"Thousands of years to digest in 8 hours"
An awful lot of research went in to the writing of this book and equally the amount of focus to narrate. I don't think the audible version is the best for me. I've been comparing notes w/my husband who is away in Central America currently. I'm joining him in a couple weeks. He has both the hard copy & Kindle version. I'm looking forward to reviewing both to have a better grasp on the story,
I feel unqualified to answer this question. I've stepped outside my comfort zone w/this book. I'm very attracted to Historical Fictions that bring history alive & put flesh, blood & emotions to characters instead of stating & correlating facts.
I'm a newbie to Audible. I currently live on a small Caribbean island w/few resources. This is a wonderful tool for research & reading entertainment for me. Formerly, when I lived & worked in the US, I was highly addicted to audio tapes. My stepchildren in England are continuing that lifestyle, listening at home, work, driving. I feel Mr. Ordunio's performance was admirable for the continued drive & focus it must have taken to produce this narration, however, this could probably be due to the fact he enjoys relaying such books to his audience. We all strive to excel at something. I would have been miserable to ever undertake such a task, so hats off to Mr. Ordunio's talent!
It's hard to imagine anything was left out, but considering 1,000s of yrs, yes there could be a follow up. If so, I'd break the different aspects into smaller versions..
Considering the massive amount of research compiled to write this book, it was extremely well outlined.
"Welcome to the world of Scarlet Feather"
I've not read the hard copy of Scarlet Feather, however, I've listened to enough audio books and read enough hard copies to know sometimes you need to do both. I don't feel compelled to buy the book in this case. Kate Binchy does an exquisite job changing voices and scenes as if it were coming to life before your eyes. Maeve Binchy's smooth style of transition into the next scene makes you feel as though you were teleported from home to home & scene to scene. The emotions she evokes-fear, anger, joy, etc, makes you feel as if you are in each character's skin.
Tara Road is the only other book of her's that I've read. I'm on to Quentin's next.
No.
Absolutely!
The world's that Maeve Binchy creates aren't perfect worlds, but they're worlds in which you want to escape. They offer you alternatives to situations within your own life.
"My Hero's Wisdom"
Life-Altering, Enlightening, Wisdom
Joseph Campbell. Since I 1st was introduced by his series on Art & Myth on PBS in the 1980s, I knew there was a man who could touch my soul & he led me in paths I'd never been before. My vision of the world through his words had a new depth & my horizons were broadened. I could sit on a hillside or curl up by a fireplace & listen to his stories & wisdom for hours. His books prove hard to read, however this is 1 case that I feel an audio form is superior matrix for his tales. His own voice dictates the knowledge he imparts. It was comforting to hear his philosophies and vision of life again.
The story he told about the evolution of religion through the persecution of the Plain's Indians from Buffalo worship to Peyote.
Absolutely!
I wish there were more of his books available in audio form. This was the only 1 available.
"Survival of the fittest!"
Absolutely! Read the book 1st by hand then audible. I highly recommend both. Brilliantly performed & pray the movie does it justice. What a marvelous spin of a life well lived. The dominance of spirit seeking a higher meaning using every resource and gift available. The interaction of other life forces, good, bad & indifferent. I just couldn't get enough of this book & the story it told. This was a refreshing & unique perspective of life on the edge.
The broad spectrum of characters & how they so delicately wove together. You were never sure of where the story would lead & at the end not so sure it was really actuality. The depth of how far a human can suffer in life still holding on to hope boggles the imagination.
I have not listened to other performances, but he did an excellent job.
Richard Parker would be a most interesting dinner guest. I would dearly enjoy probing his mind to hear the tale from his perspective.
Pi's indelible spirit & mind is a tribute to the driving force within us all. We are given all the resources in this life to survive & thrive. His youth, family upbringing, education & spirituality were the greatest survival pack of all. One must wonder if the rest of his life could ever measure up to his time on the ocean or how it impacted the any other catastrophes he faced in his life. It certainly sounds like he may have become a hoarder. Was he able to marry & share life as he did with Richard Parker or did it drive him to a reclusive existence. I would like to think he grew to be a sage. His life's lessons certainly impacted my view of the world.
"Master Designer of Worlds"
Mind-bending, Enlightening, Soul-Searching
The Bible. I believe Tolkien designed the book to mimic the Bible since he was setting up the stage of another possible realm from which we could see ourselves w/o the constraints & prejudices of orthodox religions of this world.
Simply to be able to properly pronounce names & breathe breath into the characters w/o being bogged down by having to take each name by syllable. He frees the listener from the technicalities of pronunciation.
The book drew me into another world & held me captive. My emotions followed me through every peril the characters experienced.
"Visiting a life unknown"
Absolutely, I would highly recommend the book/audio or hard copy (I had both) to anyone. It took me back to the time in my life when where an entire array of paths are set before me & I wonder 'where would I be now if I'd taken another road?' I'm so glad I read it b/f watching the movie. The editing of the movie left the 'salt & spices' out of the recipe.
Jacob of course, but Rosie took a close 2nd. How wonderful to be able to runaway to join the circus in your old age, especially for the 2nd time. Rosie's colourful & dark past reminded me of the tapestry of life; the dark threads are as needful in the weaver's skillful hands as the threads of gold & silver . . . I was so grateful to have the story fulfill her entire life & to know she was loved & cared for to the end of it.
Marvelous narrators! I never wondered who I was listening to.
So many to chose from, but mostly the stampede which is the highlight of the story. The misery of the humans & animals were so delicately interwoven & beautifully balanced.
I've always hated circuses w/ their exploitation of human & animal exotics. I honestly didn't think I could even like the story, but I ended up loving it. It's format followed the same pattern as 1 of my other favourite tales, The Notebook.
"Animals say it so much better"
I put them at equal value. What lacked from the hard copy to go back & forth for things I'd forgotten or didn't understand, I could go online & ask the question. For instance the language; I could reference on the internet a word I couldn't remember or didn't know the meaning of.
I have written my own book Quest on the Marl Road in which I'd used the indigenous animals to plead for a human conscious in their development of our island home we share. I also liken it to Animal Farm which is another well written anthropomorphic fantasy that tells a true tale that needs to be heard. Sometimes it just takes hearing the story from a different perspective to understand the gravity of the book's cause.
Possibly emotions I wouldn't have picked up on in the story the 1st read.
I have a hard time picking out or reading greeting cards, so yes, I did cry & got physically fearful throughout the book.
I remembered reading the book when it 1st came out & my children watching the animated show. This was a very good medium to bring back the memory of the tale in my life. In fact I spoke to my 33 yr old daughter when I was through listening. She reminded me that her & her brother watched it so many times they would recite the script as they watched the movie. I remembered that as well & we had a really good laugh together.
"An option for forgiveness"
This is a wonderful alternative view of death/life. So many people are hung up on the ultimate end of this current existence, however, the views of this book offer destinies unfulfilled can be manifested in a different way as a different soul. Those who were barbarous individuals will most certainly find their course will take them to the route of victim to feel the thrust of their own hatred heaped upon them.
I enjoyed the individuality of them all.
This story shows us not to get hung up on goals that would cause us to loose sight of our destiny. I'm a firm believer that people come into our lives for reasons and seasons and that when a door closes, windows of opportunities start to open.