Suze

Unfortunate narration

Reviewed: 12-21-23

This is my first book by Joanne Fluke. I feel like the book was negatively affected by the narration. I will give this author another try but will read it instead of listen. If a narrator is going to “act” the parts of the dialogue, it should sound like people actually talk and not an affected, caricature-like portrayal. Every time Dorothy spoke, I cringed. Tough getting through it.

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Read, don’t listen

Reviewed: 06-04-23

I’m sorry I listened to this book as opposed to reading it. Mispronunciations and caricatured presentation of certain characters really detracted from the book. Enjoyed the story very much.

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Laborious and frustrating

Reviewed: 05-07-22

I found it very difficult to get through this book. Complicated and contrived to a ridiculous degree. Not entertaining, sophomoric writing.

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1 person found this helpful

Not your typical Christmas fluff

Reviewed: 02-12-18

I was surprised by the serious plot of this "Christmas" book. While a couple of the characters are stereotypical, the story was completely original and unexpected. There were 2 main storylines but neither detracted from the other. Some plot points didn't work for me and the book wrapped up quickly after the climax which was disappointing. Overall would recommend.

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Inspired me to meditate

Reviewed: 02-12-18

This is not a typical self-help book, which was a relief. Yes, there is encouragement and some direction regarding meditation, but the majority of the book is about Dan Harris's journey to a less uptight life. And, that's what I was looking for. In his journey, you will hear some interesting anecdotes and Dan's self-deprecating humor. I found it to be a wonderful "review" as to what's out there in this particular field-he really sorts it out to a manageable direction.
Dan's narration is perfect.

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Better than expected historical fiction

Reviewed: 02-12-18

I enjoyed The Siege Winter. I purchased it as a sale item and was pleasantly surprised. If you are interested in historical fiction (especially British history), I'd recommend this. This is not a mystery, but a slice of time in the lives of two women and their struggles. I think it is a realistic portrayal of a time in which women faced brutality when unprotected and had little control of their futures. Liked the structure of the book-the main story of the book being told by a dying monk.
Narration was good overall-found the tone of narrator's voice grating at times.

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Engaging characters elevate the story

Reviewed: 02-12-18

I very much enjoyed this book and have already purchased book 2 in the series. Not a light-hearted story, but quick-paced with engaging characters and dialogue. The characters are what elevated the story for me. As with some books, a story can be the background, while the characters and their relationship are he main interest, which was the case with Some Danger Involved.
Antony Ferguson"s narration was superb.

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Intense focus on trauma and friendship

Reviewed: 07-02-17

It took a couple of hours to get into this book, the early chapters being quite tedious. But, I'm glad I stuck with it as I became hooked into the unfolding story of a young man's life and friendships. This is not a favorite genre but I felt like something different. It was definitely that. The prose is beautiful and heart-breaking at times. So many themes of the human condition were interwoven into the story focused on a character I came to love-Jude. This is a long novel, sometimes inconsistent in focus and pacing, but impressive despite this. It's such a rare thing, but I had emotional reactions to this book-visceral disgust, sadness or poignancy that brought tears. The author shows us the ugliest, the most beautiful, and the most mundane. It's not for everyone and it's a long commitment. I would not recommend this book if you are sensitive to violence or abuse because the author does not filter or edit out brutality.
The narration was perfection.

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Would make a good movie

Reviewed: 05-30-17

I'm a big fan of this series. I don't always love every plot but always find the characters and dialogue interesting and entertaining. This was a particularly good storyline. It was time for Lucas to venture out and he did with excellent results.
Richard Ferrone, as always, did an excellent narration.

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Story improved, narration didn't

Reviewed: 05-19-17

The story began as an adolescent fantasy made almost unbearable by the narration. I felt the plot improved, though, and I'm glad I stuck with it.
The narrator sounded like an adolescent girl reading from a diary-overly animated and cheerful. It made me wonder if anyone actually directs or engineers the recording because the narration was too fast paced. The performance negatively impacted my listening experience. If I were the author, I'd want a different narrator.

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1 person found this helpful