Tim

Not what I’d hoped based on reviews

Revisado: 09-08-24

I happened to have moved to middle Tennessee several years ago, and October is my favorite month of the year. Solid Halloween tales are rare. I’m not really into slasher and gore, and the host of gothic tales I grew up with - even when told by various narrators - have gotten a little stale. I thought hey, I’ll give this a go!

I actually enjoyed the narrator when looking at this as ‘southern fried’ entries into the scary short story genre. Whereas normally I like Richard Pasko, Tim Curry, Stephen Fry or even the great Ray Porter, Turners voice seemed right at home here.

The first story was a home run for me. The Halloween Store was truly a treat - not a trick - and I promptly decided to purchase Fear (discerning readers who listen closely to The Halloween Store will understand this decision).

Now the bad news…

The following two stories in The Halloween Store were two strikes. Weird, sure. Chilling? No. Not good science fiction with Mr. Mac, and Blood Suede Shoes also fell flat.

I jumped to listen to Fear, went through the whole book, and although there are some elements I enjoyed, it became a slog. The ending was a foregone conclusion, an unnecessary death of a main character, and all told -sad to say - not a satisfying experience.

I really, really, wanted to enjoy these works. And the short story that the first audiobook is named after, The Halloween Store, was precisely the type of story I’d love to share around a campfire.

Unfortunately, this reminds me of those rock groups that create a one hit wonder and strive to build off it but just can’t find that magic.

I believe I was generous in the stars given in my review.

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Could have been written by a middle school child...

Revisado: 10-11-20

Ok - I’ll apologize to the middle schoolers out there. Got through the first few chapters and had to give up. Even with Halloween just twenty days away and a margarita before me as I sit outside in the dark I can’t suffer this tripe. Yikes! Bought it an hour ago - can’t return it fast enough!

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Ugh....

Revisado: 09-06-20

Perhaps back in the day when Columbia, McMillan and Wife and Night Gallery dominated the evening TV offerings these stories MIGHT have been mildly entertaining - yet I doubt it.

Listened to the first two stories and had to give up.

Don’t waste a credit - you’ve been warned!

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Terrific performance - outstanding audio book

Revisado: 09-20-17

Completely changed my opinion of the book - one of the ultra-rare occasions where the audiobook SURPASSED the book! Cast was terrific, the audio superb, and the way each character was provided a compelling personality made the events which happen in the book much more "3 dimensional". Like I said, if you tried reading Dracula and gave up two-thirds through the book, give this audio version a go. You'll get through it alright. You might also end up listening two, three, four or more times. We have listened to this half a dozen times and it's still not stale or Don's to death. Yep - it's that good.

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Good for a casual listen

Revisado: 07-30-12

Would you try another book from the authors and/or Syd Lieberman?

I don't believe so.

What didn’t you like about Syd Lieberman’s performance?

When listening to 'spooky or scary' stories my tastes run to a more seasoned performer. In my opinion, when listening to short stories such as these, the mood that should be established is half the enjoyment of the listen. Syd misses the mark.

Actors such as Derek Jacobi, Vincent Price, and Christopher Lee possess the 'voice' and 'stage presence' to lift average tales to remarkable, and the remarkable to the incredible.

To be fair, Syd Lieberman's performance was energetic at times and he endeavored to 'lift' the stories through his interpretation of the material. Unfortunately, it didn't produce the desired atmospheric effect for myself, or for my wife and children.

Was The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Terrifying Tales worth the listening time?

The tales are classics, and though they may seem 'tame' compared to the fiction (and for that matter, fact) we are exposed to today, they are good stories nevertheless.

Any additional comments?

If you are looking for a little more atmosphere, I recommend you keep looking.

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