Michael Hellyer

Yes, and I am now listening to it a second time. The writer/reader, Edward Enfield, sounds as though he is personally talking to the listener with his reminiscences and insights into Ireland. Having been to Ireland and specifically the areas he tours (riding on his bicycle) I can picture the villages and other sites along the way as he rides up the west coast of Ireland. Remarkably, he sets out on this tour at age 60+, and that is also my age group, which makes another connection with me, but I think that anyone who has a sense of adventure and a wonder for travel will enjoy this, but especially for those familiar with the landscape and people of Ireland. Very enjoyable listen.

I enjoy books where the writer takes you on the road through the countryside, and I've read several about Ireland including "A Course Called Ireland" (walking and golfing in Ireland), "McCarthy's Bar," "An Innocent in Ireland," "Whoredom in Kimmage," "A Book of Migrations," "The Irish Way," and one other I forget the name of by a former rock grouper who in travels around Ireland comes across (separately) Meryl Streep and Newt Gingrich. Also, I have yet to read the book "Around Ireland in Low Gear," another book by an older gentleman riding his bicycle around Ireland. I wish they were all available as audio books.

Very easy delivery, pleasant voice, personal style, stories are concise and interesting.

No, it's more fun to listen in pieces, such as taking my dog for a long walk every morning, listening in bed before sleep or during the night. I'm in no rush to complete the journey through Ireland, so a leisurely pace of listening stretches out my mental visit.

We need more books like this, especially on Ireland! And, congratulations to Mr. Enfield on his interesting and adventurous journeys, and for writing and reading about them.

This is the 4th Paul Temple dramatization I've listened to. They are all enjoyable, although so far I haven't given any a top rating. Two have been too bloody (body counts that Quentin Tarantino would envy), and two, including this one, develop a little too slowly with vague clues, but they are still enjoyable to listen to as I take my dog for a leisurely suburban walk. For all the laughing and clanking of cocktail glasses, there really is no wit or humor to these, so these are definitely not Nick and Nora. There's not much of a clue trail in these, it's more guesswork. And, Steve (Mrs. Paul Temple) is always in the backseat in terms of taking any action, thinking things through, and reacting to a bad situation (she'll scream and Paul will figure things out). With all that said, the acting is really good, the production and sound effects are excellent, and the characters, other than the leads, are all nicely shady and suspicious.

In ".. the Lawrence Affair" there are suspicious deaths in a seaside village where Paul Temple has gone to work on his next novel, but instead he gets caught up in the mystery. The setting bounces back and forth from the village to London. It's not as bloody as some, but not as fast-paced either, but overall it was enjoyable to listen to.

I love old and Restoration theater and you can't do better than this production of "She Stoops to Conquer." First of all, the story is a lot of fun. Then, second to that, the performances in this version are absolutely flawless and wonderful. It is such a delight and so much fun to listen to!!!! I compare this to a BBC version 50 or 60 years ago, and this is superior. If you enjoy a play with fun characters and wonderful situations and dialogue, you will really enjoy this.

I just love all the performances and interplays between characters. They hold up as realistic characters even with these times, and all the dialogue is so witty and fun!

No, I love listening to "She Stoops to Conquer" in smaller segments, over and over. I usually listen when going to bed or walking my dog and this version is absolutely wonderful to listen to then or anytime!

Great fun! I love listening to this over and over.

It's written ENTIRELY from the English point of view. Example: In the first 2 hours there are dozens of quotes about Ireland, EVERY ONE of them from an Englishman. There's absolutely no effort made to present situations from an Irish point of view. This book is a rapid-fire recitation of the chronology of events that comprise England's efforts to settle and subjugate Ireland. The too-fast reader gives date after date of what the English tried to do to settle and civilize the wild Irish. There is absolutely nothing about Irish culture or day to day lives. It's just date after date of how the English did their best to come up with an "Irish solution." You learn about this commander or that monarch and the actions they took to advance English interests and domination in Ireland.Oliver Cromwell is portrayed as a noble peace-seeker who never harmed civilians. At one point an English commander is made to seem considerate because "he only executed 52" Irishmen.I can't imagine a more unbalanced or incomplete approach to presenting history. And, the reader at least enunciates well as she rushes to speed-read through this one-sided recitation of English efforts to conquer and control Ireland. I wasted a credit on this book, but it was one of only two books purporting to be histories of Ireland, and the other at 22 hours, was too long for what I was looking for.

A more balanced perspective, not just everything from English eyes. Why were the Irish unhappy? The Irish come across as ignorant, savages and ingrates.

Slow down. Written by a male author and read ultra fast by a female voice, I really got the impression that the male author read the book but they speeded up the play to get through the book quicker making the reader's voice sound faster and higher.

I would have added some Irish perspectives, the impact of British actions on the Irish people, reasons for Irish dissatisfaction. The book seems as disrespectful of the Irish as the English were for centuries, so maybe in that case it serves a purpose -- to remind the Irish of the English attitudes that resulted in their political and social domination by England.

Find another book about Irish history, skip this one.

I've never read a print version of a Charles Paris Mystery. However, the BBC Radio Crimes productions of the Paris mysteries (this is the second one I've heard) are so well done and enjoyable I'm sure I would prefer listening to reading.

Well, not on the edge of my seat, but the storyline, characters, performances, and overall production quality were excellent and kept me going. Ultimately the solution wasn't as good as I had hoped but the trip to get there was most enjoyable.

This is the second one I've heard and I've thoroughly enjoyed them both. The other had a more satisfying solution, but this had even more entertaining dialogue than the other, and both have been most enjoyable in that regard.

Simon Brett, the author, would probably do better with that than me. The title of this book is clever enough -- just go with that.

Great entertainment -- keep the Charles Paris productions coming!

The book was too long and the story not as interesting as I had hoped. The storyline took too many detours into the backgrounds of character's lives, to the detriment of advancing the plot. This was done to either make it as much a character study as a mystery, or, more likely, to set the stage for some of these characters to re-appear in sequels as a series. The audio book took up 10 CDs. My wife gave up after the 3rd CD. For me, this is one of those books that 2/3 of the way through when you realize it's not getting any more interesting, that you decide whether to give up reading more or you stick it out to the end just to feel that you've completed something. I stuck it out. Easily at least 25% could have been edited out without affecting the story lines, of which there were three: 1) an ancient and interesting mystery, 2) a current and uninteresting mystery, and 3) a background mystery to one of the characters that was irrelevant to the storyline.

No. But, I might consider buying a book because with a book you can skim over the boring parts, which you can't do when listening.

The opening was good and descriptions of the countryside were good.

No. Maybe be more careful in what I select to listen to.

Jennifer McMahon did a very nice job reading it; without her skills I would not have made it through the book. With some editing out of extraneous character detail and a better solution to the modern mystery this could have been a pretty good book. It started out well, but ultimately disappointed.

Funnier writing. Some Jack Benny programs are full of fun and laughs; these shows are not. There's not much wit here.

I will be careful which Jack Benny

Yes

Pretty much all of it. There's little wit, the live audience on the soundtrack doesn't seem to know if and when to laugh.

Jack Benny shows vary in quality. These shows are at the lower end. Insults are too direct, gags are cliche'-ridden, there's not too much inspired comedy here.

If you're looking for a stirring account of the revolution that changed the world, instead you're in for a version as exciting as reading the Wall St. Journal about Federal Reserve financial policy. I've only listened to the first hour and if I wasn't upright I'd be comatose. People are only mentioned in the abstract and as statistics. The reader is fine, and scholars of the American Revolution may appreciate this, but please DO NOT let students listen to this -- it will kill all interest in this amazing and exciting time. zzzzzzzz....