Janet

Still cinematic, but not convoluted.

Revisado: 10-26-17

Dan Brown seems to have taken to heart all the comments about “Inferno” being too convoluted and obviously written as a film treatment. This story is certainly complex, with much discussion of chemistry and physics, but harkens back to earlier Robert Langdon books in that it selves into the inner lives of many characters. Although central to the story, Langdon doesn’t reveal himself in this book as he has in others. Still somewhat cinematic, the reader incisions scenes in and around Barcelona, with compelling descriptions. If you liked the first 2, read this. Where DID we come from??

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Terrible editing.

Revisado: 04-26-17

This story was difficult to stay "in" due to very sloppy edits. There were at least 4 times in the narration where paragraphs were repeated. Not the best of the series anyway. The new characters were not compelling and I really had trouble caring "who done it."

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One of the best in the series

Revisado: 11-16-15

Of the books in which Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller both appear, this is the first that gives an equal position of strength to each character. Although primarily about Bosch, there is enough court room procedural to satisfy Lincoln Lawyer fans. What appears to be the set up of an impossible series of diverse clues comes together in a complex, but utterly believable story line. The auxiliary characters are well drawn and voiced quite well by the narrator. He does a variety of accents effectively, but woefully mispronounces a number of words. (Um, director??) A good addition to this series!

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Good story and character - clunky structure

Revisado: 05-28-15

Maisie is a refreshing twist on the cozy mystery, set in the WW I era. The story is unique although it includes a familiar wartime romance with several twists and turns. The character of Maisie has a unique mentor and education to become a psychologist and investigator. The subjects of her investigation are veterans of the war. The book gets a bit heavy handed at times with the subtext of "War is hell" while the mystery unfolds. The breakdown of the British class structure in this era looms large as well. The clunkiness of the structure lies in the technique of unfolding Maisie's personal life in flashbacks and flash forwards to before and after the war. The author abruptly jumps from one time to the other without a lot of finesse. I like the story line, so am hoping for an improved writing approach in successive stories.

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Uniquely compelling

Revisado: 03-04-15

I am glad I didn't read much about this story before purchasing the audiobook, or I might have missed a strangely unique book. It is true, as several reviewers have written, that most of the characters in this story are seriously flawed, narrow, prejudiced or otherwise weak, but they all come together believably in a highly believable tale. The perceptions we have of others as compared to our own realities are a recurring theme, told from the varying perspectives of the players. The author does a better job than most of keeping track of the story for the listener, even through the time-jumping and converging of the various voices. A quiet neighborhood in a quiet suburb of London is observed by a former resident as she rides the train to work everyday. Not much is happening, or so it seems...

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Not at all the story I expected! Wonderful!

Revisado: 11-07-14

It is hard to write much about this book without giving away elements of the story that need to unfold in the context of the telling of the tale. On one level, it is a good "Who dunnit?" mystery. On another, it is a moving account of the lives of elephants in the wild and in captivity. The most unique and moving aspects of the story have little to do with either of these story elements. The title of the book gives you a clue, but don't think you've figured it out, because you haven't....

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Sweeping Epic or Fictional Memoir?

Revisado: 10-24-14

I expect that Ghosh intended this book to be a Ken Follett-like sweeping story of Burma, India and much of south Asia during the late 19th and early 20th century, but it reads more like a mood piece or memoir with its focus on scenery, social conventions and detailed analysis of family/caste relationships. The plot spans the lives of several families, starting with the deposition of the last Burmese king through the end of the 2nd World War, but isn't really plot driven, or character driven. It's more a series of stream of consciousness depictions of the thoughts of various related characters. The strong suit of this story is the beautiful, detailed description of the thoughts of the varied characters, illustrating the ways in which the misunderstandings between ruler and ruled fueled WW I and II. The author assumes that the listener is clever enough to understand some plot points without his spelling them out. He expects a lot from the reader, but that serves the progression of the book well. Simon Vance is always a great narrator, and does a remarkable job with the numerous dialects and languages.

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I didn't want this series to end.

Revisado: 10-08-14

Having spent almost 100 hours with these characters and their ancestors over the course of this trilogy about the 19th and 20th centuries, I was sad to come to the end. As I have previously written, the first book was stellar, the 2nd was grim and uninspired, but the 3rd captured the ulginess of civil rights in the US, the end of WWII Europe and the Cold War in a fascinating tale of families overcoming their hardships along side their participation in world-changing events. History comes together as reality for me in books such as this in which events in one country are juxtaposed with events in other parts of the world occurring at the same time. If I have any complaint, its about the generally wonderful narrator, John Lee. He manages to get any number of European, Asian and the numerous confusing British dialects right, while completely mangling dialects of the Southern United States. He's not particularly good with Boston, either. He does improve as the book progresses, as if his ear is learning the sounds. Listen to or read this trilogy from the beginning!

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First 5-star ever!

Revisado: 09-11-14

I'm a picky listener, and have never given 5 stars until now. Anything by Tana French is going to be "good," but the story telling in this book is terrific. It is told from a number of points of view, which isn't so unusual, but the detectives tell the story from start to finish, while the girls around whom the tale is centered tell it from pre-history to the start of this plot. French is so talented that it isn't messy or confusing in the least. This is among the best books in the Dublin Murder Squad series. I hope to see these characters again. Dual narrators is effective in this book, and probably wouldn't work as well with a single voice.

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Shocking and wonderful

Revisado: 09-02-14

If you do not know this series, don't start here. This book requires that you be intimately familiar with the back stories and characters of the previous books. If you are already a lover of the Three Pines series, you will find comfortable, familiar story telling in this book, but you will also be shocked at a couple of plot turns. I was really pleased to see Inspector Gamache's wife featured more prominently in this story, and I also noticed some subtle changes in the use of timeline of events that was a fresh approach for Ms. Penny. I always wish these books were longer!

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