Jeffrey Getzin

So good!!!

Revisado: 03-20-25

This is a superb book, full of heart and action and epic doings. Carey is a wonderful wordsmith.

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Superb performance marred by bizarre sound effects

Revisado: 03-17-21

The acting in this performance ranks among the best I’ve encountered. Truly riveting performance.

So why then all the ridiculous sound effects? Why do we need jungle sounds, ocean sounds, distorted audio, etc.? Are not the words and voices powerful enough?

Did it really need more cowbell?

A five-star performance with two stars taken off for its Brechtian sound effects.

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Not thrilling, but not a bad book, either

Revisado: 08-07-17

The book is lauded as a thriller, and while there are some thrilling scenes in it, for the most part, the book just plods along as more of a mystery. Even expecting the twists, I was surprised by some of them. Nevertheless, I really didn't care that much.

It's not a bad book. It's diverting enough. It's just that it was advertised as a thriller and it did not do much of that.

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A Man Called Jeff and the Book that He Loved

Revisado: 08-23-16

A Man Called Jeff and the Book that Made Him Laugh and Cry (but Mostly Laugh)

Ove is one of the finest-drawn characters I've ever "read".From the opening paragraph, you think you know him: and you kind of do. We've all known someone a little bit like Ove: curmudgeonly, stubborn, opinionated, and befuddled by modern society.

Ove is painted stroke by stroke in wonderful detail, shown not told. We learn who he is, who he was, and why he is the way he is. We're led down a funny road until we're trapped in his life, and tears begin to flow.

This is a wonderful, wonderful book, full of laugh-out-loud moments, and soft, tender ones that will make you cry, no matter how much you don't want to because, say, like me, you're standing in the middle of King's produce department at rush hour.

Ove is a treasure by himself, but the people Ove meet are wonderful, and feel so damn real. By the end of this book, you feel like you know them all, and that's a good thing.

Backman has leaped up the ranks of authors whom I'll be watching. The man has a gift for telling stories that are funny, moving, and dammit, so real.

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Wonderful performance deserves better book

Revisado: 08-11-16

Scott Brick saves the book single-handedly with a wonderful range of voices and accents. I swear, I could listen to him read a grocery list.

The blurb from Steven King calls the author "the finest writer of horror today." Maybe this wasn't one of the horror novels because I found it not even the slightest bit scary. Perhaps it would have helped if there were sympathetic characters, or if I hadn't already read this story a million times. I first read it in Poe's "The Telltale Heart", later saw it in film form in "Creepshow". Countless other times later, this story had nothing new to offer me other than Brick's usual outstanding reading.

Perhaps that's a bit too strong, but I do feel a bit cheated after reading King's blurb and all the great reviews. I think the author writes good prose, and the characters are interesting enough. It's just that the book isn't scary, which the reason I had purchased the book, nor especially original.

But hey, history is full of great novels that were read by the wrong reviewers. Perhaps this book just wasn't for me. Read the other reviews and make your own decision.

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The Dresden Files on steroids!!!

Revisado: 06-05-16

Wow. It's almost all I can say. Take the brilliant mind behind the "Hellraiser" and the "Lucifer" graphic novels, add some ghosts, demons, and other supernatural beings, and then toss in a healthy bit of detective fiction and you've got one hell of a story. Witty, scary, sad, romantic ... Carey brings it all.

Freelance exorcist extraordinaire Felix Castor is hired to do what he does best: rid a haunting of its ghost. This is despite the warning of the demon Asmodeus (!) who is currently possessing his best friend. Once on the case, the exorcism turns into something far more complex than Castor could possibly have imagined. Sleazy strip club owners, loup garou, succubi, thieves, zombies, hackers, and conspiracy nuts ... Castor's path takes him through a bizarre and intoxicating mix of vividly-drawn characters. It's one hell of a ride ... if Hell exists, which Castor is not entirely sure does.

Kramer's narration is spot-on, and a witty, droll pleasure. He kind of reminds me of Richard Burton in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" His comedic timing is great, and he's wonderful at evoking the depths of every character.

So why are you wasting your time reading this review? Why aren't you listening to this book already??

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Who is this M. R. Carey person?!? I want more!!!!

Revisado: 05-16-16

Where does The Girl with All the Gifts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So far, this is among the very best audiobooks I've ever read. The narration is pitch-perfect and the story is breathless. It scared me where appropriate, made me laugh at times, and even brought a tear or two to my eyes. I don't know who this M. R. Carey person is, but I'm now a fan.

What other book might you compare The Girl with All the Gifts to and why?

There's something about this book that evokes Kate Wilhelm's end-of-the-world books, such as "Welcome, Chaos!" and "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang". There's also a fair bit of Matheson's "I Am Legend" in it, too.

What does Finty Williams bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ms. Williams had a very precise but expressive range. Her interpretation (and all audiobook narrations are interpretations) is rich and very engaging, and she manages to make each character stand out as an individual. There's also something about her calm, paced narration that makes the events seem that much creepier.

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

Definitely, yes. Ordinarily, I only listen to audiobooks at certain times: getting ready in the morning, or driving to work. This was a book I went out of my way to listen to whenever I could.

Any additional comments?

I just found out that Carey is the genius behind the "Lucifer" comics. No wonder. He (And Mr. Carey is a he) has to be a freacking genius! :-D

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Not a Dr Who story

Revisado: 11-09-14

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

It's an interesting story. People who like Victorian-ghost story-style science fiction might enjoy this.

What was most disappointing about Paul Magrs’s story?

It really wasn't a Dr. Who story. The writing style did not change with the character viewpoints, and the Dr Who references felt like they were inserted into the story after the fact.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The voice acting, especially Baker's, was excellent. I would have preferred more of a "audio play" than this; that would have showcased their talents better.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

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Excellent

Revisado: 09-23-04

True, the plotting is a little hamfisted, but it's not too bad. Besides, let's face it: the plot is merely a convenience for the author as he peels layer after layer from his ingenious onion of a cypher. A truly intelligent book in a time when intelligence in writing is rare. It's witty and clever, and I was always racing to solve the mysteries ahead of its characters.

Regarding the narrator, at first, I didn't like him, but as he demonstrated his facilities with voices and accents, I began to realize how exceptional he is. I recommend his interpretation highly!

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