Kari Dietrich
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Dark Star
- A Biography of Vivien Leigh
- By: Alan Strachan
- Narrated by: Alasdair Buchan
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 104
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 83
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
Vivien Leigh was perhaps the most iconic actress of the 20th century. As Scarlett O’Hara and Blanche Du Bois she took on some of the most pivotal roles in cinema history. Yet she was also a talented theatre actress with West End and Broadway plaudits to her name. In this ground-breaking new biography, Alan Strachan provides a completely new full-life portrait of Leigh, covering both her professional and personal life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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So much more to this actress and kind friend
- By Slimer on 10-19-20
- Dark Star
- A Biography of Vivien Leigh
- By: Alan Strachan
- Narrated by: Alasdair Buchan
Really good and restrained…
Reviewed: 07-04-23
What a life Vivian led! A fuller picture of her as a woman, a wife, and a mental-health survivor. This is relatively lean on basking in the glow of her legacy performances. I wouldn’t have minded a little more indulgence here, But I respect the restraint and the research. Well-written.
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Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
- How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
- By: Peter Biskind
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 23 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 781
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 591
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 588
Easy Rider, Raging Bulls follows the wild ride that was Hollywood in the 70s - an unabashed celebration of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll (both on screen and off) and a climate where innovation and experimentation reigned supreme.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Great Dish, Sketchy Analysis
- By Dubi on 12-14-13
- Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
- How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
- By: Peter Biskind
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
Good story, flawed men
Reviewed: 02-01-23
This story humanizes several men who were lucky enough to achieve success in the film industry during the 70s. For some it was fleeting, for others, enduring to this day. Valuable lessons across ego, misogyny, addiction, failure, discipline. Most of the filmmakers mentioned I now admire less after this listening. But they sure did have some fun and I can’t fault them for that. Not to mention being responsible for creating some core cultural touch points of the last century.
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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
- A Memoir
- By: Matthew Perry
- Narrated by: Matthew Perry
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31,731
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29,143
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29,086
The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence. In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Matthew Perry takes listeners onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction. Candid, self-aware, and told with his trademark humor, Perry vividly details his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Mad at myself for getting sucked in
- By betty on 11-03-22
- Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
- A Memoir
- By: Matthew Perry
- Narrated by: Matthew Perry
I was a college freshman…
Reviewed: 01-02-23
I was a college freshman when Friends premiered. All the girls on my dorm floor watched together every Thursday. I was immediately drawn to Chandler’s brand of humor. After a couple years, I’d lost interest in watching television, but continued to be a Matthew Perry fan. I remember hearing about his first stint in rehab, then not much after that. It’s startling to now listen to all of the pain, anguish, fear, denial and poor decision-making he endured. And how that all led to many broken relationships, and severe health issues, that Perry has had to contend with over the past quarter century. As I’ve not yet found true love, I relate to the ingrained insecurities and thwarted thinking that has caused a handful of potential relationship in my life to die prematurely. I appreciate his honesty, delicacy, and exploration of his spirituality. And that his is —for now — a story about redemption or self-forgiveness, even personal triumph — is very inspiring.
While I found his personal struggles moving, his writing style left something to be desired. The word choice, though well-composed, fell short of breathtaking or beautiful. He would return to concepts, situations more than once — and often use very similar descriptive language. This made the experience of learning his story less compelling as it progressed. His memoir feels more like reportage or journalistic essays.
Nevertheless, the urgency and rawness of his story wins out. It’s highly possible he rushed to get the book published. It’s not as lean or vibrant as it could be, but his absolute vulnerability in sharing his experiences works well enough.
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Forever Young
- A Memoir
- By: Hayley Mills
- Narrated by: Hayley Mills
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 607
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 544
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 539
Iconic actress Hayley Mills shares personal memories from her storied childhood, growing up in a famous acting family and becoming a Disney child star, trying to grow up in a world that wanted her to stay forever young.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Detailed Acct. of her Years to Mid-70s
- By Mary Burnight on 09-17-21
- Forever Young
- A Memoir
- By: Hayley Mills
- Narrated by: Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills’ exquisite reading of her life of distinction
Reviewed: 01-05-22
Who wouldn’t want to bathe in Hayley Mills’ calming tones and earned wisdom for 16 hours? She invites us to discover and understand lessons in becoming vulnerable, growing independent, overcoming setbacks and being human. Like most of us, her life has been a glorious journey of troubles and triumphs. She’s learned a great deal about family and romantic relationships, the acting process and her life choices that she kindly shares in context of the times in which they occurred. I was fully engaged in her story and I could relate often, because her point of view came from a place of humility. As Mills’ life expands and increases in complexity, I could be heard verbally responding with ‘Right, I see.’ ‘Oh, that’s awful.’ ‘I would, too!’ And on… Her gentle, balanced analysis is enlightening. And the memories of the many extraordinary people she worked with, the many interesting projects she contributed to are also fun to indulge in. Enjoy.
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![Pride and Prejudice [Audible Studios] Audiobook By Jane Austen cover art](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511uRjGmcjL._SL320_.jpg)
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Pride and Prejudice [Audible Studios]
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Lindsay Duncan
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,031
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,267
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3,284
Pride and Prejudice has delighted generations of readers with its unforgettable cast of characters, carefully choreographed plot, and a hugely entertaining view of the world and its absurdities. With the arrival of eligible young men in their neighbourhood, the lives of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters are turned inside out and upside down.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice
- By Dr. Roberta on 05-28-09
- Pride and Prejudice [Audible Studios]
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Lindsay Duncan
Distinctive, pleasant voice artist
Reviewed: 08-03-16
Before I purchased this version of Pride and Prejudice, I listened to the samples of the several iterations offered on Audible. I found some of the voice artists did not have a distinguished narration voice, and many emphasized their view of the sample character (Mrs. Bennet) a bit too much. Some gave Mrs. Bennet a constant high pitch squeal while others offered a jittery mother's energy. I'm not saying they were wrong to do so. However as there are many annoying characters in this story, having to listen to the most egregious interpretations was something I knew I was not going to handle well. Yet when I got to this book's sample, Lindsay Duncan's approach to narration was deep and calming and a refined--exactly what I was hoping for. In addition, the interpretation of Mrs. Bennet hinted at her challenging qualities contextually, and in a nuanced fashion, making it more likely for me to be able to stomach without losing the point. It worked. This was a fine reading and a solid interpretation. I feel the more dignified for having listened to it. Thank you.
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