Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend

The story was compelling, but the narration was artless and dull. Even a long distance drive was better once I turned it off. I wish good authors would hire equally skilled narrators to bring their work to life!

For once, I did not want to get to the end of a book. The author/narrator rendered a wonderful story about a dog I grew up watching on TV. So much research was presented with style and interesting language. Learning about the dog, his devoted owner, and the cartel of other characters that surrounded Rin Tin Tin in his many lives was fascinating. An artful documentary of a beloved creature!

seriously, though, I don't mind Orlean's performance. True, she's not a pro, but there's nuance and wit to her reading.

This very detailed biography starts with a bang, but loses a bit of steam in the last third or so. I loved hearing about the origins of Rin Tin Tin, and I cried when (SPOILER ALERT, I guess) Rinty I dies.

seriously, though, I don't mind Orlean's performance. True, she's not a pro, but there's nuance and wit to her reading.

This very detailed biography starts with a bang, but loses a bit of steam in the last third or so. I loved hearing about the origins of Rin Tin Tin, and I cried when (SPOILER ALERT, I guess) Rinty I dies.

I agree with the other reviews about the artless and flat narration. But the writing is not that much better. It should have been titled "My Life Researching and Obsessing over Rin Tin Tin." Far too much of the book is about the author's experiences in researching the story and her philosophical musings about the actual dog and his movie and TV persona. And her numerous digressions are pointless and tedious. Why did the author find it necessary to devote space to the man who impersonated the actor who had portrayed Rusty on the TV series.
The first part of the book dealing with the discovery of the "real" Rin Tin Tin on a WWI battlefield and his rise to stardom was interesting.

If you are expecting a wonderful story about a dog, this isn't it. It's the bio of an antisocial man who loved dogs, followed by the people who made a dog story into a movie and television franchise. Rich in details, if you love Rin Tin Tin, it's everything you ever wanted to know and a lot more of what happened behind the curtain. It's not for those of us battling cynicism.

I like Orlean's writing and the subject was great, but I totally agree with those who speak of her flat, nasal delivery. A different narrator would have done this book a world of good. It was a constant struggle for me to decide to wade through the book because of the great topic or chuck it because the narration was so irritating.

A wonderful story that combines the history of film and television with the tale of Rin Tin Tin and his descendents. I thought it got a little slow toward the end, but otherwise, I couldn't put it down. I love dogs, but I don't think you need to be a dog-lover to enjoy this book.

Please save me from authors who think they will be the best narrators for their books. Susan Orlean is clearly a very good author but her nasal voice and flat delivery detracted from her writing and the story of this otherwise enjoyable book. I had to listen with a split mind since her voice drove me a bit batty. Please, Ms Orlean, stick to writing.

Probably not, although with some incisive editing, she could be a decent story-teller.
I'm with an earlier viewer with regard to the amount of tangents and the mind-numbing minutiae. The Ann Frank anecdotal digression was interesting, as were a few others, but overall, meh To be fair, I don't remember "Rinty", and as this was a book group selection, it wouldn't have been a title that I'd have chosen on my own.

Hire a professional actor/narrator to read a skillfully edited version.