Nancy

I did not expect Atlas Shrugged - with voluminous character developments and flowery description... Glenn tends to be straightforward so I would expect his story to be therefore, in the same vein. If you accept that premise, you will enjoy the book. It is well written and thoughtful. It does open eyes to the advertising agency and media manipulation of consumers and shows how we can be fooled - and have - quite easily.
He also shows the malevolent side of power and the danger of those who seek it becoming driven to obtain it at all cost. Good read and thought provoking, if not a great literary tome.

It was very well done. The reading kept the story moving and it was extremely entertaining. The character development worked well, you began to like and respect some of the ‘help’ characters and to be irritated and annoyed with the idle rich who were depicted in unflattering or frivolous ways.
I have to believe there were many elements of truth in the novel and it had a point to convey, which it did in strong fashion. However, being from southern stock myself, although not gentry, I know there were many hard working and caring white women in the south during that time. But the book was not about that. It was about cruelty that was not even understood, by a class system that was on the way out and that did not recognize it’s time was fading.
If anything I found lacking, it was the stereotypical editor, a Jewish woman in a man’s world fighting for her survival and hardnosed – without much exception – but who was brought to bend her rules for the underdog in this fight.
All in all, this was a delightful ‘listen’

Obviously the longsuffering maid that was the source of all the stories and the strength that tied it all together was the strongest character.
I was compelled by the writers mother however, as she was a product of what was her environment and had to make hard changes in facing her own life struggles and the need for courage. While, at the same time, learn to change her thinking and do such an about face from what she must have struggled with – that times were changing and she needed to make choices to keep her family and understand why what she had believed to be right and even kindness, was anything but.

The Chocolate Pie - had to be - a slice of - not so heaven - but so befitting the recipient~

My husband’s complaint was that she spent much time on descriptive phrases - it did bring the reader to envision the scene however it took a while to do that...
It had much character development many people to have to keep up with - however, overall - it was what you would expect - very well written - very interesting read and very timely even though it was written many years ago.
We had frequent discussions about things revealed in the book and that was worth the time it took to read it (er listen)

While I enjoyed the audio - the book would have been better received by my husband. It had some graphic descriptions of hand to hand combat that were sort of lost on me... not to a degree which depreciated the value of the book but more than women would normally be interested in.

However the understanding of the intrigue and the complex relationships within the terrorist community was very well done.

If the real world is anything near this - we have pause to worry and be very aware of the threats that surround us.