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Robert

ratings

101

REVIEWS

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HELPFUL VOTES

Embassytown

UNABRIDGED
- by China Mieville
- Narrated by Susan Duerden
Embassytown

UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 22 mins)

By China Mieville

Narrated By Susan Duerden

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(346)
Performance
(232)
Story
(235)

China Miéville doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Relentlessly pushing his own boundaries as a writer—and in the process expanding the boundaries of the entire field—with Embassytown, Miéville has crafted an extraordinary novel that is not only a moving personal drama but a gripping adventure of alien contact and war. In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak....
D says: "must hear to fully appreciate."
"Excellent Science Fiction"

Overall
Performance
Story

Like all of his books, there is no explanation for what is happening, but the story is so cleverly constructed that partial understanding soon follows. His stories never end with complete explanations and the lack of full understanding is, in my view, one of the hallmarks of his brand of speculative fiction. The prose quality is excellent and the reader is clear and articulate. Mr Mieville's mind and imagination are, as always, outstanding. This is almost as good as the Scar which I believe to be his best. Great listen, well worth the credit and probably essential to read a couple of times.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful
A Delicate Truth: A Novel

UNABRIDGED
- by John le Carre
- Narrated by John le Carre
A Delicate Truth: A Novel

UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 31 mins)

By John le Carre

Narrated By John le Carre

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(23)
Performance
(19)
Story
(20)

A Delicate Truth opens in 2008. A counter-terrorist operation, codenamed Wildlife, is being mounted on the British crown colony of Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms buyer. Its authors: an ambitious Foreign Office Minister, a private defense contractor who is also his bosom friend, and a shady American CIA operative of the evangelical far right. So delicate is the operation that even the Minister’s personal private secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it.
Darwin8u says: "A latter-day Jeremiah of espionage & statecraft."
"Great Story, and read beautifully by the author"

Overall
Performance
Story

What did you love best about A Delicate Truth?

A well constructed story with a totally believable plot and well developed characters.

What other book might you compare A Delicate Truth to and why?

Mostly because of the reader it reminds me a lot of my personal favourite JLC book, Absolute Friends. The plot is of course different, but the quality of the writing and the reading is almost as good.

Which character – as performed by John le Carre – was your favorite?

The Minister

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I dont think his books translate well to film, they are much better as TV series - for example the Smiley series, probably the best TV series I have ever seen.

Any additional comments?

There is a real benefit to having an author read his own work; the intonation, vocabulary and the "sense" of the story is far better than any other approach. Le Carre is truly blessed as an excellent writer with a superb reading voice and style.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Best Kept Secret: The Clifton Chronicles, Book 3

UNABRIDGED
- by Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by Alex Jennings , Emilia Fox
Best Kept Secret: The Clifton Chronicles, Book 3

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 15 mins)

By Jeffrey Archer

Narrated By Alex Jennings, Emilia Fox

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(72)
Performance
(59)
Story
(62)

Best Kept Secret opens a moment after the end of The Sins of the Father, with the resolution of the trial and the triumphant marriage of Harry Clifton and Elizabeth Barrington, finally uniting their family. Harry, now a best-selling novelist; Emma; their son, Sebastian; and orphaned Jessica make a new life for themselves, but all is not as happy and secure as it could be. Emma's brother, Giles, is engaged to a woman who may be more interested in Barrington's fortune and title than in a long and happy marriage.
cristina says: "Plot without characters"
"More,and more, and more of the same old, same old,"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you try another book from Jeffrey Archer and/or Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox ?

I keep trying Mr Archer, everyone says he is a good author, so somewhere, someday, there must be a good book. But, not today and definitely not this book! The prior books were poor and predictable; this one is rubbish. The plot is, charitably, stupid, inconsistent and totally unbelievable. The reader is good, but it would take a miraculous performance to turn this drivel into anything approaching an average story.

What was most disappointing about Jeffrey Archer’s story?

Totally predictable and yet completely unbelievable.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not a single redeeming feature. Probably the worst audio book I have ever heard.

Any additional comments?

I assume there are more episodes to this painful series - don't buy this, or them!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Envy

UNABRIDGED
- by Sandra Brown
- Narrated by Victor Slezak
Envy

UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 39 mins)

By Sandra Brown

Narrated By Victor Slezak

Overall
(1232)
Performance
(422)
Story
(419)

New York book editor Maris Matherly-Reed knows a best seller when she sees one - even if it is just a tantalizing partial manuscript submitted by a writer identified only as P.M.E., with the return address of an obscure island off the Georgia coast. Maris is intrigued enough to search for him.
Dewayne says: "Envy"
"Weak storyline, weaker reader"

Overall
Performance
Story

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I have read several books by Sandra Brown, mostly quite good. This one has a poor storyline with gratuitous sex thrown in, presumably to bolster the poor story since the sexual scenes are completely inappropriate. Tried several times to restart and give it another chance, but frankly, its a very boring book, made even worse by a very boring reader.

What was most disappointing about Sandra Brown’s story?

It was boring with a boring reader

How could the performance have been better?

It could have been done by someone with a sense of timing and intonation.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It sent us to sleep without difficulty

Any additional comments?

Not sure if I want to risk another book by this author, but I am certain that this reader will be boycotted from now on.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2

UNABRIDGED
- by Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by Alex Jennings , Emilia Fox
The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2

UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 9 mins)

By Jeffrey Archer

Narrated By Alex Jennings, Emilia Fox

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(460)
Performance
(363)
Story
(360)

Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets, and forced to accept that his desire to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German Uboat, drowning almost the entire crew. An American cruise liner, the SS Kansas Star, rescues a handful of sailors, among them Harry and the third officer, an American named Tom Bradshaw.
Margaret says: "Can';t Wait for the Next One!!!"
"More from the Archer factory"

Overall
Performance
Story

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

I would only recommend this if they were a JA Fan. For anyone else, no, it has few redeeming factors as a novel.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The only interesting factor is that without knowing the Author in advance, it is clearly Mr Archer. Every one of his books consists of some contrived connection that is about as likely as snow on the Sun.

Least interesting? Most of the book!

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

No

Any additional comments?

I listened right to the end; will not buy the next volume, I could almost write it myself since it follows the usual JA formula.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Queen of Bedlam: A Matthew Corbett Novel, Book 2

UNABRIDGED
- by Robert McCammon
- Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
The Queen of Bedlam: A Matthew Corbett Novel, Book 2

UNABRIDGED (23 hrs and 23 mins)

By Robert McCammon

Narrated By Edoardo Ballerini

Overall
(405)
Performance
(356)
Story
(354)

Robert McCammon brings the hero of his previous novel, Matthew Corbett, to 18th-century New York, where a killer wields a bloody and terrifying power over a bustling city carving out its identity - and over Matthew's own uncertain destiny.
The unsolved murder of a respected doctor has sent ripples of fear throughout a city teeming with life and noise and commerce. Who snuffed out the good man's life with the slash of a blade on a midnight street? The local printmaster has labeled the fiend "the Masker," adding fuel to a volatile mystery...
Kathy says: "Addicting"
"As good as "Nightbird""

Overall
Performance
Story

Where does The Queen of Bedlam rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Ranks quite high. Excellent story with lots of depth and character and location development. Gives a good verbal picture of the time and place and has links to past (and future) stories.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Matthew - well developed character with a predictable reaction to all that happens. The character transcends each story which makes listening comfortable.

If you could take any character from The Queen of Bedlam out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The nymphomaniacal young lady, name escapes me at moment, with whom Matthew spent an exhausting evening!

Any additional comments?

Love to see more of these stories, they are quite unique

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Between the Strokes of Night

UNABRIDGED
- by Charles Sheffield
- Narrated by Melissa Edris
Between the Strokes of Night

UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 51 mins)

By Charles Sheffield

Narrated By Melissa Edris

Overall
(7)
Performance
(7)
Story
(7)

>The author of Sight of Proteus and The Selkie brings a unique brand of sci-fi to this riveting story. To long-established worlds of starfaring humans come the Immortals - beings with strange ties to ancient Earth, who seem to live forever, who can travel light years in a day - and who use their strange powers to control the existence of ordinary mortals.
Joshua says: "Excellent and creative story. Decent narration."
"A good SF book from Sheffield, very poor narration"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you listen to Between the Strokes of Night again? Why?

A good story, well written, but read without any sense of intonation or interest or anything. I will not listen to this again; but I would read it.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Melissa Edris?

Just about anyone; my cat is unemployed at the moment.

Any additional comments?

Mr Sheffield is a very good SF writer with a solid scientific background. The reader is so bad that it reduces the story to a bunch of unrelated words. This one will be returned to Audible before I get to part 2.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Young Philby: A Novel

UNABRIDGED
- by Robert Littell
- Narrated by John Lee
Young Philby: A Novel

UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 14 mins)

By Robert Littell

Narrated By John Lee

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(23)
Performance
(20)
Story
(20)

Best-selling novelist Robert Littell employs all his considerable skills in telling the story of Kim Philby through the eyes of more than 20 true-life characters. When Kim Philby fled to Moscow in 1963, he became the most infamous double agent in history. A member of Britain's intelligence service since World War II, he had risen to become their chief officer in Washington, D.C. after the war. The exposure of other members of the group of double agents known as the Cambridge Five led to the revelation that he had been working for Russia for even longer than he had been part of MI6.
connie says: "Maybe get this one in print"
"Great story, but the narration is very, very poor"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you listen to Young Philby again? Why?

Yes, it is worth listening to a couple of times since the story is quite dense, and, the accented narration is so poor that it needs to be listened to a couple of times just to get the story despite the accents.

What didn’t you like about John Lee’s performance?

The accents! So badly done and so unnecessary. The story is very strong, very well put together, it just does not need to be "acted". I know that I would prefer a straight narration from John Lee

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

It has lots of tie in's to historical facts; addresses the James Angleton's role in the whole Philby affair; put McLean, Burgess and Blunt into an interesting perspective and is generally a great (probably fictitious) backgrounder to the Cambridge 4 (5 or 6).

Any additional comments?

Mr. Littell's stories are very well researched and written. This one is no exception and deserves a listen despite the narration.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful
The Casual Vacancy

UNABRIDGED
- by J. K. Rowling
- Narrated by Tom Hollander
The Casual Vacancy

UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 55 mins)

By J. K. Rowling

Narrated By Tom Hollander

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(1906)
Performance
(1665)
Story
(1674)

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early 40s, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils.... Pagford is not what it at first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town's council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen.
Darwin8u says: "Pagford upon Avon"
"Great Story, well written, well read"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you listen to The Casual Vacancy again? Why?

Yes, the story has many threads and plot lines, so given my poor attention span, it deserves a couple of listens to get every nuance straight

What other book might you compare The Casual Vacancy to and why?

Hard to compare. It is a kind of social history story with a believable cast of modern day characters with modern day problems. I do not want to denigrate either story, bIts a bit like the Archers on steroids,

If you could take any character from The Casual Vacancy out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The social worker who came down from London on a promise. Seems like a genuinely decent person having a series of bad breaks.

Any additional comments?

This is not a pleasant story, the good guys end up really badly, but that is life. Strong language and uncomfortable situations, but there is no gratuitous violence, sex or language, people really do speak and act like this.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful
The Retribution

UNABRIDGED
- by Val McDermid
- Narrated by Gerard Doyle
The Retribution

UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 15 mins)

By Val McDermid

Narrated By Gerard Doyle

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(35)
Performance
(31)
Story
(32)

World-class crime writer Val McDermid has sold millions of copies of her books worldwide. In The Retribution, clinical psychologist Tony Hill and detective Carol Jordan face a terrifying reality: Serial killer Jacko Vance has escaped imprisonment - and appears hell-bent on revenge against those who put him behind bars.
Ruth says: "Very disappointed"
"Just a little bit unbelievable"

Overall
Performance
Story

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

Sure, its a bit gory in places, fairly predictable and totally unbelievable - especially the "escape" from prison - which was totally ridiculous.

Would you ever listen to anything by Val McDermid again?

Yes

Have you listened to any of Gerard Doyle’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes , just as good

Did The Retribution inspire you to do anything?

No, thank goodness

Any additional comments?

A follow on thriller which really was a bit sensational and unbelievable.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The Didymus Contingency

UNABRIDGED
- by Jeremy Robinson
- Narrated by R. C. Bray
The Didymus Contingency

UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 26 mins)

By Jeremy Robinson

Narrated By R. C. Bray

Whispersync for Voice-ready

Overall
(19)
Performance
(17)
Story
(17)

If you could go back in time...and witness any event...where would you go? When Dr. Tom Greenbaum faces that question after successfully discovering the secret to time travel, he knows the time, place, and event he will witness: the death and failed resurrection of Jesus Christ. Dr. David Goodman, Tom's colleague and closest friend follows Tom into the past, attempting to avert a time-space catastrophe, but forces beyond their control toss them into a dangerous end game.
Robert says: "Good idea, average execution"
"Good idea, average execution"

Overall
Performance
Story

Would you try another book from Jeremy Robinson and/or R. C. Bray?

The author - yes, the reader probably not - not a pleasant reading voice or style

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

It needs to be significantly longer for better character development and to provide a lot more depth to the technology and to the biblical subject matter.

Would you be willing to try another one of R. C. Bray’s performances?

I would likely try to avoid another one by Mr. Bray - personally I find his voice to be rasping and not pleasant for extended listening

Could you see The Didymus Contingency being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes definitely. The story is shallow, poor character development and a little ridiculous - perfect for a TV series or movie!

Any additional comments?

The idea is excellent and there is a huge amount of scope for a really detailed and unusual novel. The shallow style is not appropriate for such a good ideas.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful