Pam Sykes

Terrible narration

Revisado: 11-07-21

I’m giving up on this and returning it. The narration is terrible—so flat, atonal and weirdly paced that I find it hard to follow the words.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Painful listen

Revisado: 02-22-21

This might have been bearable if the author had written it as fantasy - but as historical fiction it’s too full of anachronisms and inaccuracies to pass. I’ve made as far as chapter 2, wincing every few sentences, and am giving up.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Glaring errors in text and narration

Revisado: 12-17-19

I can come to terms with Connie Willis's signature style with the Oxford books, which seems to rely on frustration, incompetence and dithering for the comedy of the parts set in Oxford, but only because the historical bits are so good. This one falls flat, though, with some real clangers -- a two CENT stamp on a letter? Makes me doubt all the rest of her research. It's made worse by some really strange moments in the narration -- hearing "pahssage" for "passage" multiple times in a couple of minutes, for example. It makes no sense at all that the publishers didn't hire a British voice actor to record a book that's 99% British accents.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Great performance of a mediocre story

Revisado: 07-07-19

Love Adam Baldwin’s performance, but the book itself was juvenile fun with moments of mean-spiritedness that detracted from my enjoyment. Glad I didn’t pay for it, but worth a throwaway listen.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Meh stories, over-produced

Revisado: 05-30-19

I was really looking forward to this, but abandoned it halfway through the second story because, despite the amped-up presentation, the stories themselves were just plain boring. All style, not enough substance. And I’m starting to get really tired of all the trying-too-hard sound production I’m hearing in Audible Originals — if a story is really good it doesn’t need all the embellishments, and if it’s not then nothing will save it. All the icing on a cupcake is nothing but nauseating if the cake itself is stale and tasteless.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A little too glib about the horror

Revisado: 10-17-18

I couldn't finish this book, for two reasons: First, it was just too heartbreaking to hear the details of the horrific abuse this amazing woman suffered as a child, and second, because the book glosses over this as if it's just a little unconventional, and is entirely too sympathetic to her monstrous father. Bearing your first child at the age of 12 is not quirky or bohemian -- and I don't think things were all that different in 1955.

I also found the narration a little over-dramatic for my tastes -- I would have preferred a more neutral approach for a work of non-fiction -- but your mileage may vary.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A refreshingly different first contact story

Revisado: 07-11-18

I loved this book! It’s funny and sharp and slyly observant, just like its very unusual (for sci fi) heroine. I guess if you’re very young and a bit narrow-minded the idea of a heroine in her 70s might grate a bit, but I found the whole story completely delightful. An earlier review that mentioned “bad decisions” made me fear a horrible catastrophe for a while, but this is an optimistic book. (The narration is a little hard to follow in places — I actually had to rewind and re-listen several times — but the story survives it).

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Superb narration of a great novel

Revisado: 05-18-18

I can't believe it took me so long to discover the glories of Charles Dickens! This novel deserves its place in the canon -- and the reading by Anton Lesser is outstanding. I listened to several samples of different narrations before choosing one and thought the lightness of Lesser's voice seemed appropriate for what I knew of the character of Pip. I didn't realise quite how versatile a performer he is and my expectations were massively exceeded. This was a beautifully paced, engaged, sensitive reading with just enough dramatic touches and accents to make the characters come alive, without ever becoming distracting, overdone or annoying. One of the most pleasing narrations I've encountered in all my years as an Audible listener.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Sometimes challenging but deeply satisfying

Revisado: 04-21-18

19th-century prose can be challenging to listen to, but this is a great performance — and the need to sometimes skip back a bit to get the full meaning of a long sentence is not unbearable. This book only gets more riveting as it goes on.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great concept, good performance, weak story

Revisado: 01-15-18

Any additional comments?

This book has a fabulous setting -- a war-wrecked Paris ruled by rival clans of fallen angels and their mortal dependents -- and a potentially interesting plot, but the whole is lethally undermined by the weakness of the characters. We are presented with what we are supposed to believe are centuries-old beings with immense magical powers - but they have all the political sophistication and interpersonal skill of a pack of feral 12-year-olds. This could have been an interesting idea to develop -- magical superbeings who are also lethally shortsighted, self-involved and stupid (almost comically so at times) but the book doesn't appear to realise how dumb its characters are. If the intended audience is 12-year-olds they might enjoy it - for adults, it's a frustrating read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas