I read it, and reread it in the past. I was disappointed in the audiobook. Nevertheless, it is still worth the hearing.

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