Mary Feeney

Annoying Narration

Revisado: 03-06-23

Why does this title have an American narrator when the author repeatedly states that he's from Australia? Also, why can't Audible (or Taintor Audio) find voice actors who can actually pronounce French? Mr. Halstead's French was variable and distracting. In some cases his pronunciation was excellent, but at other times he seemed to confuse the "U" and "OU" sounds." The restaurant La Coupole, for instance, had a few different vowel twists. Some place names were mispronounced (rue d'Assas, rue de Fleurus, Barbès, the latter pronounced "barb" when it should be "barb-ESS"). And of course Les Halles is pronounced "lay-AHL" and not "laze-AHL." I would have enjoyed the chatty, anecdotal content a lot more if the narrator hadn't been so annoying; I also found the narration overly dramatic. Could have done with a lot less Hemingway lore, too. I did enjoy the structure of the essays and the history lessons.

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Delightful Tidbits

Revisado: 01-31-23

This charming book imparts a lot of information about European history and French gastronomy. However, I did not like the narration. The content seems aimed at an American audience; I would have preferred an American narrator. Derek Perkins has the annoying British mannerism of putting the emphasis on the first syllable of French words, while it naturally tends toward the end. Further, he mispronounces simple terms like "Les Halles" (which does not have an elision), "œufs," and "chef-lieu." Even so, the narration didn't cancel out my enjoyment of the content. I heartily recommend this title. It will give you plenty of dinner-party anecdotes.

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Enthralling Nature Writing

Revisado: 06-09-21

Jonathan Slaght is a an intrepid researcher, a vivid writer, and an excellent narrator: truly a triple threat.

His account of several winters researching the threatened Blakiston's fish owl in remote Eastern Russia is gripping. Who knew?

I listened to this book because it won the Minnesota Book Award for nonfiction. It far surpassed my expectations, and I heartily recommend it to anyone curious about the natural world and human interaction with it.

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A Delightful Surprise

Revisado: 01-30-20

Audible recommended this title to me, and it took me a while to get around to listening. So glad I did. The story is really about community (although the stories offered by the immigrant "Bibis" are erotic as promised). There's a bit of a mystery involved, deftly told, and that has a larger point as well. Skillfully written, beautifully narrated, poignant and funny; a lovely discovery.

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Average Story, Poor Narration

Revisado: 01-21-20

There are so many novels about the end of the war in Paris. I recall another novel with the exact scene of "horizontales" being shorn by their neighbors and a female journalist with mixed feelings about selling her photographs of same. The author renders the horrors of war quite convincingly. The writing style is elegant.

However, the protagonist (Annie) isn't as interesting as Martha Gelhorn, on whose wartime memoirs she's probably based.

It was hard for me to listen to the end because the narrator was not of Audible's usual caliber. Her French pronunciation, for one thing, was spotty at best. For instance, she rendered Place d'Italie as Place day Italie (should be roughly Deataly). I think at one point the Parc Monceau was mentioned, but it wasn't anything like the French.

Other non-French words were also mangled: Bemidji, MN, for example. And the historian Thucydides' name came out as "Thooky-DeeDees." Groan.

The final credits mention an audio editor. Wouldn't such a person coach the narrator on pronunciation? Furthermore, the narrator didn't differentiate the characters well. She often read in a strange monotone.

All this will give me pause to consider future Audible Original novels.

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Enthralling

Revisado: 03-01-18

Where does The Strangler Vine rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A top pick.. Alex Wyndham's narration is clever, urgent, subtle, dramatic in the best sense.

What other book might you compare The Strangler Vine to and why?

The Raj Quartet. Apples and Oranges, one might say, but both explore England's misunderstanding and mistreatment of India.

Which scene was your favorite?

The tiger encounter, literally and figuratively a killer.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Audible wants me to sell books.

Any additional comments?

Brilliant historical thriller.

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Major Snoozefest

Revisado: 03-01-18

What disappointed you about Murder in an Irish Village?

One knows that life is leisurely in a Irish village. Still, the lack of plot/tension/action in this cozy mystery was remarkable. My biggest takeaway was that young women are apparently addressed as "Pet" or "Petal."

Would you ever listen to anything by Carlene O'Connor again?

No.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Able performance, delineating various characters.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Murder in an Irish Village?

See above. The whole book was less than believable. Also I'd cut out the tons of references to a "cuppa" versus cappuccinos in the family's café.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste your time.

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Overly Dramatic Narration (but tricky to navigate)

Revisado: 08-18-17

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It's not my place to change the story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Interesting trailblazer in the "creative nonfiction" genre. So sophomoric, though. Would make it less self-indulgent.

What three words best describe Dion Graham’s voice?

Smooth as silk.
Dion Graham has a wonderful voice, but his acting chops are perhaps too dramatic for this book. Dave Eggers' literary voice is manic, yet at the same time ironic and Midwestern. The situations are extreme. The narrator must have had trouble deciding where to put dramatic emphasis. On the whole, the narration seems too emphatic.

Could you see A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Question completely beside the point.

Any additional comments?

This book might be better enjoyed on the printed page, despite the narrator's talent. A thought-provoking work in some ways, boring in others.

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Annoying

Revisado: 03-25-17

What disappointed you about An Abundance of Katherines?

Must have bought this as a "deal of the day" without realizing it was a young adult book. Coming-of-age novels are fine with me, but the sluggish pace of this novel, despite plenty of engaging word play, made it the first Audible book I ditched before finishing.

Has An Abundance of Katherines turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes.

What didn’t you like about Jeff Woodman’s performance?

Nasal voice, lack of modulation, but not faulting narrator as much as novel.

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

Boredom.

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