Kathleen

I loved it... and lived happily ever after.

Revisado: 11-11-22

Much of this book is classic Stephen King -- the young person on a hero's journey, at first gaining insights from an elder, and then meeting subsequent mentors (and roadblocks) along the way. That's all good and solid. When the plot veers into fantasy, it does so with a nod to the classics from the Brothers Grimm. I thought that was pretty interesting, too. (One forgets how creepy and dark those old tales actually were... yikes.) What impresses me most is how King continues to finds joy in his long-honed craft with every new book he writes. Another case in point is the recent "Billy Summers," which features a complex, compelling and flawed protagonist. And while I'm on my soapbox, I would also like to say that King's "The Death of Jack Hamilton" is one of the best short stories ever written. Hot damn!

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Incredible Performances!

Revisado: 07-23-22

What an amazing jewel to find on Audible! A wonderful interpretation of a classic! Brilliant on so many levels…

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Great. Just GREAT!

Revisado: 08-30-21

Wow. I could not stop listening to this book. Loved the characters! Story was multi-faceted and engaging. I listened to one of the Bachman books this summer and noticed signs of things to come from Stephen King -- techniques that would resurface again later in his career. "Billy Summers," however, is a fully realized novel by a more highly skilled author. I truly admire the richness of the female characters in King's writing. I believe that he draws tremendously on his relationships w/ his mother and his wife. Quite unusual for a male author. I don't want to spoil anything for those who might purchase, so I won't reveal any details. I will say, though that Stephen King is at the top of his game with this book. And, I personally thought that the narrator did a fine job.

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Interesting, but not for everyone.

Revisado: 06-05-20

Glennon is a very compelling storyteller and makes some astute observations. I did enjoy this book. I appreciated the story of how she found romantic love when she least expected it. Her candor about her addictions and disorders was wonderful and I'm sure that will help many young women. I believe that Glennon was educated in the Catholic school system, as was I. If that's the case, I would have loved to have heard her address the ongoing practice of covering up the abuse and pedophilia within the church. She takes on other church-related hypocrisies, but not that one, which I personally feel is the most heinous. Talk about the elephant in the room...

The only criticism I have is that there are instances when Glennon sounds just a bit too indulgent and neurotic as a parent. Kids will get their feelings hurt. Life will disappoint them. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop that from happening. However, what is key is teaching them how to cope when things don't always work out. Glennon does do some of that. But the helicopter parenting and extreme coddling was a bit much at times. So much angst over whether a girl should try out for soccer... ugh. Enough already. Sometimes failing is the best thing that can happen to a person -- and that's at any age!

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Incredible piece of reporting

Revisado: 04-23-20

The story behind Farrow's reporting on the Weinstein debacle is fascinating. However, when you consider the reach of the various men in power who are featured in the book, it is a bit disheartening. The extent of the slimy, duplicitous, immoral behavior at NBC is staggering, and particularly ironic, given that the NEWS DIVISION was involved in this mess.
While Farrow's work serves to illuminate the problem of sexual abuse in the workplace, it certainly won't eliminate it. We can only hope that his well-researched expose will help turn the tide. And if it doesn't, we are in real trouble as a society. Farrow does an impressive job with the narration -- even taking on foreign accents. (Clearly, acting skills are embedded in his DNA!) It took me a while to be able to approach this book, simply because the subject matter is so dark. However, all things considered, I'm glad I did. Well done!

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Stomach-Churning Story

Revisado: 08-18-18

I know that Gillian Flynn is a fan of noir-style writing and complex -- and not particularly warm and fuzzy -- female characters. That's what makes her an interesting writer. However, this book is disturbing on so many levels that I can't give it a five-star review. For some readers, the depraved characters will be a plus, I'm sure! Unfortunately, in this book, you'll be hard pressed to find someone who is a truly decent individual. The featured town in Flynn's story is a collection of grotesque humanity -- kind of like a Twilight Zone locale. In contrast, the folks that remain back in Chicago seem downright folksy!
There are some holes in the story (a reporter who doesn't use a cell phone because she doesn't feel like it??!!), but that's fiction for you. What stuck with me more was what a complete hot mess the main character is in this book. I wanted to like her. I empathized, certainly, with what she had endured. But, when all was said and done, I felt like I needed a shower when the story was finished. Gross. Sad. Icky.
In contrast, "Gone Girl" featured an evil, deliciously conniving woman at its center, but the supporting characters were not as foul as they were in this novel. Human beings with flaws, sure. But not the kind of people who make your skin crawl when you sit next to them at the bar...

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Just Jackie - In Her Own Words

Revisado: 10-04-17

While these conversations may or may not be considered 'historic,' they are fascinating. You can hear ice clinking in cocktail glasses, cigarettes being lit and at one point, Schlesinger actually slurs his words a bit. These are intimate interviews, one-on-one in a relaxed setting, and they primarily cover JFK's early years in politics, Jackie's personal opinions about some of the people her husband's work brought her into contact with, and assorted tidbits about the late president's character and mindset. Jackie is very clever in what she divulges and what she emphasizes. You get the sense that she is laying the foundation for the Camelot mythology -- almost making it up as she goes along. "They" might have killed her husband, but she was going to have her say about what his legacy would be. Overall, this book reaffirmed what I always thought about her -- she was a tremendous political asset and an emotionally intelligent person. Elegant and composed in the face of tragedy and personal loss... What a treasure she was and how lovely it is to be able to hear her speak.

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A Classic - Finding I Still Give A Damn!

Revisado: 09-13-17

Excellent performance of an iconic story. Granted, many references are considered 'racist' in these times. But still, GWTW offers a detailed, realistic look at the social mores of a dying culture and the war that obliterated it. Scarlett is such a complex female character; I am amazed at Mitchell's skill as an author every time I revisit this book.

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Sophomoric and Simpleminded

Revisado: 09-08-17

Perhaps I misunderstood... was this supposed to be a book for a preteen audience? Sounded like it was written by a committee at the sorority house.

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Badass 2.0

Revisado: 04-25-17

While I really enjoyed Jen's first Badass book, this was disappointing in that it provided no new insights or information. There were even anecdotes recycled from the first book. (The little boy on the airplane comes to mind. There were no other stories about someone standing their ground that could've been inserted?)
This new work was also remarkably short on hard, cold facts and figures -- a little incongruous in a book about money. Jen's presentation is engaging, as always, but this read like a second book that was patched together in a hurry at a publisher's request. I can almost hear the agent urging her to strike while the iron is hot...
The takeaways were almost identical to the first Badass book: hire a coach, spend money to increase your skill set, lose your bad habits, make a vision board, meditate, have a money mantra, etc.
Overall, this was a letdown to me as someone familiar with her work. However, it did prove that Jen is a Badass at making money because she got mine.

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