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Saman

sam_perera

Houston, TX, United States | Member Since 2010

45
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 25 reviews
  • 29 ratings
  • 128 titles in library
  • 4 purchased in 2013
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  • 1Q84

    • UNABRIDGED (46 hrs and 50 mins)
    • By Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin (translator), Philip Gabriel (translator)
    • Narrated By Allison Hiroto, Marc Vietor, Mark Boyett
    Overall
    (2989)
    Performance
    (2583)
    Story
    (2551)

    The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

    A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver's enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 - "Q" is for "question mark". A world that bears a question....

    Howard says: "Worth the investment."
    "Sooo long ..."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    It is difficult to say what this book was conveying. It’s a cross between fantasy, science fiction and mysticism. And somewhere there is a bit of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. Well now you know the world of Murakami. After reading the Windup Bird, I was really looking forward to immersing myself in his bizarre world again. I was not disappointed but the book is ridiculously long. Some stages are extremely boring but at the point where you are going to give up, he reels you back into the world of two moons. That’s the strength of the author and his telling of 1Q84. The performances by the narrators are extremely strong and that has a lot to do with staying the course on this ‘weird’ book. Recommended for weirdoes like me.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Inheritance of Loss

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 12 mins)
    • By Kiran Desai
    • Narrated By Meera Simhan
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (300)
    Performance
    (68)
    Story
    (70)

    In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga lives an embittered old judge. He only wants to retire in peace, but then his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, arrives on his doorstep. The judge's chatty cook watches over her, but his thoughts are mostly with his son, Biju, who is hop-scotching from one New York restaurant job to another. A novel of depth and emotion, Desai's second, long-awaited novel fulfills the grand promise established by her first.

    Bob says: "Gorgeous prose but grim"
    "Smashing read!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    As an Asian immigrant myself who grew up most of his life in London and went to University there, I immediately connected with the story and the old judge. I now live in the USA and the story of Biju struggling to earn his keep seems so real in so many ways for new migrants. There are so many beautiful and colorful characters in this story each with their own wonderful tales and I was totally lost in nostalgia for the old “Raj”. The English certainly left an indelible mark in India and post-independent India never recovered. In one sense, this is the story of moving-on and yet it is also the story of longing for the old ways. The vocal delivery is absolutely top-notch in this release. I loved this book and it should not be missed!

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Beautiful Ruins

    • UNABRIDGED (12 hrs and 53 mins)
    • By Jess Walter
    • Narrated By Edoardo Ballerini
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (3769)
    Performance
    (3243)
    Story
    (3224)

    The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying. And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot - searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier.

    Cindy says: "Best Mistake I Ever Made On Audible..."
    "Funny and sad at the same time ..."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is a beautifully written book that captures the essence of the human condition. Sometimes we make choices, and they may be for the right cause but not what we really desire. In this way, we feel for the characters in this book who are trying to overcome their imperfect lives, abiding by the rules of normalcy, facing tragedy and heartache, and yet overcoming the challenges over a 50 year saga. As I listened, I sometimes laughed out loud and then sulked with the disappointments of the protagonists. I was immersed in each sub-plot, each character, each wonderful location, and ofcourse the “Pitch”. What a lovely book – movie anyone?

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 35 mins)
    • By Tom Reiss
    • Narrated By Paul Michael
    Overall
    (153)
    Performance
    (132)
    Story
    (134)

    Father of the novelist Alexandre Dumas, Alex Dumas has become, through his son's books, the model for a captivating modern protagonist: The wronged man in search of justice. Born to a black slave mother and a fugitive white French nobleman in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), Alex Dumas was briefly sold into bondage but then made his way to Paris where he was schooled as a sword-fighting member of the French aristocracy. He was only 32 when he was given command of 53,000 men, the reward for series of triumphs that many regarded as impossible, and then topped his previous feats by leading a raid up a frozen cliff face....

    Jean says: "Truth more unbelivable than fiction"
    "Incredible story!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I am always drawn to real-life stories rather than imaginary tales. That is because in reality, they are much more fantastic in every sense of the word. The story within this book is remarkable and almost dream like. Yet, through thorough and painful research, we are given a tale of the unbelievable in 18th century France. A time in which many a citizen lived in fear of its government and the notorious guillotine. Through this cloud rose a man of color, from the French colonies, that led many French soldiers to glory. I loved this book! General Alexandre Dumas will stay with me for the rest of my life. A must read!

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Solaris: The Definitive Edition

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 42 mins)
    • By Stanislaw Lem, Bill Johnston (translator)
    • Narrated By Alessandro Juliani
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (1487)
    Performance
    (1134)
    Story
    (1145)

    At last, one of the world’s greatest works of science fiction is available - just as author Stanislaw Lem intended it. To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Solaris, Audible, in cooperation with the Lem Estate, has commissioned a brand-new translation - complete for the first time, and the first ever directly from the original Polish to English. Beautifully narrated by Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica), Lem’s provocative novel comes alive for a new generation.

    Burns says: "A comment on negative reviews"
    "Engrossing."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I remember many years ago as a child, watching the Russian movie Solaris by director Andrey Tarkovskiy. To tell you the truth, I really did not understand it one little bit. It was a confusing film that nearly put me to sleep. It was hard to grasp and I had a very difficult time understanding the concepts around the ocean and its manifestations. But the story lingered in my mind thereafter and I knew that one day I would have to read Stanislaw Lem’s novel to understand it as an adult. Finally I got to listen to this incredible novel. This is one of the very best science fiction novels ever written. Lem really studies our inner soul and its interaction with the impossible. As you engross yourself in the novel, do not be disappointed that there is no final answer to the mystery of the ocean, but marvel in the way he entices you to answer the questions the protagonist struggles through. What would you do in an event like this? That is really what Lem is asking of you … A must read!

    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • Sole Survivor: The True Account of 133 Days Adrift

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 41 mins)
    • By Ruthanne Lum McCunn
    • Narrated By Johanna Ward
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (112)
    Performance
    (20)
    Story
    (19)

    On November 23, 1942, German U-Boats torpedoed the British ship Benlomond, and it sank in the Atlantic in two minutes. The sole survivor was a second steward named Poon Lim, who, with no knowledge of the sea, managed to stay alive for 133 days on a small wooden raft.

    Michael says: "Suspensfully Calm"
    "Remarkable yet underwhelming."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I really wanted to read this book after some recommendations from readers who enjoyed books like Unbroken, Lost in Shangri-La, Long Walk and We Die Alone. It is no doubt a remarkable story of resilience against the harsh sea. A man surviving for 130+ days at sea on rain water, fish and occasional birds seems unbelievable but it is a true story that solely belongs to a remarkable human being - Poon Lim. Unfortunately, the book does little credit to this man’s incredible journey through lackluster writing and the vocal performance on the audiobook is less than stellar. Yet, it is still an engrossing listen and I recommend it because of its remarkable subject matter.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • The Short Stories of Anton Chekhov, Volume 1

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 59 mins)
    • By Anton Chekhov
    • Narrated By Charlton Griffin
    Overall
    (74)
    Performance
    (13)
    Story
    (13)

    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, (1860-1904), was born in Russia at Taganrog on the Sea of Azov. His name has become synonymous with a certain literary style much admired and widely copied since his death. Typically, a Chekhov story is a "mood", a state of mind, usually with regard to relations between one person and another. Under the influence of the constant, infinitesimal, and unforeseen pinpricks of life, there occurs a gradual transformation of that state of mind.

    Darlene says: "A Box of Chocolates"
    "Wonderful stories."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I had been waiting a long-time to catch up on the famed short stories of Anton Chekhov. Finally, I found the best volume with an awesome narrator and a subtle music score. I love Chekhov’s wonderful, unpretentious narrative with a hearty dose of irony and candor. I really hoped that they had done a Volume 2 also. My favorites were “The Lady with the Dog” and “Kiss”. These two stories are absolutely stunning in their realism and frankness. These stories are still very valid in our present time. A must listen!

    2 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • 1861: The Civil War Awakening

    • UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 54 mins)
    • By Adam Goodheart
    • Narrated By Jonathan Davis
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (470)
    Performance
    (324)
    Story
    (321)

    As the United States marks the 150th anniversary of our defining national drama, 1861 presents a gripping and original account of how the Civil War began. 1861 is an epic of courage and heroism beyond the battlefields. Early in that fateful year, a second American revolution unfolded, inspiring a new generation to reject their parents' faith in compromise and appeasement, to do the unthinkable in the name of an ideal.

    James says: "Fascinating."
    "Stupendous!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    This is an extraordinary story of individuals in an extraordinary time of our nation. I was naïve of the Civil War and lacked the meaning of the struggle for emancipation until I experienced this book. The author handsomely illuminates the ideology held by key players of the era leading to the eventual war of the States. It is clearly slanted towards the North (as it should be), and detail clearly the various sub-plots in the secessionist and non-secessionist thinking. I was particularly moved by the fate of Elmer Ellsworth and his Zouaves. Little did I know of the Wide Awakes movement or its pivotal role in St. Louis. This book details the entire sentiment of the time leading to the conflict. Definitely in the same league as the ‘Guns of August’ by Barbara Tuchman.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Feast Day of Fools: A Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By James Lee Burke
    • Narrated By Will Patton
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (977)
    Performance
    (805)
    Story
    (790)

    Celebrated crime master and two-time Edgar Award winner James Lee Burke returns with a gorgeously crafted, brutally resonant chronicle of violence along the Texas-Mexico border. Sheriff Hackberry Holland patrols a small Southwest Texas border town, meting out punishment and delivering justice in his small square of this magnificent but lawless land. When an alcoholic ex-boxer named Danny Boy Lorca begs to be locked up after witnessing a man tortured to death by a group of bandits, Hack and his deputy, Pam Tibbs, slowly extract the Indian man’s gruesome tale.

    Melinda says: "Shoot Out at the More-Than-OK Corral"
    "Another OK listen"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    First, let me say the narration is awesome. I really enjoyed the gruff voice and it helped the story line very well. I wish I could say the same for the story and its characters. Even though I finished the book, I really wanted it to end much sooner. Perhaps it was a tad too long and a little too contrived for my taste. It isn’t a bad story and surely not a great page turner. But I can see why this type of novel is popular amongst other listeners. It just wasn’t my type of book.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance

    • UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 42 mins)
    • By David Howarth
    • Narrated By Stuart Langton
    Overall
    (82)
    Performance
    (39)
    Story
    (40)

    It begins with an ambushed commando raid that leaves all but one of the expatriate resistance fighters dead or captured. Though wounded, Jan Baalsrud, the sole survivor, takes off on a courageous, incredible trek into the wilds of the Lyngen Alps, while the Nazis pursue him relentlessly. He suffers frostbite, snowblindness, and a terrible fall in an avalanche. At last, delirious and near death, he chances on to a cabin, where the first in a series of remarkably brave and clever men and women come to his aid.

    Erik says: "An unbelievable journey"
    "Terrific story."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Somewhere I was recommended this story as a good read. Since I am a fan of real-life survival stories that included “The Log Walk”, “Unbroken”, and “Lost in Shangri-La”, this book seemed a real good choice. I was not disappointed at all as this is an extremely harrowing and arduous tale with an ultimate happy ending. Man has an incredible will to live through the most harrowing of experiences and this is a tale of the extreme in every sense. Also, this is a story of Norway in WWII in which only small fragments of information exist. This adds to the allure of this incredible story.

    2 of 3 people found this review helpful

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