Joshua
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Espedair Street
- De: Iain Banks
- Narrado por: Peter Kenny
- Duración: 8 h y 38 m
- Versión completa
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Historia
Daniel Weir used to be a famous - not to say infamous - rock star. Maybe still is. At thirty-one he has been both a brilliant failure and a dull success. He's made a lot of mistakes that have paid off and a lot of smart moves he'll regret forever (however long that turns out to be). Daniel Weir has gone from rags to riches and back, and managed to hold onto them both, though not much else. His friends all seem to be dead, fed up with him or just disgusted - and who can blame them? And now Daniel Weir is all alone.
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Almost really really great
- De David Shear en 01-28-14
- Espedair Street
- De: Iain Banks
- Narrado por: Peter Kenny
Stands out from Iain Banks's other novels
Revisado: 09-21-16
If you could sum up Espedair Street in three words, what would they be?
Enjoyable, Sad, Funny
Isn't it ridiculous that this asks for three words and has a minimum of fifteen to be able to submit it?
What did you like best about this story?
What I always like about Iain Banks's work, the characters.
What does Peter Kenny bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Well, being American, I would probably think of the characters with the "Hollywood" accent. Peter Kenny does a great job with differentiating the characters too.
Who was the most memorable character of Espedair Street and why?
Daniel. He's the protagonist in a first person perspective novel, so, of course, he's the most memorable.
Any additional comments?
This is probably the most optimistic Iain Banks novel I've read. I haven't read all his work but a good amount. Don't misunderstand, this is still a really sad story, but you won't be in a fog of depression when you finish it.
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The White-Luck Warrior
- The Aspect Emperor, Book 2
- De: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrado por: Kevin Orton
- Duración: 25 h y 26 m
- Versión completa
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Historia
Critically acclaimed author R. Scott Bakker has received widespread praise for his colorful characters and action-packed plotting. In this sequel to The Judging Eye, Anasûrimbor Kellhus, the first true aspect-emperor in a thousand years, continues his trek into the Ancient North. Meanwhile, the exiled wizard Achamian leads a mission to the legendary Sauglish ruins. Tensions mount when the White-Luck Warrior, assassin and messiah both, arrives, bringing violence in his wake.
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I think Kevin Orton needs to learn phonics.
- De Joshua en 09-19-16
- The White-Luck Warrior
- The Aspect Emperor, Book 2
- De: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrado por: Kevin Orton
I think Kevin Orton needs to learn phonics.
Revisado: 09-19-16
What did you love best about The White-Luck Warrior?
This is a continuation of a fascinating story. I definitely recommend reading it.
What did you like best about this story?
Honestly, I like that I have no idea if there's a "good," as in good vs. evil, character.
What aspect of Kevin Orton’s performance would you have changed?
My biggest gripe with the performance is Mr. Orton's apparent inability to figure out what words should sound like and his obnoxious knack for changing or leaving out words. This, combined with a lack of editing. Seriously, who produced this? Isn't it someone's job to make sure the narrator actually reads what's on the page?
I'll give you a comparison: in The Warrior Prophet, there's a typo in the book in Chapter 13. Mr. Bakker accidentally wrote "...to see HIS hand drift deep between Dûnyain thighs..." instead of "...to see HER hand drift deep between Dûnyain thighs..." In context, this is clearly an error. I have a pretty old copy of the audio book, and I hope Audible has fixed this, but David DeVries pauses and says, "I'm going to provide you an alternate because I don't think that's right. I think it should be 'her hand.'"
That's a narrator who actually cares about the text! (I won't say anything about the producer/editor who should never have let that note into the release version of the audio book.) Kevin Orton CHANGES the text CONSTANTLY! (I know this because I enjoy reading along with audio books.) And, if he doesn't change the text, it's a crap shoot if he'll actually pronounce any remotely uncommon word correctly!
Oh, and he's pretty bad at differentiating characters too. Luckily, he has a pretty nice voice.
I'll throw in a quick funny from The Great Ordeal since I didn't buy it from Audible and therefore cannot review it on here: Mr. Orton, "glutinous" is pronounced glü-tə-nəs, not glə-tə-nəs. Glutinous =/= Gluttonous. Glutinous is an adjective meaning "having the quality of glue." Gluttonous is an adjective meaning "given to gluttony (eating too much)." Oh, and prostrate =/= prostate; that "r" makes a huge difference.
Oh, and in the recording for The Great Ordeal, almost every name gets pronounced differently than in The White-Luck Warrior (or the other four books), so be prepared to be annoyed when you finish this one and move on.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I don't think I cried, but it's a pretty extreme book.
Any additional comments?
Is there any chance David DeVries can rerecord the three Aspect Emperor books before The Unholy Consult gets published? He is so much more talented than Kevin Orton, and he seems to actually respect the text.
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The Judging Eye
- The Aspect-Emperor, Book 1
- De: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrado por: Kevin Orton
- Duración: 19 h
- Versión completa
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Historia
A luminary in the fantasy genre firmament, R. Scott Bakker returns fans to his acclaimed Prince of Nothing universe with The Judging Eye. Aspect-Emperor Kellhus is waging a terrifying war, subjugating all nations in his path. There are those willing to stand together against him, but these rebellious souls must act quickly and decisively to thwart his mad schemes of power and domination.
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Terrible narrator
- De TRT en 05-25-19
- The Judging Eye
- The Aspect-Emperor, Book 1
- De: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrado por: Kevin Orton
Amazing story marred by poorly edited narration
Revisado: 09-18-16
Where does The Judging Eye rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I've probably listened to 150-250 audiobooks, and this is somewhere in the lower 50% of that. The writing is great, though.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Hmm, I guess Drusas Achamiam. His pain is more relatable than anyone else's.
What three words best describe Kevin Orton’s voice?
Resonant, unchanging, adequate. His real problem is mispronunciation. He mispronounces /misreads words constantly, which shouldn't have been hard to catch because he reads so slowly! I mean, he changes the meaning of passages constantly, and makes hilarious errors that are extremely jarring (my favorite is in The Great Ordeal when he changes "She glimpsed a small girl wailing over a woman prostrate on the hard cobble" to "...a woman prostate on...").
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
It would probably end up being something dumb like "... sees all."
Any additional comments?
I really wish David DeVries had read this sequel series. Not only is the change in narrator jarring, but I don't think Kevin Orton ever learned phonics. I don't know who produced the audio book, but there's no excuse for the number of errors Mr. Orton makes that are in the final product.
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Angelmaker
- De: Nick Harkaway
- Narrado por: Daniel Weyman
- Duración: 18 h y 11 m
- Versión completa
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Joe Spork repairs clocks, a far cry from his late father, a flashy London gangster. But when Joe fixes one particularly unusual device, his life is suddenly upended. Joe's client, Edie Banister, is more than just a kindly old lady - she's a former superspy. And the device? It's a 1950s doomsday machine. And having triggered it, Joe now faces the wrath of both the government and a diabolical South Asian dictator, Edie's old arch-nemesis.
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A cure for the modern cynic
- De Maine Colonial 🌲 en 08-28-12
- Angelmaker
- De: Nick Harkaway
- Narrado por: Daniel Weyman
Excellent second novel from Harkaway
Revisado: 10-01-15
Would you listen to Angelmaker again? Why?
Yes, I probably would. Nick Harkaway is an extremely talented writer; the novel is funny, scary, thought provoking, and entertaining.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Angelmaker?
The first time the little old lady shows what a badass she really is, and the elephants!
Which character – as performed by Daniel Weyman – was your favorite?
Oh, god, I have no idea. Daniel Weyman did an excellent job with every character. I would listen to him read a phone book (do those still exist?).
Who was the most memorable character of Angelmaker and why?
Edie Banister was wonderful. She's such a badass, both as an old lady and in the flashbacks.
Any additional comments?
If you're on the fence about this one, don't be. It's a wonderful, witty story filled with action, intrigue, and just a hint of fright.
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The Black Prism
- De: Brent Weeks
- Narrado por: Cristofer Jean
- Duración: 22 h
- Versión completa
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Historia
Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals. But when Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.
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"Surfer" narrators should be banned!
- De JC en 05-13-11
- The Black Prism
- De: Brent Weeks
- Narrado por: Cristofer Jean
Worst narration I've ever heard!
Revisado: 10-01-15
What would have made The Black Prism better?
Any other narrator. Seriously, I'd be happier with a computer text to speech program than this narrator.
What did you like best about this story?
It's a good story with a very interesting magic system and fairly likable characters.
How could the performance have been better?
Maybe the most powerful human being in the world shouldn't sound like a stereotypical "80's surfer dude." Seriously, I don't understand any of the narrator's choices. Cristofer, what were you thinking?!?!
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Black Prism?
It's been a while, but I don't recall any particular scenes I hated.
Any additional comments?
It would be really nice if we could get a rerecording of this by Simon Vance. And I would say never have Cristofer Jean record anything again, but it doesn't look like that's really an issue.
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Jennifer Government
- De: Max Barry
- Narrado por: Michael Kramer
- Duración: 9 h y 8 m
- Versión completa
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Historia
The irreverent author of the cult classic Syrup hits his target in this satire on the wages of big capital. In Max Barry's hilarious vision of the near future, the world is run by giant American corporations, and employees take the last names of the companies they work for; The Police and The NRA are publicly traded security firms, and the U.S. government may only investigate crimes if they can bill a citizen directly.
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Fun Allegory
- De Steven F Giovanni en 01-11-10
- Jennifer Government
- De: Max Barry
- Narrado por: Michael Kramer
I blame myself, sort of...
Revisado: 09-29-15
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Angry teenagers who don't want to read YA books. People who think we need smaller government. People who think we need bigger government.
What could Max Barry have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Develop the characters beyond one dimension. Develop the world beyond the main conceit. Stop being so damn preachy, especially because I felt like both the protagonist and the antagonist were author proxies - so, a very confusing message.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
I'm torn here because I really can't decide if my dislike for the characters made me dislike the narration. Michael Kramer provided an adequate performance, though his "Australian" accent annoyed me no end.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Boredom and disappointment. I read a review or two that made Jennifer Government sound like a spiritual successor to Snowcrash. I never expected it to be as good, but I didn't expect how little I got.
Any additional comments?
I did finish the book, and in a fairly short amount of time. The pacing is fast, and the chapters are short. After each chapter I thought to myself, "Well, self, the next chapter might be good..." Yeah, I'm not always the sharpest knife in the block.
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