Tom Craven

Great book, but wow do I miss Rosamund Pike

Reviewed: 06-13-25

The two narrators are a massive step down from the incredible Rosamund Pike productions. I really hope she finishes the series, but I can’t wait so I pressed on. I found the female narrator so off-putting that I went all Kindle for a whole, but my life requires some listening and I gradually warmed up to it enough to overlook the narration.

Issues include sound quality, inconsistent pronunciation, incorrect pronunciation, and general lack of energy.

The book itself is 5 stars.

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The best audiobook performance I have ever heard

Reviewed: 06-05-25

My first experience with the Wheel of Time series was waiting endless years for new books and hoping the author could finish it. Now I am in the same place but with the narrator. Please do whatever it takes for Rosamund Pike to finish recording this series!

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More than good enough, though less than the very best memoirs

Reviewed: 05-19-25

If you like Dave Barry and miss hearing him, this is a slam dunk. He is as funny and relatable as ever, and the flexibility of a book keeps him from some of the tropes and repetition his weekly column required 20+ years ago. Some of those columns are excerpted throughout the book, though it is a standalone original work without those.

The first couple chapters, about his parents, are as good as memoir gets. He captures the Baby Boomer childhood experience as well as Bill Bryson in Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, which is the highest praise I can give in that respect. He also processes and describes his parents in moving and honest personal style. Those chapters rate 7 stars out of 5. Proustian, dare I say it.

Then he acknowledge his first two marriages but makes the decision — understandable! — not to give those parts of his life the same honest treatment. From then the book shifts into something lesser. It’s a fine, humorous review of his career. But it lacks the honesty and reflection of truly great memoir. That’s fine! But I would love if Dave gave his marriages and parenthood and siblings the same treatment he gives his parents, even if just with instructions to publish it when they’re all dead. He’s that good a writer.

Reflections on the newspaper industry as it once was, and on his experiences with TV and Hollywood, were also unexpected treats.

The narration by author is good. He chokes up a bit at the parts where you will choke up a bit too, and that honesty and openness is both effective and appreciated.

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I mean by this point you know how good these Pike narrations are

Reviewed: 05-18-25

The voices, the commitment, the SONGS. Need the rest of the series as soon as possible!

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The best narration, not just of WoT, but of anything I’ve ever heard

Reviewed: 05-06-25

They even do the songs! Rosamund Pike is a gift. And the book is good too, quite a bit better than book one. Jordan seems to have a better idea of what the series will become, while still telling a compelling book story.

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Rosamund Pike narration is outstanding

Reviewed: 04-28-25

I revisited the books, which I read when they came out, after watching the first three (excellent!) seasons of the Amazon Prime show. I had tried the old audiobooks before but found them difficult to keep track of with all the fantasy names. That was NOT an issue with this narration. I alternated Audible and Kindle, but mostly ended up Audible when I found myself reading passages and wanting to hear Pike’s reading of them. She really goes for it, and absolutely delivers.

The story itself is a classic, and the series is five stars, but the first book is a bit more uneven than I remembered. Themes that define the series in later books are not fully present, or sometimes present at all, and it suffers a bit for that. I was shocked to find myself preferring the show’s different, but more cohesive, interpretation.

I very much look forward to the other Pike narrations.

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Some real gems for any Bryson completionist

Reviewed: 02-16-25

I only wish there were more! Keep writing, Bill, please! Maybe revisit The Lost Continent and edit it into a more authentic voice?

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Gets better as it goes on

Reviewed: 12-06-24

The essays are a bit meandering, although the performance is good. The second half spoke to me more than the first. I do wish there were more Fulghum audio.

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Classic story wonderfully told

Reviewed: 08-27-24

The narrator performance was excellent. The story itself spawned genres for a reason. There is an excellent episode of the podcast The Rest is History about its significance.

5 stars across the board.

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I was inclined to dislike this…

Reviewed: 08-08-24

…but I found it so compelling. There are some swings and misses, but it is a beautiful and inspiring work. I am better for having heard it.

Narrator is superb.

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1 person found this helpful