Daniel Diffin

Living History

Reviewed: 09-11-24

I bought this title because it was listed at #2 in the NYT Book Reviews’ survey of the best books of the 21st century. With that kind of reputation, I had to see what all the fuss was about, and the audiobook did not disappoint. The research is impressive and the writing is beautiful. Recounting the stories of three individuals involved in the great African-American migration from south to north in the 20th century, the long arc of black history in America is addressed with frankness and humor. Highly recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

Ghost stories for the literate

Reviewed: 08-25-24

A very unusual “novel”, more a series of stories told with humor, sensibility, and a minimum of gore, though there are more than a few murders and plenty of supernatural elements. Beautifully narrated and directed. Excellent writing.

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Better late than never

Reviewed: 08-06-24

This book came out in the 90s, almost 30 years ago, but somehow I never got around to reading it. I’m glad that I finally did—it was excellent on every level. A murder mystery with both heart and smarts. A contemplation of war, prejudice, morality and mortality that is filled with vivid characters and fine writing. George Guidall does his usual excellent narration—although I found it more engaging when I increased the speed to 1.1. Highly recommended.

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Brilliant novel

Reviewed: 06-24-24

I’ve read a lot of WWII history, but somehow never read much WWII fiction. This was Mailer’s first novel, and it’s hard to believe how polished it is, and how penetrating. It’s a hard look at war and the men who fight. No one comes out looking particularly good, though some characters are more sympathetic than others. There are vain, petty officers, and psychotic noncoms. There are more than a few war crimes. There’s a lot of compassion for the suffering of the soldiers.

The narrator is adequate, but not great. The writing is superb.

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Good story, great narration

Reviewed: 06-11-24

Winslow & Harris. It doesn’t get much better than that. And for free? Perfect. There’s not much mystery here, but it’s a fine character study, told by a master.

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Very good story, very weak ending

Reviewed: 05-03-24

Robert Harris always knows how to tell a gripping story. The characters are good. The situations are interesting and the story is thought-provoking. However, the ending of this particular novel is not quite up to his standards. It feels unresolved. Otherwise, I enjoyed the novel very much, the narrator is very good and it really held my interest. A shame about the ending.

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My favorite bedtime story

Reviewed: 04-18-24

Thank you, Tony Shaloub, for a wonderful slide into sleep. And thank you to Audible for making this content available for free.

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Classic Tremblay

Reviewed: 04-13-24

This may be premature, because I’m only halfway through, but so far the collection is everything I’ve come to expect from Paul Tremblay. Complex stories, believable characters, unexpected twists, and maximum tension with minimal gore. The title story will stay with me for a long time, long time. The intersection of madness and innocence and family dynamics is fertile ground for horror, and Tremblay tills that ground for all it’s worth.

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Brilliant novel with flawless narration

Reviewed: 03-09-24

Never having seen the BBC series, and having read very little Waugh, I come to Brideshead Revisited with an open mind and no expectations.

I was surprised by the beauty and power of the prose, the complexity of the characters, and skillful balancing act between deadly seriousness and laugh out loud humor (and I almost never lol from fiction). Amazing writing.

Jeremy Irons is an actor I’ve always admired, though I’ve rarely seen him play a sympathetic character. His voice alone is worth the price of the audiobook, but he brings so much more than just a great voice. He inhabits not just the main character (whose voice narrates the entire novel), but all of the characters.

Five stars hardly does justice to this wonderful audiobook.

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Superbly Written

Reviewed: 12-30-23

Robert Caro specializes in writing the history of an entire era through the lens of a single man’s life. In Lyndon Johnson, as in Robert Moses, the man is a genius at moving the levers of power. Not a particularly likable man, Johnson is nevertheless portrayed in full—the good and the bad—and the reader’s attention is never less than riveted by Caro’s rich narrative skills.

The narrator is excellent. I listened at 1.1x speed, which suits my needs, but you may enjoy a more leisurely pace.

Looking forward to listening to the next book in the series.

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