Linda

Lauren Weedman is hilarious! She writes with side-splitting accuracy about life and work and love and everything, and she narrates the book herself with the zing that only a professional actor, which she is, can give. Why is her name still such a secret? She is an incredibly talented writer and performer, and I'm certain we're going to see more comedy from her. Don't let the fact that you haven't heard of her stop you from getting and savoring this funny, funny book. And I found her website where you can see clips of her doing other pieces. The one where she portrays a woman trying to videotape herself doing a little striptease dance as a birthday present for her boyfriend is killer.

Garrison Keillor said that "The Red & The Black" was his favorite novel, and he's a hero of mine, so I gave this a try, I really did. I'm a great fan of audio books; have read at least 400 of them from various sources, and have given up on only a handful. This is one of the handful. I realize that it's from another culture in time and place, so I knew it might not be a quick, easy read. But sheesh! Feels like slogging through mud. Too bad. Any study tips, Garrison? Or, perhaps later, in my dotage....

Not McLynn's finest writing, but an interesting and enjoyable listen, especially if, like me, you have a hard time finding novels that don't feature murder, mayhem, & gratuitous porn. This piece is narrated by McLynn herself, and she is a professional actor, so it's well done, with perfect emphasis in all the right places, in a brogue that is mostly easily understandable for an American listener. The only quibble I have is that her voice is breathy and therefore difficult to hear in a noisy environment. McLynn's more recent book, "Bright Lights & Promises," is definitely a 5-star read.

Wayyy better than the bare chick-lit plot outlined in the publisher's summary. In the best tradition of witty British humor, with wry observations on modern life, packed with juicy little character studies featuring people in the theater industry. I listened again and again and found more to chuckle over with each new hearing. Made me go looking for more by McLynn. Great narration adds to the enjoyment.

Fascinating, lively meditations on love, gender, what sex means; all rolled up with info on a sexual genetic defect, into an engrossing saga of the individuals in a messy family over some thirty years. At first you think that "the condition" is merely a genetic problem that the little girl suffers from, and gradually you begin to see that each of the characters has their own "condition," with which they each struggle. And, though the novel is a story of problems, it doesn't feel dark. There is some cheer. People do evolve. Transformations are made. And the narrator is excellent. A note, though, for anyone wanting to use this audiobook in a noisy environment, as I attempted to: the narrator uses a breathy voice that is pleasant for listening but which does not carry well in competition with noise. Save this good book for a quiet place.