Spike the Untangler

A British view of Japan

Reviewed: 12-14-15

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not particularly. In all of the reviews I read I was surprised that no one commented on the fact that the narrators spoke with a British accent.

Would you be willing to try another book from Haruki Murakami? Why or why not?

My wife is cuurently reading "Norwegian Wood" and I plan to get the Audible version.

What didn’t you like about Sean Barrett and Oliver Le Sueur ’s performance?

Narrating a Japanese book with a British accent was extremely off-putting, especially the beginning. The philosophy may be universal but the setting and the era are definitely Japanese. It's obviously a translation from Japanese into English, but moving the setting to England is too great a stretch. Like eating sushi with ketchup.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Definitely not! Murakami paints fascinating images that would be deflated by trying to depict them graphically.

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Fascinating

Reviewed: 03-30-15

Where does Frank rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near or at the very top!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Frank?

I gained an appreciation for the man's talents as he rose in the House over a 40 year period of adversity and success through hard work and honesty to himself and his beliefs.

What does Barney Frank bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Barney is a tough slog but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I am so glad he read it himself. People reading the book in print are missing out terribly.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not a reasonable consideration. Although it might be a the kind of challenge comparable to reading Moby Dick once yearly in New Bedford.

Any additional comments?

I have always admired Barney Frank. I like him more than ever.

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Typical Oliver Sacks

Reviewed: 02-07-15

Would you consider the audio edition of An Anthropologist on Mars to be better than the print version?

I loved Oliver Sacks' narration. It adds immeasurably to the pleasure and the clarity. Mr. Davis' narration was very disappointing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of An Anthropologist on Mars?

The fact that the restoration of sight was such a disappointment was so shocking and sad.

Did Jonathan Davis and Oliver Sacks do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Despite the brevity of their description, Oliver Sacks was able to carve a three dimensional view of his sympathetic characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not quite sad enough to make me cry.

Any additional comments?

I have read almost everything that Mr. Sacks has ever written. I always find his work strange, enlightening and memorable.

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Strange and enigmatic

Reviewed: 02-07-15

Would you listen to Love in the Time of Cholera again? Why?

No. Once is enough and sufficient.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Aliza is the main character. No one else is developed sufficiently. I could never get into Feremina's head. Perhaps it is because she is a woman.

Which scene was your favorite?

The bedroom scene when the house was robbed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not possible!

Any additional comments?

I loved the narration. It was the best part of the tale.

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Superb

Reviewed: 02-08-14

Would you consider the audio edition of Magnificent Delusions to be better than the print version?

The audio was very well done. Vision problems have made the comparison a moot point.

What did you like best about this story?

It was comprehensive and unbelievably even-handed on an explosively sensitive subject.

Which character – as performed by Ralph Lister – was your favorite?

N.A. It was a first person account by the author.

If you could give Magnificent Delusions a new subtitle, what would it be?

I think the subtitle was quite apt.

Any additional comments?

The book was up to date, absorbing and surprisingly hopeful. Many years ago, I spent two years living in Pakistan as part of a medical research team. I have followed events very closely ever since then with a very skeptical eye. I always worried that the country might implode and drag the neighborhood and possibly the whole world down with it. Of course, Pakistan is not the only flash point; it's just one of the ones I am most familiar with. Additionally, I might add that the United States' involvement in that area of the world has been far from reassuring. The author's allusion to our mutual delusions is very well taken and very courageous.

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Regrets revisited.

Reviewed: 12-30-11

What would have made Modern Times better?

I really cannot think of a way that this book could ever be made palatable. I picked it accidentally and noticed my mistake after the first few pages.

Would you ever listen to anything by Paul Johnson again?

This is the second book I have downloaded by this same author. The first one was

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The book was so obnoxious that it would have been hard to do but she succeeded somehow.

What character would you cut from Modern Times?

The author.

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A Teabagger's history of the US

Reviewed: 09-19-10

This is a book of the supposed history of the United States as seen and reinterpreted by the Teabagger wing of the Republican party. It goes so far as to portray President Nixon as an upstanding American hounded out of office by the one-sided liberal media press. The book ends in about 1996. I can't wait for it's portrayal of the GWB presidency.

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3 people found this helpful