Carol
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- 8
- helpful votes
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The Valley of Amazement
- By: Amy Tan
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Joyce Bean, Amy Tan
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,974
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,550
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Story4 out of 5 stars 3,572
Shanghai, 1912. Violet Minturn is the privileged daughter of the American madam of the city's most exclusive courtesan house. But when the Ching dynasty is overturned, Violet is separated from her mother in a cruel act of chicanery and forced to become a "virgin courtesan." Half-Chinese and half-American, Violet grapples with her place in the worlds of East and West - until she is able to merge her two halves, empowering her to become a shrewd courtesan who excels in the business of seduction and illusion, though she still struggles to understand who she is.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Just could NOT get past the ugliness
- By Pamela J on 11-25-13
- The Valley of Amazement
- By: Amy Tan
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Joyce Bean, Amy Tan
Great story but a bit long...
Reviewed: 04-06-19
I always love Amy Tan and enjoy the insights into her world's but I found this difficult to get through in that there was so much detail. The detail was interesting and provided great background to her characters and story but I kept thinking that there was enough detail for two or three books. So much happened to her characters and I loved how she brought it all back together but I got tired of reading it. Sorry Amy, I'm hoping I will love your next book!
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The Venetian Bargain
- By: Marina Fiorato
- Narrated by: Pamela Garelick
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 824
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 738
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 734
Venice, 1576. Five years after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto, a ship steals unnoticed into Venice bearing a deadly cargo. A man, more dead than alive, disembarks and staggers into Piazza San Marco. He brings a gift to Venice from Constantinople. Within days the city is infected with bubonic plague - and the Turkish sultan has his revenge. But the ship also holds a secret stowaway - Feyra, a young and beautiful harem doctor fleeing a future as the sultan's concubine.
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5 out of 5 stars
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For fans of Ariana Franklin, do not miss!
- By Pam on 03-06-15
- The Venetian Bargain
- By: Marina Fiorato
- Narrated by: Pamela Garelick
Unmask the Past
Reviewed: 05-17-18
Marina Fiorato takes us into Venice's dark past during the times of the Venice's decline and plague in such a rich and beautiful way you hardly notice you are witnessing the slow death of a great empire. I was mesmerized by the luxurious details of Constantinople's court and what I learned about the culture, medicine and art of that time. I appreciated the rich tapestry she wove going back and forth between the two powerful cultures of the time. The story was captivating and drew me in from the start! I highly recommend this book whether you are reading simply for the enjoyment or like me getting into the mood for a trip to Venice. I will be looking at Santa Maria della Salute and many of the other buildings in Venice through new eyes. Thank you!
Again I have to make one small complaint, PLEASE, is it so hard to consult an Italian speaker for the pronunciation of some of the Italian words? A quick read through would so help the Italian speakers from the shudders induced by the pronunciation of the Italian.
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6 people found this helpful
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The Glassblower of Murano
- By: Marina Fiorato
- Narrated by: Cristian Solimeno, Kate Magowan
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 201
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 163
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Story4 out of 5 stars 163
The keys to the future lie in the past - a compelling story of love and intrigue spanning three centuries, three countries - and one miraculous talent....Nora Manin decides to leave her fractured life in London to start again in Venice, and there begins to unravel the story of her ancestor, Corradino Manin, the greatest artist of glass that the island of Murano ever produced.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This is why we love historical fiction...
- By S on 03-15-10
- The Glassblower of Murano
- By: Marina Fiorato
- Narrated by: Cristian Solimeno, Kate Magowan
Immerse yourself in Venice
Reviewed: 05-06-18
A great book to get you in the mood to travel to Venice. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the campos, the approaches to Venice, the historical aspects of Venice and glassblowing, and the way she set the mood of mystery that you feel when you walk the calles at night. The historical part of the novel was my favorite but I found that the modern part of the plot could have used a bit more development.
Audible, please, when you choose narrators, please give them a primer in pronunciation of the foreign language...so many errors but just know that Trattoria does not rhyme with Pretoria!
I highly recommend this book to anyone planning to go to Venice....where you will learn to properly pronounce the Italian words!
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1 person found this helpful
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Nobody's Fool
- By: Richard Russo
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty
- Length: 24 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,059
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,557
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,551
Divorced from his own wife and carrying on halfheartedly with another man's, saddled with a bum knee and friends who make enemies redundant, Sully now has one new problem to cope with: a long-estranged son who is in imminent danger of following in his father's footsteps. With its uproarious humor and a heart that embraces humanity's follies as well as its triumphs, Nobody's Fool, from Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Richard Russo, is storytelling at its most generous. Nobody’s Fool was made into a movie starring Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Jessica Tandy, and Melody Griffith.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful Book Fabulous Narrator
- By Marsha on 04-27-05
- Nobody's Fool
- By: Richard Russo
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty
Loved the characters
Reviewed: 08-24-16
Makes me nostalgic for the characters with whom you have a love/hate relationship when you are forced to be with people whether in a small town or at work. So much happens electronically these days is nice to be reminded that time spent with others isn't always fun but it is oh so rich.
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The Girl on the Train
- A Novel
- By: Paula Hawkins
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 140,783
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 124,012
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 123,889
The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives. Every day the same. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
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1 out of 5 stars
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The Girl on The Train
- By BookReader on 12-30-15
- The Girl on the Train
- A Novel
- By: Paula Hawkins
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher
Could not stop listening!
Reviewed: 08-23-16
Loved the insight into the characters and the way the author had me leaning back and forth teeing to figure out not only "who dunnit" but what drove the characters.
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