DC Denizen

Well Written; Interesting Insights to Trump's Earl

Revisado: 11-26-22

Maggie Haberman is a first-rate journalist, but she erred in electing to narrate this book. Despite the interesting content, I found that I had to take long (i.e., days-long) breaks from listening to this book because her narration was so tedious. Some authors succeed in narrating the audio versions of their books, but others don't. Unfortunately, Ms. Haberman falls into the latter category.

The poor narration is unfortunate, because it distracts from the material. I found Ms. Haberman's descriptions of Trump's early years especially interesting.

But for the sub-par narration, I would have given the audiobook an overall rating of five stars. I wish I'd read the book instead of listening to the audio version.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Excellent Writing, Enhanced By A Great Narrator

Revisado: 04-14-20

I've read and/or listened to all of the Wolf Hall trilogy. I've loved them all. Seeing the world and Henry VIII's court through the keen eyes of Thomas Cromwell has been a delight, as was Hilary Mantel's exquisite writing.

Ben Miles's narration of the book is truly brilliant. Over the course of 38 hours, he created and maintained credible and consistent voices for the extended cast of characters. He really enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

The afterward (a conversation between Mantel and Miles) reflects her appreciation of his work bringing her writing to life on the stage and via audiobook.

A suggestion: I purchased both the audio and ebook versions of The Mirror and the Light. I found that having the printed version was helpful for consulting the Cast of Characters, checking the Tudor family tree, reading the author's Afterword, and rereading key passages.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Content Isn't Suited to Audiobook Format

Revisado: 07-11-18

I love audiobooks, but the content of this book isn't suited to the audio format. The hard-copy book contains the full lyrics of the Hamilton songs, with lots of interesting annotations by Lin Manual Miranda on why he used a particular phrase or word. You don't get these in the audiobook, nor do you see the photos. Overall, you're missing about 50% of the book.

If you're interested in this book, buy the hard copy.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Well written but . . .

Revisado: 01-27-16

I enjoyed the book. It's very well written, though I thought the conclusion dragged on far too long.

Initially, I found the author's narration so distracting that I nearly stopped listening. Eventually, though, I came to view Ms Tartt's Southern-accented and crisp narration style as well suited her prose and characters.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Thought-Provoking and Timely

Revisado: 12-11-12

The author teaches an extremely popular undergraduate ethics course at Harvard called "Justice" [the course is available for free download at iTunes University]. I've watched many of the Justice segments and enjoyed them, so I was very interested when I read a review of What Money Can't Buy in the NYTimes earlier this year.

Even if you lean toward [or embrace] free-market economics, Sandel's book will provide ample food for reflection. His basic argument is that the two decades leading up to the 2008 financial meltdown were an era of "market triumphalism" -- one in which markets and market values crept into spheres of life where they didn't belong. Sandel wants us to think about the role that markets and market values should play in society, and whether there are some things that money should not buy.

I found that I didn't agree with some of Sandel's views, but I nonetheless found them thoughtful and well reasoned. Sandel reads the book himself, and I found his narration perfectly matched the content. Although Sandel's topic is weighty, he manages to be low-key, engaging, and even humorous. He clearly has a point of view, but he's never didactic.

How much did I like the audiobook? I enjoyed it so much, that I later downloaded the Kindle version so I could spent more time thinking about the content. That's my equivalent of "two thumbs up."

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

An Enjoyable Essay

Revisado: 01-07-12

Would you listen to This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage again? Why?

Yes - I'd listen to it again. I've enjoyed listening to 3 of Patchett's novels. Hearing her read this essay was a real treat. Her voice and reading style perfectly match her writing.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way that Patchett wove the question

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Excellent!

Revisado: 12-27-10

I agree with the earlier reviewer -- this isn't a light read and you have to focus. But the book offers unique insights on how decisions that were made decades ago, when mortgage-backed securities were first created, ultimately led to the recent financial meltdown. As much as I enjoyed The Big Short, I found this book much more informative and interesting. I also thought the narrator was perfect for the content.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 16 personas

Absolutely Fascinating

Revisado: 10-12-10

This is one of the most interesting books I've "read" in a long time. As one of the previous reviewers noted, it's a bit ironic to be listening to this particular book rather than reading it in hard copy [and listening while using a treadmill to boot!]. I thought that both the content and the reader were excellent. Highly recommended.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona