MAGJAG

Good story, bad narration

Revisado: 01-02-23

I liked the story but couldn’t get past the bad narration. I recommend reading rather than listening.

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I felt duped into buying this.

Revisado: 07-28-22

I don’t even know where to begin with this train wreck. The fact that it had ADC’s name attached to it led me to believe that he was the author. I should have done my homework. In reality his character was merely the inspiration and Ms. Godwin is the actual author of this mess. My problem now is to critique either the terrible story or the even more deplorable reading. Whether the Godwin’s are a married couple or family, I cannot say; but it will suffice to hope this is their only collaboration and that there will be no more in the future. The story was contrived to relate to the current pandemic. Not only was the story weak and heavy-handed, it was a laughable and an amateurish attempt at a Sherlock Holmes adventure. Godwin created a familiarity that was never depicted in any ADC work. There were contractions in words and slang that would not have existed between the two gentlemen. There were modern phrases that would not have been used at the time. And it was apparent the author never read any original Conan Doyle pieces. Perhaps she watched an episode of Sherlock on PBS and felt compelled to write her own episode. But the weakness does not stop there. The reading was probably the worst I have ever heard on Audible. Mr. Godwin sounded more like an amateur reading from a famous author in a YouTube video from his bedroom. He is certainly not a professional nor was any professional direction involved. It is as if they are two high school students completing a project for their creative writing class. I could go on but I want to move forward from this disaster. I will end by saying that I will be requesting that Audible refund the credit I wasted on this piece. That it is even part of the Audible library is astonishing. Do yourself a favor and skip this very disappointing “Sherlock Holmes” in name only story.

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No one beats Hugh Fraser in telling a Poirot story.

Revisado: 08-30-20

One of Christie’s more labored murders but beautifully read by Hugh Fraser. No matter how many characters must be voiced, Mr. Fraser is up to it. I was particularly interested in comparing the original story to the series version. Very well done even though the adaptation relieved the story of many characters and introduced others. This was thoroughly enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Christie stories.

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Fascinating, educational, and a great police story

Revisado: 06-29-19

Fast-paced action with historical and artistic references woven throughout. You don't have to fancy highbrow art to appreciate this entertaining police yarn.

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Lynne Cheney Ain't No David McCullough

Revisado: 06-30-15

Would you try another book from Lynne Cheney and/or Eliza Foss?

NO.

What could Lynne Cheney have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Rely more on factual events and writings rather than speculating or "imagining" what it must have been like during the course of the events written about.

Would you be willing to try another one of Eliza Foss’s performances?

It would depend on the subject of the book.

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

Disappointment. A waste of my time. I expected a better narrative of one of the most influential and fascinating people in U.S. history.

Any additional comments?

While it usually doesn't matter to me whether a book is narrated by a man or woman as long as the performance is good, I must say that the choice of narrators here was not a good one. I have encountered many female narrators who have done an excellent job "voicing" the men in a book but that was not the case here. This book seemed to need a man's voice considering virtually all the individuals quoted or referred to are men, or at least a better female narrator. Foss sounded like a 2nd grade school teacher and an uninspired one at that. In addition to a poor choice in narrators, Cheney's book itself was not satisfying. I barely got 1/3 of the way through before I had to give it up and it was a struggle to stick with it that long. I cannot count how many times Cheney relies on speculation of facts or "imagining" what it must have been like to fill out her narrative. Isn't there plenty of factual evidence on which the narrative can rely without retreating to inferring, guessing or imagining? Cheney's attempts to be folksy or familiar with her subject also falls flat. I just do not find her to be a good writer. I do not recommend this book at all on any level.

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A classic Christie

Revisado: 04-18-15

Lots of suspects, a series of clues and misdirections, plus a couple of love affairs and still Poirot is triumphant. Hugh Fraser's renditions of the Poirot stories are the absolute best.

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Pitts' Kid Carries on Tradition

Revisado: 01-12-15

Entertaining holiday yarn featuring Thomas & Charlotte Pitts' daughter visiting in NYC. Not a lot of Christmas feeling but a good whodunnit.

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Third Girl is First Rate!

Revisado: 01-04-15

Lots of suspects and plot twists. Hugh Fraser is his typical outstanding self. I could not put it down and listened to the whole volume in a single afternoon.

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Hugh Fraser Forever!

Revisado: 08-20-14

Would you consider the audio edition of After the Funeral to be better than the print version?

Yes, It was much more vivid than if I read it in bits and pieces myself. Listening to a great book allows me to listen for extended periods of time instead of trying to squeeze in reading time during a busy day.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Poirot. It begins and ends with Hercule.

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

There should be a law that only Hugh Fraser (or David Suchet) narrate Christie novels. Fraser's performance is like having your own special narrator who will spellbind only you to the exclusion of the rest of the world. A wonderful, wonderful talent. Fraser brings each character to life and adds emotional intensity at the perfect moment.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to work my way through each and ever single volume Hugh Fraser narrates.

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Better than the movie.

Revisado: 06-25-14

What did you love best about Raymond Chandler: The Big Sleep (Dramatised)?

It followed the original Chandler story. Performances were spot on.

Any additional comments?

Like all Chandler books, hard to put down.

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