Jeffrey S

You Must Be Kidding--And Thanks For Admitting It!

Revisado: 07-28-15

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Maybe if I had been warned that this was a silly little (albeit amusing) fantasy I would be more tolerant. Yes, of course, all fiction is fantasy, but you still have to pass the "giggle test".

Would you be willing to try another book from John Grisham? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Why do you think I was foolish enough to buy this one! Great writer. But nobody can win them all.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending. I was glad it was over.

Do you think The Racketeer needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Nobody could possibly think this book needs a follow-up!

Any additional comments?

Very adequate for a way to make the time at the gym on the exercise machine more pleasant.

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Flawed execution of interesting premise.

Revisado: 04-06-15

What disappointed you about Pines?

The "good" about this novel is that it does a very good job of captivating (most, I assume, and including me) readers with the challenge of trying to figure out, "What in the world is going on in this small town in which the protagonist feels trapped?" I won't give away the story, but it has elements that bring to mind Huxley's "Brave New World" and the late 1960s Patrick McGoohan television show "The Prisoner."The "bad" about this novel includes: (1) The "characters" (if there are any) are all stereotypes at best; (2) Again and again their actions are not what we would ordinarily expect of human beings; and (3) Their actions become even less understandable when we finally learn the context of the things that have happened to the town and to them. Those defects are magnified when we try to understand the group behavior of the town citizens. The author never even tries to explain their propensity for group violence--and his attempts to explain why the challenges of their supposed circumstances produced reactions that are completely at odds with our common experience and disintegrate into silliness.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I am now listening to Dead Wake about the sinking of the Lusitania.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The reader did a fine job considering what he had to work with. Clearly many have enjoyed the book--not to mention the sequels that I have no intention of reading (or hearing). So very possibly you will also.

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A delightful surprise

Revisado: 03-22-15

What did you love best about Destiny Disrupted?

I listened to this book because I thought I OUGHT to do so--given the current world situation. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. And not only did it give me a better understanding of the history of Islamic world, but the contrasts with various countries in western Europe also help me better understand those countries--particularly with respect to the evolution of the concept of a "nation".

What about Tamim Ansary’s performance did you like?

I particularly liked the fact that Ansary both writes and speaks in a style that doesn't leaving you feeling he is pushing a particular agenda. And when his comments amount to speculation he carefully identifies them as such.

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Lowest rating I have ever given on Audible

Revisado: 03-22-15

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

If you are looking for a book that is pretentious, the seems to go on forever, and has little sense of pace, you might like this one. A friend of mine who "read" the print version finally confessed that she frequently skipped many pages at a time. Even the few strong points--such as Tartt's scene descriptions, and the development of the character of Boris using dialogue, eventually become boring and warn out. I stayed with it until the end--thinking there must be a pony in here somewhere, but I wish I hadn't. All this despite an excellent job by the narrator.

Would you ever listen to anything by Donna Tartt again?

No.

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

When I like a book, a part of me is disappointed that it must come to an end. This book left me thankful that it was finally over.

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Stick characters and a preposterous plot.

Revisado: 07-20-14

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

I often find that the "preposterous plot/super action agent/CIA jerk director genre" works well for something that helps pass the time on the exercise machines at gym. But the only redeeming virtues of this one were: 1) It is short; and 2) [Better yet] it's essentially broken into segments that were even shorter. Translation (in the jargon of old melodramas): At least when the train is bearing down on little Nell while she is tied to the tracks, the author does make you endure 50 pages of nonsense to hear what happens next!

Has The Target turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrators did well. If anything, having an audio performance may have helped mask the that the author's non-development of characters was a disaster.

Any additional comments?

An author needs to do more than write: 1) This is a good guy. 2) This is a bad guy! 3) Bad guy fails to kill good guy!

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Maybe it got better after I gave up on it??

Revisado: 06-30-14

Any additional comments?

I suppose we all should take seriously the problem that we now live in a world where we are entirely too dependent on technology. (Most of us have now realized that all it takes is a power failure to make it almost impossible to buy gas or groceries!) But this novel did little to keep me interested in the characters or much else. After about 3 hours I decided to move on to something else.

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Well written, but depressing from start to finish.

Revisado: 06-30-14

Any additional comments?

This is an exceptionally well crafted novel, with excellent literary qualities, that I wish I hadn't rented. Spending umpteen hours listening in pain to a family emotionally unravel isn't something I choose to do again anytime soon.

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An overlong series of separate incredible episodes

Revisado: 08-01-13

Would you try another book from Bryce Courtenay and/or Humphrey Bower?

The reader was excellent. As for the book, I'm reluctant to be critical of a well-liked author who knew he dying of cancer, but I always felt that he didn't know where the story was going--so he just kept on going and going. First we have the "Jack learns to play the piano and escape blue collar Toronto story." Then we have the "Jack goes out west, becomes a poker player, and loses his virginity to a sweet hooker story before escaping from gangsters story." Then there is the "escaping from WWII by getting an early minor wound" story. Then the escaping gangsters in Las Vegas story. Then the escaping thugs in Africa story. Then the escaping his daughter's creditors in London story, which also results in saving Jack's talking parrot. One melodrama after the next. It all comes across like something written to be published in monthly installments in an old-fashioned magazine serial.

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Very good, but could have been better.

Revisado: 01-02-13

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I highly recommend the book. It is an important story that exposes a dangerously inept Securities and Exchange Commission in the context of failure to detect the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Which scene was your favorite?

The author testifying before Congress.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Bernie Madoff victims telling the stories of how they trusted Madoff and the impact on their lives that resulted.

Any additional comments?

The book would have been better if it had another editor. It tends to be repetitive. And while I understand that the failures of the SEC were also very repetitive, I think I would have gotten the point without having to hear the some complaints repeated quite so many times.

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Fun but not great

Revisado: 11-12-12

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I downloaded from Audible on the recommendation of two young teen granddaughters and the perpetual need for something to help pass the time while on exercise machines at the gym. The story is built on a very interesting premise, and certainly helped pass the time until near the end when the author decides stretch out the story (and prepare for the sequels) by padding in an extra crisis or two that were relatively boring and strained the ability to suspend disbelief.

Glad I listened to it, but I'm in no hurry to try the sequels. --Jeff

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