Alexandra

I liked the characters and the setting very much. If you love classic British detective novels, this will probably make you feel nice and cozy. Also the theater atmosphere reminded me of Ngaio Marsh. I think I will probably listen to more in this series. The plot is a little improbable, but fun. This isn't realism, but who needs that all the time, anyways?

Fans of "This American Life" will be familiar with Jon Ronson. I really loved this book, including his narration. The subject matter is fascinating, and right away there is a mystery that draws you in, just like on the best episodes of TAL. Jon Ronson writes with humor, empathy, and insight. I felt like I was right there with him throughout his thought process. This went so quickly!

The story was not bad, although it dragged on quite a bit at the end. As another reviewer mentioned, the piano music intervals were awful. I found them cheesy and distracting. Overall, a little on the sentimental side. The narrator did a good job, especially with the Spanish pronunciations.

Not awful, but the narration was cloying and the historical elements to the story seemed really forced. The dialogue also seemed pretty inaccurate for the time period. I guess I'm not much of a fan of historical fiction, it always seems a bit goofy to me. I don't know why I bothered with this one.

Not my usual kind of thing, but I enjoyed the mystery. A little maudlin and very derivative of "The Secret Garden." Definitely escapist, good for vacation.

I quite enjoyed the first half of this story, but the second half really dragged. Unfortunately it became repetitive and depressing, which made the ending less poignant. The settings and descriptions were pretty captivating, I just wish the story had more punch. It kind of petered out. By the way, this is not a spooky witch story, it's more reminiscent of "The Crucible" or "The Scarlet Letter."Very good narration and not bad overall.

This was really wonderful. Such a great story, nuanced characters, absolutely riveting. The narration here is so excellent, I can't imagine experiencing the book any other way. I am really more of a Trollope/Austen/Dickens fan generally, and wouldn't have expected to enjoy a Western, but this book has something for everyone. It is very violent and upsetting at times, that is my only warning to sensitive listeners/readers.

I really enjoyed this book, I found the issues and personalities to be surprisingly familiar, considering that it was published in 1920. Also, that a man of that time could write such a feminist novel. Although not much happens action-wise, I felt engaged throughout. Wonderfully real characters and an incredible sensitivity to their various motivations.

I read this on a recommendation, so I was a bit disappointed. I found the characters eminently unlikable and I found myself uninterested in their problems. There was enough about the novel I liked to spur me on to read "Middlesex," however, which I much preferred. I would definitely recommend reading that first. Eugenides is a good, clear, and observant writer, I just didn't find the story or characters terribly compelling in this one.