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Wasn't anyone listening?

Revisado: 03-28-19

The work, as all of Danticat's work, is excellent. But it seems the producers of the audiobook let a narrator loose with it who wasn't up to the task. This work contains words, names, and phrases in several languages, including French, Creole, and German, all of which the narrator struggled with. But then, she also mispronounced words in English.... Seriously, was no one listening who could have said, "Perhaps we should do a second take...."?

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Ruined by narration

Revisado: 06-05-16

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not particularly. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the book than listened to it as an audio book.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I mean, it's Paris. So it's going to be at least somewhat enchanting. And the author conveyed those aspects adequately, albeit in a somewhat flat, journalistic style. I did enjoy "meeting" the residents of the Rue des Martyrs, and getting a bit of a guided tour of the sights. Like a vacation without leaving my armchair. But some of the book felt overly self-indulgent. For example, the extended narration of the author's attempts to get the pope to come to the Rue des Martyrs, which I thought was dull and sort of off-topic. And there was a lot of name-dropping, which I found distasteful.

What didn’t you like about Elaine Sciolino’s performance?

Did you ever take a class in college where the professor stood at the podium at the front of the room, opened her/his notebook, and read her/his notes out loud to the class? With no attempt to make it sounds like s/he wasn't just repeating the words s/he had written down? And you got so bored you took up knitting just to have something to occupy your brain besides the professor's monotonous droning? That's what the narration was like.

Do you think The Only Street in Paris needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not really. There are plenty of books about Paris, and I didn't really feel like this one brought anything new to the table. Plus, the author seemed to be stretching for things to talk about by the end. I think one and done is appropriate here.

Any additional comments?

I've never written an audible review before, but I was so disappointed with the narration of this book, I felt I owed it to my fellow listeners to warn them. If you're interested in this book, get a print copy and read it the old-fashioned way.

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