Peter

This story is well-written and well-performed (hence the stars for story and performance), but it's an awful misery. No kidding. If you listen to this you'll be dropped into a terrible situation between two insane individuals. The story will be interesting and stressful, but a nightmare from beginning until the author grows tired of telling you about it. Justice is not served, evil prevails and the innocent suffer.

I wish that someone had warned me away from this because it will likely take the rest of the day to get this dark feeling out of my heart.

This is an excellent story that spawned the HBO miniseries (also excellent). But, LISTEN TO THE UNABRIDGED VERSION. That wasn't available when I downloaded this many moons ago.

I recently re-listened to this and I was confused by the HUGE chunks of the story that were removed from this version. There is no reason whatsoever to go with this version. We're talking about a relatively short book anyway folks.

So, nothing to see here. Just move along to the unabridged audiobook. Off you go now.

Sure, "Ready Player One" lays on the '80's nostalgia with a trowel, but it doesn't get in the way of a great story. I say this as someone who went to high school and college in that decade. I missed a lot of the children's toy and game console references as a result, but I related to most of the rest. What wasn't an immediate connection was regularly explained in the story. I didn't feel left out and I suspect that those who recall other decades better won't feel ostracized either.

Cline offers a story that deftly combines the real and virtual worlds. Both environments are interdependent in the plot and this results in a tale that is epic in scope. The dystopian real world is believable and yet not devoid of hope. The virtual gaming environment is really a world of worlds that offers a variety of situations, characters and amusing discoveries. Things keep moving and the adventure is up-beat and exciting.

Wil Wheaton makes this a great listen. The man can read and act and he's just the right personality for the story. Heck, he's even referenced once or twice and it's fun to hear Wheaton reading a comment about himself.

Drop "Ready Player One" in your basket because it's a great story. The nostalgia is a bonus.

This book was a fun diversion that begins with a bang and just never slows the action until the end. It's not deep literature and the characters aren't from a Henry James novel. So what? If you're like me and you listen to audio books to fend off the boredom of yard work and other dull things, then entertainment is a good thing. "Monters, Inc." is entertaining. Try not to think so much.

"Monsters, Inc." treats vampires, werewolves and their ilk in the traditional way. The vampires don't sparkle or distain blood for the love of their teenage sweetheart. These monsters rip out their victim's throats and toss their bodies aside like empty peanut shells - like they did in the comic books you grew up with. The Team from Monsters, Inc. are on call to eradicate such pests from your home, at a price. I like this idea.

Having said that, I've been reluctant to pick up any of the sequels. I enjoyed this book but I think one is enough.

The story unfolds in parallel threads, existing in the past and the recent-present, that reveal the plot in a fun way. Stephenson takes you all over the world and across time while letting you get to know some fun personalities. All of this happens at a brisk pace that will keep the listener engaged.

If you enjoy the idea of cyphers, the pre-history of computers and learning about some contemporary technology this book will entertain you. But don't assume that it's all about the tech. It's full of activity, from diving, combat, digging, hacking and excellent conversation.

William Dufris is a gifted narrator (I rarely encounter anything less with Audible these days) who expertly reads while inhabiting a large variety of characters of different sex and nationality. He's a one-man acting troupe, but you won't be cognizant of his efforts. You'll just enjoy the narrative.

The bottom line is that I looked for opportunities to listen to this whenever I could and I was sad when it was all over.

Perhaps you're staring at this book and thinking, "I don't kow if I feel like reading about the Kennedy assassination and I'm just not sure about Stephen King anymore." Rest assured that this book is a well-conceived and expertly-written time-travel adventure that is its own story that's filled with romance, suspense and wonder. That infamous day in Dallas is the MacGuffin. This book is no more about it than "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was about the Ark of the Covenent. King does deal with the assassination eventually, but in an inovative and exciting way that will keep you reading when you're supposed to be doing something else.

I enjoyed how King handles the mechanics time travel and its implications. He manages to include the fun parts with the ethical issues and brings the reader along with him to the fascinating world of the past. This book is a great fish-out-of-water story that puts a man from the connected world of 2011 back in the United States of 1958-1963. You'll have fun exploring the practical challenges while following an exciting story.

King sprinkles this story with fun references to his previous novels. So, be on the lookout for Christine and the town of Derry (inlcuding references to "IT").

Listening to this book brought me back to Stephen King after almost two decades of avoiding his work. I'm happy to say that I rediscovered what I admire about his writing. It's easy to pidgeon-hole King as a horror writer and forget that his stories are about people, love and friendship. His stories spring from human weakness and strength. I think this is what keeps me interested.

"11-22-63" deserves to be considered as one of his best. It stands on its own as just a great novel. I suggest that you download it right now.

This story is narrated by Stephen King and I think it adds to the presentation. The main character is a novelist who is telling a first-person narrative. So, having King read his own book makes sense. He's not an actor, but his voice makes sense in the context of the audio production. Music is mixed in appropriately to add to the atmosphere.

There are ghosts, murders and suspense - all of the things one enjoys in a novel.

Stephen King drops a dome on a New England town like a kid might trap an ant hill with a glass bowl to see what the ants might do. The story has a bit of "The Lord of the Flies" but on a more adult level of conflict. The suspense is good and the concept is compelling.

This isn't a Stephen King "horror" book. It's quality science fiction. There is a moral and it makes a good commentary on the nature of power. It's also an exciting read with excellent narration.

The movie and theater versions of this book are well known and I suspect that some listeners might shy away from the book because they feel that the story may be too familiar. Fret not. The movie deals with about a third of what's in the book and omits a great deal of the story that leads up to the "mutiny" and what follows. Even the main characters are a bit different than what is revealed in the film.

Wouk was a Naval officer during WWII and the richness of the story with its detail and understanding of what it's like to be an officer on a nondescript ship in the vast American Pacific Navy feels real. Wouk weaves in romance, family conflict and leadership values. He creates characters that are multi-dimentional.

The narration by Kevin Pariseau is excellent. You owe yourself a listen.

This book offers little - unless you're interested in the oral history of the Fitzsimmons Family. Large chunks of the narrative are spent reciting who married who, where they lived and what an ancestor was like. The jokes are rare and not that funny when they arrive. A letter will be read on occasion, but they're not worth the wait.

I bought this book to amuse myself while doing yard work. It was truly a waste of my money.