
The Giddy Death of the Gays & the Strange Demise of Straights
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Narrated by:
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Fiona Thraille
About this listen
Redfern Jon Barrett's novel is a satirical romp through the lives of 20-something queer ne'er-do-wells in Wales. Caroline and her Dom live out their normal lives among the poverty, alcoholics, and street preachers of Swansea. But when Dom and his straight roommate fall in love - a passionate, secret, nonsexual love - their lives are transformed into a queer chaos of cross-dressing, gender bending, and free love. Will Dom hold on to his relationship? Can religious fundamentalists be adopted as pets? And just what are the lesbians up to? The battle between preachers and drag queens, skinheads and sex workers, boyfriend and girlfriend, is set to change the city forever in an inventive story that embraces queer life today.
©2015 Redfern Jon Barrett (P)2015 Redfern Jon BarrettRelated to this topic
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Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
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Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
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By: Fredrik Backman, and others
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Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
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- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
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- By: Kurt Vonnegut
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By: Kurt Vonnegut
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- By: Chris Bruno, David Howard Lee, Shukri R. Abdi
- Narrated by: Taraji P. Henson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Blake Griffin, and others
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Get ready to Laugh
- By Lasheree McFarlane on 11-08-24
By: Chris Bruno, and others
-
Mel & Sue: Should Know By Now
- By: Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins
- Narrated by: Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
We all have things in our life that we should know by now, but don’t. Absences in our knowledge and skillset that are frankly shameful in an adult. Things that would be too embarrassing to ask anyone to explain – except our very best friend. Listen in as Mel and Sue tackle their ignorance head on, asking each other to explain something that they still don’t know - but absolutely, as adults, should - from how to parallel park to fully understanding bread (why has it got all those holes in it? What, honestly, is yeast?).
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By: Mel Giedroyc, and others
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American Psycho
- By: Bret Easton Ellis
- Narrated by: Pablo Schreiber
- Length: 16 hrs and 29 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Patrick Bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s Manhattan. Young, handsome, and well educated, Bateman earns his fortune on Wall Street by day while spending his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Expressing his true self through torture and murder, Bateman prefigures an apocalyptic horror that no society could bear to confront.
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Fanntastic book but maybe not for everyone....
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What listeners say about The Giddy Death of the Gays & the Strange Demise of Straights
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Jeanne
- 09-18-17
Perpetually In Search of a Book This Wonderful
I loved this book inimitably. Sweet and funny, complicated but clear, and narrated by one of my favorites.
If I had to describe this story in one word I think it would be "unafraid". Unafraid to delve into the the spectrum of inner experiences and interactions of the characters, getting deep into the heart of sexuality, polyamory, identity and expression, while never losing sight of the inextricable ways the characters were affected by cultural pressures as current events shaped the world around them.
At the same time it filled me with joy and connection, heartbreak and hope.
It was a wonderful.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
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- Jillian Moran
- 06-19-15
Looking for love in unexpected places
What did you love best about The Giddy Death of the Gays & the Strange Demise of Straights?
It's very well written, of course. It's a great look into the changing faces of love and sexuality and how one doesn't always correlate with the other. They also give a wonderful look into the edges at least of polyamoury and how it affects not only the lives of the people involved in the relationship, but the relationships around them.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Giddy Death of the Gays & the Strange Demise of Straights?
While the actual "linear" story is quite good, there are several flash forwards as well which, while they may spoil a bit of the story, they're very effective and brought me to tears.
What about Fiona Thraille’s performance did you like?
Excellent job! Her accent put you right in the midst of Swansea, and definitely makes you feel like you're there. She also never leaves any doubt about who is speaking, differentiating the characters effortlessly.
Any additional comments?
Phenomenal account of the changing face of relationships in the 21st century. Brought me to tears several times (which isn't good when you're listening while driving!). If you're not used to gender-neutral pronouns, it can be a bit distracting at first while you try to parse them, but trust me, they're there for a very good reason. Well done!
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anna
- 08-07-18
Almost great
I really enjoyed the parts of this book set in current time. The characters were likable and the self-exploration and identification each experienced was wonderfully written. I especially enjoyed the romance between Richard and Dom. HOWEVER, I hated the interjecting chapters regarding the future twenty some or thirty something years out. These included spoilers about the main story line and didn't really contribute anything in my opinion. They were distracting at best. I would have given this book five stars if those chapters had been removed and if Rutti's story would have had a bit more of an ending. Rutti's story seemed to stop nearly mid-thought.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jacob Miner
- 02-14-19
just aiiiight
It's alright. you'll like it well enough, but it's not amazing in any way. Total fine.
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