Christopher

Fine effort

Revisado: 12-17-18

Amusing story, generally well-narrated. At times it seems more like a greatest hits than a true tale, but in the absence of new Wodehouse it will do. I wonder, though, why the Scottish character sounds like Count Dracula.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Overly dramatic?

Revisado: 02-07-18

I enjoyed the book though some critics have said it is somewhat over-dramatic. The narrator does not help. Even his reading of the chapter headings is breathless.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Better than Hillbilly Elegies?

Revisado: 07-31-17

Together with David Sedaris's Diaries, this book may do a better job than Hillbilly Elegies of giving some fleeting insight into Trump's America.

Crucial tip: listen at 1.25X. The narrator is too slow, and speeding her up slightly works well.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Tedious and poorly narrated

Revisado: 06-22-17

I wish I had read the reviews before listening to this. I can't remember the last time I was so happy to come to the end of an audiobook. Yes, I did finish it, but only because I almost without exception finish books. The story was dull, repetitive, and not involving. I was pleased when misfortune befell one of the characters. At least something happened. And what's up with the narration? I think I recall a reference to the speech of the main character, but the narrator makes both her and her son sound feeble-minded. At times it seemed like she was applying a voice she had used for one character to the speech of another. I've skipped other audiobooks because of the narrator, reading the book instead. In this case, I'm sorry I did not skip both.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Poor "performance"

Revisado: 05-20-17

Generally, I enjoy literary fiction, philosophical literary fiction in particular. This book has some clever ideas and some compelling passages, but all too often my mind wandered off as the narrative drifted to seemingly irrelevant stories. They may have come together in the end, but I can't really say. Worst was the narrator. The book should have been "read" rather than "performed." All too often the drama of the reading far outstripped the nature of the events. I love audiobooks. This is among the weakest I've encountered.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Horribly written.

Revisado: 03-04-13

I was very much looking forward to reading this book. I love long books, and this one had been enthusiastically recommended. I could not get past the equivalent of the first twenty pages. Two reasons. First, I had just finished Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers and found this author's romantic portrayal or the Mumbai slums unreal and offensive. Second, his writing is truly horrible. Repititive, jargon-filled, just plain clunky. Given the build up (including the number of five-star reveiws), I was incredibly disappointed. Read Katherine Boo and read good literary fiction. Give this turkey a miss.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Probably easier to listen to than to read

Revisado: 10-01-12

This is a long and difficult work. Having an audio version probably makes it easier to follow since much of it is stream of consciousness, and the narrator does an excellent job of distinguising the different characters. The effect of the novel is cumulative--and well worth the effort.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 14 personas