JudithLeenovBooks

Terrible

Revisado: 02-05-25

Terrible plot
Inconsistencies in plot
Irrelevant political correctness
Main character acts like a frightened child but narrates in his head a roaring tiger

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Loved it!

Revisado: 10-13-23

Great storyline, pacing and character development. And I love Caroline Lee!!!
Looking for more books by this talented author.

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Couldn’t finish.

Revisado: 01-14-21

Too slow, nothing happening, felt like a young adult book. Narration was tedious and monotone.

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So I actually ended up loving the narrator...

Revisado: 07-23-19

First of all this book was extremely well written and full of new and interesting information about the lead up to the war.
At first I had a hard time with the narration because of his constantly changing volume. I spent all my listening time making the volume louder and softer. But about half through, either I got used to the narrator’s rhythm or he got better. I would definitely listen to him again!

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Written for a pre/ young teen reader

Revisado: 09-17-16

Any additional comments?

I chose to listen to this book because of my interest in climate science fiction. However, the characters and plot are written in such an immature way that I can only imagine that it the book was designed with a pre/ young teenage reader in mind.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Just the facts and figures

Revisado: 02-22-13

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This is a book for readers interested in a recitation of the number of buildings destroyed in a given locality in Europe, the number of people displaced, and general acknowledgements that the war really disrupted people's lives. While the book sprinkles in quotes from people saying that the destruction was terrible, they weren't given enough context to care about them at all.

Would you ever listen to anything by Keith Lowe again?

No. I prefer books that tell a story through the eyes of its participants.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of John Lee?

I have listened to the Ken Follett books narrated by John Lee and enjoyed his narration but this book was a terrible fit for him. The book is simply boring and having a very dramatic narrator like Mr. Lee is absolutely jarring.

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

Disappointment and frustration.

Any additional comments?

No.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Fascinating read

Revisado: 02-22-13

I have read many books about the civil war and it becomes harder and harder to find books that address the period from a new prospective. This book, written from the southern point of view felt wholly new and fresh, and did a excellent job of describing the complex and varying viewpoints of its different constituencies. The narrator did a wonderful job of conveying these voices.

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esto le resultó útil a 5 personas

An honest and beautiful memoir

Revisado: 02-07-13

I've read a lot of history books and memoirs about the holocaust, and this memoir written and narrated by the son of survivors saved by their musical talent is a beautiful, very loving and respectful tribute to the author's parents. At the same time, the author conveys a very honest human story of their lives that does not gloss over questionable decisions and complicated motivations.

The author's narration was fine, but because of his distinctive voice and long service as the host of Performance Today, National Public Radio's daily classical music program, I kept expecting him to break from the story and introduce us to a Beethoven symphony. But that is a very small price to pay for such a beautiful story.

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Quirky

Revisado: 01-24-13

This unusual novel is DEFINITELY not for everyone. It is a story, written in first person, of the son of wannabe holocaust survivor who (the son, not his mother) discovers Anne Frank (now an old lady) living in his attic. It is written as a bit of a "shticky" monologue that is hilarious at times, but often over the top as in: was it over the top? Why did I say it was over the top? I don't really know. Sometimes I think I liked it but other times I was't so sure. And how could I be expected to know..... and so on.

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Horrible!!

Revisado: 01-22-13

This is a book about Catherine Hooper (the girlfriend of Bernard Madoff's son Andrew), her incredible brilliance, resourcefulness, and all around "fabulousness". The narrator reads the story with the breathiness appropriate for a romance novel when talking anything Catherine. Her tone changes to one of utter disgust whenever discussing Mark (Bernard Madoff's other son who committed suicide) or Mark's widow Stephanie. I guess the narrator was directed to do so because Catherine's doesn't like them (?) but it is very disconcerting. Do not buy this book if you are looking for insight into the Madoff scandal or the Madoff family (as I was). I stuck with the book to the end hoping to find a bit, but it provides none whatsoever. On the other hand if you are interested in learning about how wonderful Catherine Hooper is, this is the book for you.

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esto le resultó útil a 10 personas