Diane

Margaret Atwood’s genius and humor

Reviewed: 07-21-24

This is a fine collection, although I wished sometimes for a nature voice more like hers in intonation.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Not her best.

Reviewed: 07-11-24

. Too much local color in relation to story line. Tension developed late in the story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Generally accurate and clear

Reviewed: 01-30-24

Mispronounced foreign names. No excuse for this in the age of online sources. It’s especially fallout that narrator does this with Zhoukoudian, the often cited find place of Peking Man!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A mixed bag, indded

Reviewed: 04-27-22

As anthropological archaeologist with anarchist leanings, I was both inclined to listen very critically to the examples given and conclusions drawn, and to be ready for a real deconstruction of narratives about state formation and the emergence of permanent forms of class-based inequality. I was not disappointed in having my thinking challenged, and I definitely would assign parts of this long, long book to advanced classes, were I still teaching. There were some cases in which I profoundly disagreed with their interpretation of ethnographic cases. However, I was not so troubled by these that I gave up on the book.
What made me nearly give up on the book was the NARRATOR'S irresponsible approach to all foreign languages except French. His mispronunciation of Spanish was criminal, especially since quite a few of the words and names can be heard by going online and pushing a button! Likewise, with Nahuatl words written in Spanish orthography, one can say them right by bothering know what an accent mark means in Spanish. Finally, Çatalhöyük, like many Turkish words, is written in Latin script and with European accents to help foreigners pronounce the language, so why the site becomes Çatalhooook is beyond me. Nnice that he can prounced French so well, but irrespnsible of the PRODUCER and the narrator not to do what would amount to less than an hour of background research on place names,and words.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

One if the best performances

Reviewed: 05-16-21

Neal Gaiman’s books always have many characters and spirited dialogue. Lenny Henry does an amazing job of performing these parts. His acting made the story come alive.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Romance masquerading as mystery

Reviewed: 07-19-19

Seems a cross stuck between two genres. I stuck through whole book because I tend to like South Asian writers. Some of the impression may come from the narrator’s very American accent and highly emotive style. Her dialogue in various English and Indian accents were quite accurate, but when she went back to the third person, the lack of clear articulation was intrusive and distracting. I gritted my teeth with every “Nineteen twenny one.” Given that there was not one American character in the book, it would have been better narrated in a South Asian or British accent. Story okay but only marginally a mystery.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Brilliant, life-changing

Reviewed: 06-01-18

I seldom write reviews, and I very rarely give Five Stars, much less three of them. For me, a book has to be brilliantly written and address real issues of human life amidst the changes of world or planetary history. This has those traits. The last book I rated this highly was "The Book Thief," several years back. This book has me seeing trees differently, seeing our present dilemmas differently, and wondering on about the richly drawn characters Powers offers us. Suzanne Toren delivers a performance of a lifetime as the many individuals who make up this story, voicing them with a sympathy and knowledge of the character's traits that I doubt could be equalled. Bravo! and Brava! to author and narrator.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

88 people found this helpful

Older story but worth it

Reviewed: 01-02-18

Although some anachronisms exist - the most glaring being the lack of cell phones in a Sci-fi tale set in 2054 and the major role of phones in the story line - this is still well worth reading. The depiction of medieval life and the plague's effects are excellent. The narrator alone is worth it!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A genre I don't much care for

Reviewed: 07-22-16

Some of the best mystery writers are women, and they develop make and female characters well, without overly sentimental or 'chick-lit' devices. For my taste, this is not in that class at all. I hasten to add that I'm a woman and averse to the opposite shoot'em up's as well. I chose this because of narrator Jenny Sterlin, who was magnificent in the Mary Russell series. Even she could not animate this slow moving, interior-decorated, tea-break laden tale. Oh well. If you like Inspector Gamache, you may like these.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Might have been better if acted, not read.

Reviewed: 03-04-16

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Seemed tacked on after endless narration, which might have been animated more (see below).

What didn’t you like about Graeme Malcolm’s performance?

The reader did not animate the characters to any great extent. Since I have heard some truly exceptional readers in other audiobooks, this was a disappointment.

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

A sustained lack of ability to "buy into" that the main story line as credible. Combined with the reader's lack of affect, it was overall boring.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!