AJD

Won’t Be Silent - A Wonderful Reminder

Revisado: 04-20-24

There are moments when stories hit - for a reason. This memoir, penned against the backdrop of his parents’ Holocaust survival, isn’t just a necessary one…but reminds us that trauma, and a legacy of “otherness” is an unwelcome inheritance, passed down from one generation to the next. There are too many reasons why I liked this book, and were anyone to live the life Abe has lived thus far - they too would have an obligation to share it! Funny, insightful, inspiring, heart-wrenching (and affirming)…I for one, can’t wait for all the sidebars and “but that’s a story for another time” tidbits to find their way into a subsequent collection of reminiscences and Abe-ventures! I laughed, I cried, it was WAY better than “Cats”!

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Wartime Gothic / Medieval Musings

Revisado: 09-30-23

Use of language was strong - as were the builds of the beginning of the story… I enjoyed the characters, but was only a wee bit frustrated at the pacing of the story. I felt as if a little more exposition around the beginnings of the Abbey, may have helped fill in some of the gaps. All in all, it was a great autumnal dive into a little bit of spookiness.

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A Wondrous Tale!

Revisado: 09-08-23

This is a hearty piece of fiction, as rich in its historical landscapes as in the language the author uses - chewy and marvelous! Juliet’s narration was a dream! I could see each character so uniquely…this was a joy. Can’t wait to see what Ms. Hermes Gowar does next!!!

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Victorian Goth and Historical Whimsy

Revisado: 08-26-23

The Spiritualist Movement is a fascinating time in world history - and the fact that it rubbed against high-mannered Victorian social standards makes it equally curious. This story is a mixture of Murder She Wrote and Penny Dreadful - it’s camp, historically colored and spooky. Having read The Lost Apothecary, I was eager for another of Ms. Penner’s stories and was happy to have stumbled upon it. My only critique is in the voice actor performances…Lauren Irwin does a wonderful job, but her accent as Vaudeline goes a little Count Dracula via Croatia via Mediterranean Fisherwoman…it’s not French in the least. I recommend mentally changing Vaudeline’s origin story to somewhere along the Eastern European border and just letting that go. Alex Wyndham too has a wonderful tone and sinister timbre, but he does this odd thing where he octaves down at the end of almost each sentence. A weird, verbal staccato that ends each line as he drops pitch. I could anticipate the line read before he even finished most of his sentences. Whomever recorded him in the booth needs a lesson in line variation and how to deliver less predictive patterning. Oy. It’s really odd.

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Blown Away!

Revisado: 07-02-23

I love a richly worded gothic tale - but I never expected to fall so deeply in love with the characters! The story itself is so beautifully mapped out, and it delivers…it really delivers! Was equally impressed with the narrator switching accents and characterizations a such a speedy clip - creating vocal personas that heightened the telling of this insanely wonderful tale!

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Can’t Get Enough!

Revisado: 06-14-23

Jess Kidd is a peerless storyteller - incorporating all the wonder, mystery and soft touches of ethereal, haunting characters that collect like friends along the way. This is a great listen, and a tender story about survival - of all sorts… you’ll not be disappointed.

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Another Amazing Tale!

Revisado: 05-20-23

Jess Kidd’s storytelling of a world-weary drifter and the miracle of characters he encounters is another haunting, yet touching tale from her oeuvre. Aidan Kelly’s narration brings each character’s personality to life in a brilliant performance. Highly recommended!!!

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Great Chills!

Revisado: 05-17-23

Modern gothic that works in every season, a beautifully narrated and well curated collection of stories.

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Uniquely Told, Unexpectedly Sweet

Revisado: 01-15-23

Having previously read another book by the author I was curious to seek out more. The story here is one that combines a little bit of everything - loss, life, our inherent flaws and the connective tissue that binds us together. Anyone having experienced loss may find this book as soothing and warm as a cup of tea from Charon’s Crossing…and the performance by Kirt Graves also brings defined, individual personalities to the characters in this production. A lovely story!

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The Brilliance of Baldwin & Horrible Pronunciation

Revisado: 08-19-20

My love for the quicksilver writing style of Baldwin has been reignited, and "Giovanni's Room" hits a personal chord. Having lived in France myself (and subsequently 'coming out' upon my return to the States) the story paints a vivid and wonderful picture about the tension between the push-me-pull-me parts of our nature. From the description of the hardened Madame Clothilde behind the bistro comptoir, to the cruising shadows of boys in Les Halles, it cracks open a time in post-war Paris when Europe really was still an OLD world away. So, Baldwin = Genius. Now on to Dan Butler. All I can say is, he has a pleasant enough voice - and one that carries a very homogenous American brogue - BUT...the butchering of even very, very simple French is inexcusable. Someone should have hired a language coach or someone to phonetically help him pronounce the words. His delivery is so warbled and inconsistent that I had to refer to the book several times to double check wtf he was saying - that's how bad it is. The slaughter of the French language aside - the biggest sin committed is the pronunciation of Giovanni's name. Butler says "Zhee" not "Gee" - Giovanni is not French, he's Italian, and even Americans use a hard G when saying Giovanni...so I don't know what is going on. Also, when Giovanni is having a full meltdown on David (toward the end of the book) - Butler's interpretation of the text is like pigeon English - his line delivery makes Giovanni sound like an idiot, or a goat...(not sure which one is worse). I know some people won't notice these things, but knowing that Baldwin himself spoke French and wrote the text to lighthouse his own experiences - it pulls you out of the moment and is actually offensive to the ear. I physically react, cringe, tense up whenever any dialog pops up. I'm not being precious - it's that bad. All said, do yourself a favor and READ the book. Baldwin is a craftsman - and the story itself, one of love and loss and everything in-between is something that resonates (especially now).

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