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John

Raynham, MA, United States | Member Since 2007

25
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 13 reviews
  • 35 ratings
  • 0 titles in library
  • 34 purchased in 2013
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  • A Bit on the Side

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 2 mins)
    • By William Trevor
    • Narrated By Josephine Bailey, Simon Vance
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (32)
    Performance
    (12)
    Story
    (11)

    William Trevor is truly a Chekhov for our age, and a new collection of stories from him is always a cause for celebration.

    Kathleen says: "Writing of the highest order"
    "Great stories from a true master"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    If you don't know the work of William Trevor, this is a great place to start. His attention to character and detail are first rate, and his plotting is always subtle, endings that will stay with you long afterward. Meanwhile, the writing is beautiful, but at the same time economical. A veritable lesson on the craft can be found in each of these stories.

    There are many I re-listened to immediately. He's that good.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Odyssey

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By Homer (translated by Robert Fagles)
    • Narrated By Ian McKellen
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (404)
    Performance
    (254)
    Story
    (249)

    Rachel says: "Ian McKellen is incredible!"
    "A Classic, Wonderfully Rendered"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    One of the great stories in western culture, acted not read, by a true master. This is the way it was meant to be enjoyed, listened to as entertainment for several nights.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Emerson: The Mind on Fire

    • UNABRIDGED (26 hrs and 8 mins)
    • By Robert D. Richardson
    • Narrated By Michael McConnohie
    Overall
    (10)
    Performance
    (8)
    Story
    (8)

    Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the most important figures in the history of American thought, religion, and literature. The vitality of his writings and the unsettling power of his example continue to influence us more than a hundred years after his death. Now Robert D. Richardson Jr. brings to life an Emerson very different from the old stereotype of the passionless Sage of Concord.

    Susie says: "A Benchmark in American Biographies"
    "Entertaining, erudite, engaging"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Emerson was a fascinating individual, and this biography details his life and thinking in ways that are compelling. I was sorry when it was over.

    Richardson also goes into great detail about Emerson's sources, and parses his essays and books, delves into his relationships and gives us a full portrait of the man.

    A great biography. No wonder it is the standard in Emerson studies.

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany

    • UNABRIDGED (57 hrs and 13 mins)
    • By William L. Shirer
    • Narrated By Grover Gardner
    Overall
    (2358)
    Performance
    (1486)
    Story
    (1490)

    Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.

    Jonnie says: "Held my interest for 57 hours and 13 minutes"
    "Endlessly fascinating account from an eyewitness"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    For nearly sixty hours I was held in thrall by this history and the author's sources and insights.

    I highly recommend it.

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

    • UNABRIDGED (26 hrs and 33 mins)
    • By Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
    • Narrated By Scott Brick
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (802)
    Performance
    (683)
    Story
    (688)

    Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.

    Larry says: "What a great book."
    "Masterful, start to finish"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    A compelling true crime tale is nothing unless it's told with the proper organization, discriminating and orderly presentation of details and all sculpted into a story arc. "Helter Skelter" sets the bar in each of these areas.

    I read this book as a teen and it stuck with me these thirty-plus years. Seeing it on audio, I was wondering if I would be interested in giving it thirty hours of my life. Man, I'm glad I did.

    It was so intense, at times I thought I'd have to stop listening. It gets in your head a bit. By turns, this book is horrifying, fascinating, sad, edifying and, ultimately a history lesson on crime in America, the 1960s, cults and the judicial system, not to mention Manson and his Family..

    I can't recommend it highly enough. Just don't listen in the dark.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Consolations of Philosophy

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 3 mins)
    • By Alain de Botton
    • Narrated By Simon Vance
    Overall
    (159)
    Performance
    (38)
    Story
    (40)

    Alain de Botton has performed a stunning feat: He has transformed arcane philosophy into something accessible and entertaining, useful and kind. Drawing on the work of six of the world's most brilliant thinkers, de Botton has arranged a panoply of wisdom to guide us through our most common problems.

    Austin says: "Cheering, empathic, helpful"
    "Entertaining overview, good use of material"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Doesn't dig too deeply, but always entertaining in the info he presents and the way he uses it.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By Sarah Bakewell
    • Narrated By Davina Porter
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (54)
    Performance
    (43)
    Story
    (41)

    This question obsessed Renaissance writers, none more than Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, perhaps the first recognizably modern individual. A nobleman, public official, and winegrower, he wrote free-roaming explorations of his thought and experience, unlike anything written before. He called them essays, meaning “attempts” or “tries.” He put whatever was in his head into them: his tastes in wine and food, his childhood memories, the way his dog’s ears twitched when it was dreaming, as well as the religious wars....

    Darwin8u says: "Interesting and in parts Inspired."
    "Smart, entertaining..."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is a great lead-in to the "Essays" themselves. Or, perhaps, it is all you will need of Montaigne, though I doubt it. You can get the full version of the essays on audio now, too.
    Even when going into some acrane bits of French history, the author manages to tie it all back to Montaigne, and, usually, to also draw from it important historical lessons.
    The author wonderfully mingles biography, literature and history into a tale that is instructive and fun to listen to.
    Lastly, the narrator was perfect, British sounding, intellectual, but also able to toss of a little sneer when required (usually in the direction of a Montaigne detractor), or to let humor tinge her voice when refelecting on some of the wackier things our fair essayist put the pen to.
    Great stuff.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Trial

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 58 mins)
    • By Franz Kafka
    • Narrated By George Guidall
    Overall
    (133)
    Performance
    (25)
    Story
    (27)

    If Max Brod had obeyed Franz Kafka's dying request, Kafka's unpublished manuscripts would have been burned, unread. Fortunately, Brod ignored his friend's wishes and published The Trial, which became the author's most famous work. Now Kafka's enigmatic novel regains its humor and stylistic elegance in a new translation based on the restored original manuscript.

    Snorre says: "Brilliant"
    "Great extras!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    A classic. And I loved the farting noises; they made this one special. I'm sure K. himself would be proud.

    0 of 4 people found this review helpful
  • David Bowie's Low (33 1/3 Series)

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 31 mins)
    • By Hugo Wilcken
    • Narrated By Victor Bevine
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (27)
    Performance
    (9)
    Story
    (8)

    Low is a kaleidoscope in which Bowie's obsessions and traits explode into fragments and reform in a new pattern. Sonically, it is hugely adventurous: combining a driving R&B rhythm section with the experimental soundscapes of Brian Eno, it evolves a whole new musical language. Thematically, it's the sound of a man struggling to get well. Bowie has often talked about his fear of insanity.

    Jason says: "even if ur just a little curious about Bowie"
    "Great analysis, wonderful writing"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I'm not a fan of this type of music (though I am a Bowie fan), Wilcken provided wonderful background, history and insight. And he is a marvelous writer. Made me appreciate an album I've always overlooked.

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • Christine Falls: A Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 31 mins)
    • By Benjamin Black
    • Narrated By Timothy Dalton
    Overall
    (600)
    Performance
    (178)
    Story
    (176)

    It's not the dead that seem strange to Quirke. It's the living. One night, after a few drinks at an office party, Quirke shuffles down into the morgue where he works and finds his brother-in-law, Malachy, altering a file he has no business even reading. Odd enough in itself to find Malachy there, but the next morning, when the haze has lifted, it looks an awful lot like his brother-in-law, the esteemed doctor, was in fact tampering with a corpse, and concealing the cause of death.

    Vivienne says: "Engaging debut."
    "A novel by any other name...."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Black, Banville... no matter. He's a master. The man can't write an uninteresting sentence. This story sparkles as does the prose.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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