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Brett England

Chesapeake, VA USA | Member Since 2005

2
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 5 reviews
  • 48 ratings
  • 71 titles in library
  • 5 purchased in 2013
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  • Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live | [Tom Shales, James Andrew Miller]
    Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live
    ABRIDGED

    Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live

    • ABRIDGED (8 hrs and 37 mins)
    • By Tom Shales, James Andrew Miller
    • Narrated By Christopher Burns, Eric Conger
    Overall
    (358)
    Performance
    (79)
    Story
    (79)

    A history of Saturday Night Live that finally reveals what really went on backstage, on the set, in the writers' offices, and on the town. Dozens of stars, writers, and guest hosts recall the backstage gossip, feuds, foibles, drugs, sex, struggles, and calamities of the show that changed television.

    Tim says: "Interesting inside look, so-so presentation"
    "One of the worst books ever written."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you try another book from Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller and/or Christopher Burns and Eric Conger ?

    No way.


    What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

    Meh.


    Would you be willing to try another one of Christopher Burns and Eric Conger ???s performances?

    Possibly.


    You didn???t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

    Not really.


    Any additional comments?

    This really can't be considered a book, per se. All it is, really, is a collection of quotes which have been copy and pasted into a text document. Period. I could have done that.

    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • The Great Gatsby | [F. Scott Fitzgerald]
    The Great Gatsby
    UNABRIDGED

    The Great Gatsby

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 52 mins)
    • By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Narrated By Jake Gyllenhaal
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (565)
    Performance
    (523)
    Story
    (524)

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel of the Roaring Twenties is beloved by generations of readers and stands as his crowning work. This new audio edition, authorized by the Fitzgerald estate, is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain). Gyllenhaal's performance is a faithful delivery in the voice of Nick Carraway, the Midwesterner turned New York bond salesman, who rents a small house next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby....

    Darwin8u says: "Simple, Beautiful, and Exquisitely Textured"
    "Gyllenhaal: so-so actor and a terrible narrator"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What would have made The Great Gatsby better?

    A different narrator.


    What was most disappointing about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story?

    There isn't a story.


    How could the performance have been better?

    Nothing.


    If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Great Gatsby?

    That's hard to say since nothing of interest happens in the book.


    Any additional comments?

    Chapter 7 is when I really started to hate the book. Here's chapter 7 as it would appear in Cliff's Notes: It's hot. Isn't it hot? Why is it so hot? Why does anyone get married in the summer? I think the sun is getting hotter. No. I read somewhere it's getting cooler.

    1 of 2 people found this review helpful
  • Tripwire: Jack Reacher, Book 3 | [Lee Child]
    Tripwire: Jack Reacher, Book 3
    UNABRIDGED

    Tripwire: Jack Reacher, Book 3

    • UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 24 mins)
    • By Lee Child
    • Narrated By Jonathan McClain
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (399)
    Performance
    (350)
    Story
    (360)

    Reacher's anonymity in Florida is shattered by an investigator who's come looking for him. But hours after his arrival, the stranger is murdered. Retracing the PI's trail back to New York, Reacher's compelled to find out who was looking for him and why. He never expected the reasons to be so personal - and twisted.

    Johnnie Walker says: "Buyer beware!"
    "Third time out with Lee Child is a "no" for me."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

    Child once again babbles on ad infinitum over mundane details that should have been excised by a better editor.


    What could Lee Child have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

    Make it shorter.


    Which scene was your favorite?

    None.


    You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

    Not really.


    Any additional comments?

    Reacher #1: Killing Floor was very good. Reacher #2: Die Trying was good, even though Reacher spends almost half of the book in the back of a truck. Lame. This one is so bad I can't finish it.

    I'm guessing there's no reason to even start Reacher #4.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Die Trying: Jack Reacher, Book 2 | [Lee Child]
    Die Trying: Jack Reacher, Book 2
    UNABRIDGED

    Die Trying: Jack Reacher, Book 2

    • UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 47 mins)
    • By Lee Child
    • Narrated By Jonathan McClain
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (557)
    Performance
    (489)
    Story
    (488)

    When a woman is kidnapped off a Chicago street in broad daylight, Jack Reacher's in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's kidnapped with her. Chained together and racing across America toward an unknown destination, they're at the mercy of a group of men demanding an impossible ransom. Because Reacher's female companion is worth more than he imagines. Now he has to save them both - from the inside out - or die trying....

    John says: "Where is Dick Hill?"
    "23 chapters of Reacher in the back of a truck."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

    Listen to chapter 1, then skip the 23 chapters with Reacher in the back of a truck. Part 2 picks up considerably.


    What do you think your next listen will be?

    Reacher #3, as long as there aren't any trucks.


    Have you listened to any of Jonathan McClain’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

    A very good performance.


    Was Die Trying worth the listening time?

    Yes.


    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Everything Is Illuminated | [Jonathan Safran Foer]
    Everything Is Illuminated
    UNABRIDGED

    Everything Is Illuminated

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 39 mins)
    • By Jonathan Safran Foer
    • Narrated By Jeff Woodman, Scott Shina
    Overall
    (510)
    Performance
    (154)
    Story
    (152)

    Jonathan is a Jewish college student searching Europe for the one person he believes can explain his roots. Alex, a lover of all things American and unsurpassed butcher of the English language, is his lovable Ukrainian guide. On their quixotic quest, the two young men look for Augustine, a woman who might have saved Jonathan's grandfather from the Nazis. As past and present merge, hysterically funny moments collide with great tragedy, and an unforgettable story of one family's extraordinary history unfolds.

    Chris says: "Heartfelt, fun, but slightly plodsome."
    "Weak effort"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The far too numerous flashbacks in this book are always tedious and often pointless. Keep you finger on your iPod's fast-forward button.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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