AbbieJean

He keeps me guessing

Reviewed: 10-09-24

I've been listening to MC for years, slowly making my way through his catalogue. If you can get past the misogynistic writing style, his plot lines are really good, and this one was neat because it kept me guessing. Sometimes I feel like I have the story figured out from the beginning, and I thought I did with this one too, but he kept me on my toes, and I was pleasantly surprised. The reader was great too, very nice tone and cadence. Overall pretty satisfied.

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Truly a gem

Reviewed: 07-01-24

Oh, every book I read of hers is one of the best books I've ever read. She creates such a depth of image in your mind, using concise descriptions that are always impeccably nuanced. She has the ability to evoke emotions about people in our minds whom we've never met, but care about like friends. She illustrates the pain of sorrow and the delight of joy; of the ordinary moments, and the life-defining ones. She paints a picture of the lives of these characters and you care about tm as much as she does.

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Honestly, pleased

Reviewed: 06-14-24

In a World where our media markets are so oversaturated with vampire content, this is a new spin which is engaging, unique, and good storytelling.

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1 person found this helpful

It was probably good overall,but I won't find out

Reviewed: 06-08-24

The writing is very dense, and I understand that a lot of the story is told from the perspective of a professor who loves details, but I feel like "can't see the forest for the trees"-- forsake the story for the details. Honestly, I got bored. Surely it's a classic for a reason, but I'm not going to wait around for it.

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One of the best books of the decade

Reviewed: 05-27-24

Honestly, at my age, I have heard the HPs, TLOTRs, the sci-fi and magic stories, the hauntings and conspiracies, all the vampire and witch stories, and all the dirty novels.
This is none of those.
Madeline Miller has created a genre that takes the charm of ancient stories of gods and makes them about people, which is a beautiful thing. Her tone and gravitas when handling some of the oldest stories of our culture, while being playful and adding new life, is a balance I wish more authors kept. MM has made The Gods relatable. I have heard "Achilles" also, and loved it, but I think I like "Circe" even more- a story of a woman, told by a woman. Circe is complicated and beautiful, heartbreaking but with the satisfaction of justice, and a story all its own that will last millennia.

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Is it weird that, at the age of 30, I have found my own wrestling hero? Like, "I want to be like Becky when I grow up!"

Reviewed: 04-20-24

I have loved Becky Lynch for years. I came into being a fan of wrestling as an adult because of relationships I have been in. Immediately, I identified Becky Lynch as "my" hero, the one I had chosen to root for, and maybe even aspire to be like. I liked her style, her vibe, her tenacity, her humor. That was all before I heard this book. Well, now that I have heard this book, I love her even more. There were several statements she made that I was able to finish her sentence as I listened because I saw myself in her. It feels like she sees the World the same way I do, and that's what makes a good "hero"-- someone other people see themselves in, and gives them something to reach for. Her sense of humor in her writing really is what makes this memoir better than Just Another Book. I'm always skeptical of memoirs because they are, literally, just a book of people's life stories, and some people are not good storytellers. But this was a good one, and the fact that she read it helped reflect that humor the way it was meant to be heard. I would gladly listen to more of her writing.

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Rich White Man Story

Reviewed: 03-17-24

I mean, as a memoir, it's fine. It's written with a slightly elementary tone, but it's accessible and palatable. But it truly is just an 8h book of a rich white man stroking his own, about how great his life has been. A lot of his tone and his stories are incredibly privileged (talking about how his wife was ok doing 90% but not doing 99%, can you believe that? or how going to space was like spending the night on a sailboat? most of us don't know what that's like) so it was slightly off-putting to hear stories about a man struggling through things most of us can only dream of. He believes he is the hardest working, most intelligent, most talented, and most humble. But I'm glad he has a life he can be proud of.

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It drags

Reviewed: 03-10-24

I got about 1/3 into my 50h book, and man, I gotta say, not my favorite. The story concept was a solid idea, but the story content and the writing style are just... rough. It's dense, and it's erotica for people who enjoy spooky culture, disguised as a pop-culture epic novel. And the reader doing the accents were... bad. I'm sorry dude, they were bad.
I have a rule about trying to finish books even if I don't like them, but this book is too long to waste my time if I'm not enjoying it. Not worth it.

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Phenomenal: a classic for a classic

Reviewed: 02-22-24

Honestly, so much as I have ever known about Victorian literature is the understanding that it is claggy and dull. What an unfair and inaccurate description of this epic saga, written with such a voice that is all things intimate, facetious, genuine, and clever. Truly, I can't imagine another story from this time period which I have enjoyed so much before; there is a reason this is his opus.
As for the performance, this man works hard for good work. Honestly impressed. The voice actor who read the book read at a perfect pace, with excellent inflection, and did all the voices in a 37-hour book. I hope he wins an award for this. Good God.

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American Epic

Reviewed: 12-06-23

The imagination of Neil Gaiman never ceases to amaze me. Another wonderful epic tale and hero's journey. Outstanding.

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