Kindle Customer

ruined by the narration

Revisado: 06-25-21

Now - i am sure i'll buy the kindle version but the narration is unbearable.

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Weakest entry in the Laundry sequence

Revisado: 08-02-17

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Although i imagine my political world view isn't all that different from Stross' - in The Delirium Brief Stoss's (justifiable) bitterness vis a vis the corporate state, "fake" religions, "stupidity" in all its guises, overwhelmed the plot, the characters, the dialogue, the humor. The Nightmare Stacks - the prior book - was one of my favorites, maybe THE favorite, in a series I've enjoyed immensely so I was doubly disappointed. Snark turned into whining in this case.

Has The Delirium Brief turned you off from other books in this genre?

NO. I'm assuming the Delirium Brief was an exception...I'll listen again to see if I change my mind or return it.

Which character – as performed by Gideon Emery – was your favorite?

I liked Mo, Alex, Cassie...just about everyone except the "eater of souls" whose charm has also been eaten, and who, unfortunately, as the narrator carries..or rather bogs down..the whole book.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

probably..though i would certainly hope that some of the earlier books...maybe starting with "the Jennifer Morgue" would be created instead.

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Parallel Lives

Revisado: 01-12-13

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

Listening to books often provides a startlingly different perspective than reading. SnowCrash's faults of extreme didactic-ism were highlighted while listening to what seemed interminable lecture after lecture, read, to my ears, in an affected and irritating manner. On the other hand Cryptonomicron, if not improved, was certainly not "diminished" by the narration. It took a while to accept Dufris' sometimes heavy handed characterization of some of the main characters, but as the stories wound on, what seemed affected early on, became less problematic later. As with Snowcrash there's a LOT of lecturing going on; but Stephenson works the lectures into conversations in a far more adept fashion. And the plots, while fantastic, were grounded in lots of solid research...eg there really WAS a German sub, U-234, that was supposed to bring material that might allow Japan to construct an atomic bomb before the war's end.

Which scene was your favorite?

Gotu's construction of Golgotha.

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

no way! I actually pulled out the hardback copy to get details straight several times.

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Parallel Lives

Revisado: 01-12-13

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

Listening to books often provides a startlingly different perspective than reading. SnowCrash's faults of extreme didactic-ism were highlighted while listening to what seemed interminable lecture after lecture, read, to my ears, in an affected and irritating manner. On the other hand Cryptonomicron, if not improved, was certainly not "diminished" by the narration. It took a while to accept Dufris' sometimes heavy handed characterization of some of the main characters, but as the stories wound on, what seemed affected early on, became less problematic later. As with Snowcrash there's a LOT of lecturing going on; but Stephenson works the lectures into conversations in a far more adept fashion. And the plots, while fantastic, were grounded in lots of solid research...eg there really WAS a German sub, U-234, that was supposed to bring material that might allow Japan to construct an atomic bomb before the war's end.

Which scene was your favorite?

Gotu's construction of Golgotha.

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

no way! I actually pulled out the hardback copy to get details straight several times.

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Reading >> Listening

Revisado: 12-24-12

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. Snow Crash is a book that works much better "read" novel than "listened." Stephenson is VERY discursive; whole chapters are really nothing but lectures - often very interesting when read but very tedious and, really, rather pretentious when listened to. Much of the humor evaporated in the audio version, which I think is primarily the fault of Jonathan Davis whose performance is terrible precious and mannered. Some books reveal more of them selves when read well - I've just listened to Gibson's "Zero History" and appreciated Gibson's ability to sum up salient points in a sharp sentence as opposed to Stephenson's taking chapters to do the same thing. (I've read most of Stephenson - though got very tired of the Baroque Cycle - and all of Gibson).

What three words best describe Jonathan Davis’s performance?

mannered., precious

Did Snow Crash inspire you to do anything?

well i'm quite curious about how both The Diamond Age and Cryptonomicron fare as audio books. I very much enjoyed both and each has a reader other than Davis.

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London Coppers doing Magic

Revisado: 11-12-12

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

I've very much enjoyed the modern London police procedural / weird
supernatural novels that Ben Aaronovitch, who's written some of the Dr. Who
episodes has turned out. So far both Patty and I have read Midnight Riot,
Moon over Soho and his latest, Whispers Under Ground. But now we're
listening to the audible version of the first in the series, Midnight Riot
and - the audiobook is better still. There's very much the Dr. Whoish mash
up of laugh out loud humor, good characterization and dialogue and moments
of pretty off the wall bits of ..gruesomeness. Kobna Hold-brook Smith does a terrific
job of handling the wide variety of accents* that a London copper is going
to encounter. And, just as asides, a lot of background on London
architecture which is constable Grant's particular hobby. Much cleverer
and FAR better written than, say, Jim Butcher's stories (which i happen to
enjoy). And a lot of fascinating background on the history and current state of the London jazz scene (Grant's father was/is a semi-legendary sax player).

*being an untraveled American i can't speak to the accuracy of the accents beyond what one gleans from Masterpiece theater, etc.

What other book might you compare Midnight Riot to and why?

Possibly Neil Gaiman ..if Gaiman was doing police procedurals!.

What about Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s performance did you like?

I have absolutely NO complaints. One of the best readings of any of the many audible books we own. In general I much prefer books read by one performer rather that "team" efforts.

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

No...but we listen, more or less in chapters, while commuting.

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