Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries

By: Jon Ronson

Narrated by: Jon Ronson

Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Jon Ronson is fascinated by madness, extraordinary behaviour and the human mind. He has spent his life investigating crazy events, following fascinating people and unearthing unusual stories. Collected here from various sources (including The Guardian and GQ America) are the best of his adventures. Always intrigued by our ability to believe the unbelievable, Jon meets the man preparing to welcome the aliens to Earth, the woman trying to build a fully conscious robotic replica of the love of her life and the Deal or No Deal contestants with a foolproof system to beat the Banker.

Jon realizes that it's possible for our madness to be a force for good when he meets America's real-life superheroes or a force for evil when he meets the Reverend 'Death' George Exoo, who has dubiously assisted in more than a hundred mercy killings. He goes to a UFO convention in the Nevada desert with Robbie Williams, asks Insane Clown Posse (who are possibly America's nastiest rappers) whether it's true they've actually been evangelical Christians all along and rummages through the extensive archives of Stanley Kubrick. Frequently hilarious, sometimes disturbing, always entertaining, these compelling encounters with people on the edge of madness will have you wondering just what we're capable of.

This is an updated edition with new afterword, written and narrated by Jon Ronson.

©2012 Jon Ronson (P)2012 Audible Ltd

a great collection of stories

very entertaining stories and a smooth narration make this a enjoyable and thought provoking listen.

Great story - fair narration

What did you love best about Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries?

Fantastic and unique stories very well written.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I will be honest, 5 minutes into the book I bailed on it. The author, Jon Ronson, has a very, very unique voice with a unique English accent. It's a mix of a feminist and a unique accent that didn't work for me. Since audio books rely on both the story AND the delivery to be appealing I had to turn off the audio book. I re-read the reviews and people raved about the stories so I gutted through it and ended up REALLY enjoying the stories in this book. They are done very, very well and I am glad I gave it a second chance. If you have a low tolerance for unique voices perhaps look elsewhere.

What an interesting guy!

Every story taught me something I never knew before! His stories are straightforward and intriguing. I want more!

Stories from the fringe

Follow Jon Ronson as he explores the fascinating and strange. Anchored by Ronson's consistent skepticism, this series of stories is a nice overview of Ronson's journeys as a reporter. From the Insane Clown Posse to a Disney cruise-liner, Ronson stops at nothing to push his understanding of how the world works. The stories can be interesting, funny, heartbreaking, and baffling. "Lost at Sea" is a must listen for Ronson fans and conspiracy theorists alike.

Disappointing

I've read a few other books by this author and found this one to be unengaging so I returned it. Many of the stories I listened to seemed half finished. I'm not sure why so many people gave this a positive review.

Funny, informative, entertaining in all ways.

So many laugh out loud moments throughout the fascinating stories. It’s a great collection of Jon Ronson experiences.

Jon Ronson never fails to execute a good book

Would you listen to Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries again? Why?

Yes, there is a diverse amount of information and it would be enjoyable to listen to again.

As good as Ronson usually is

Any additional comments?

Not as good as some, but what it lacks in depth it makes up for in breadth. Ronson's usual wry humor is as good as ever.

Thoughtful Journalism About Fringe Phenomena

There are two kinds of readers: those who are devoted Jon Ronson fangirls-and-boys, and those who haven’t heard of Jon Ronson yet. Friends, I present Jon Ronson: a bespectacled British journalist who writes thoughtful long-form journalism about quirky fringe phenomena like telepathy, aliens, and psychopaths. He was first introduced to an American audience on the radio show This American Life, and he’s got a knack for the sort of stuff that makes fans of that show swoon — sniffing out the peculiar in everyday life, getting to the heart with equal parts empathy and wit, and drawing wry conclusions about modern life. Lost at Sea is his collection of haunting and hilarious shorter pieces from the past decade, including stories about Insane Clown Posse, James Bond, Stanley Kubrick, robots, and too many other bizarre and wonderful things to name. Ronson is a fabulous narrator of his own work, and my like for Lost at Sea blossomed into full-blown love when I switched from the print to the audio.

Footnote: the audio is worth it simply for the pleasure of hearing Jon Ronson read Insane Clown Posse lyrics in a dry British accent, and the chapters were the perfect length for commuting and exercise stints.

Not as Interesting as I had Hoped

I struggled with whether to give this a 2 or 3 star rating. I eventually settled on the three star, because there was enough material in it that kept me interested. However, there was also quite a bit that I could care less about, either because it wasn't interesting to me or because I had no idea who the person was he was talking about. I also agree with what several other reviewers said: the endings of the stories were abrupt at times and it left you with a sense of incompletion.

Additionally, I said it before on one of his prior audio books, and I will say it again: I don't think he is best suited to narrate his own books. I bought two of his other books at the same time because the topics looked interesting, but if I had realized he narrated all of them, I may have thought twice before doing so.