Monster

A Novel

De: A. Lee Martinez

Narrado por: Eric Michael Summerer

Meet Monster. Meet Judy. Two humans who don't like each other much, but together must fight dragons, fire-breathing felines, trolls, Inuit walrus dogs, and a crazy cat lady - for the future of the universe.

Monster runs a pest-control agency. He's overworked and has domestic troubles - like having the girlfriend from hell.

Judy works the night shift at the local Food Plus Mart. Not the most glamorous life, but Judy is happy. No one bothers her, and if she has to spell things out for the night-manager every now and again, so be it.

But when Judy finds a Yeti in the freezer aisle eating all the Rocky Road, her life collides with Monster's in a rather alarming fashion. Because Monster doesn't catch raccoons; he catches the things that go bump in the night. Things like ogres, trolls, and dragons. Oh, and his girlfriend from Hell? She actually is from Hell.

©2009 A. Lee Martinez (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Martinez pokes at big-picture questions, like the nature of the universe and the meaning of life, with abundant, zany humor in this charming tale." (Publishers Weekly)

If a Pantheon Funded Free-Lance Men-In-Black

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

Rated: PG13 some sexual situations

Static or Dynamic: Not overly either. It had descriptions, but wasn't tedious and it had plot twists but they weren't corkscrews.

1st or 3rd Person: 3rd person: follows 2-3 main characters through a slice of life in the fantasy realm

Abstract or Concrete: Sufficiently both. Some things were abstract like the mechanics of fantastical retrograde amnesia, others parts were more concrete like the specific behaviors of a plethora of mystical animals.

Linear or Non-Linear: Weakly Linear: the plot goes forward through time but it's not until a ways in that you feel like it's actually leading to a conclusion.

Narrator: It's been a while since I've heard the book and I can't say that I particularly remember the experience. That can be good and bad. It wasn't so horrible I couldn't stand it, but it wasn't particularly spectacular.

Plot Outline: So mythical animals are all around us but you never notice them because your brain induces amnesia to counter the weirdness of it all. Monster, our protagonist is one of the guys that clears up these little monster sightings. Things get more complicated when some overly strange things tend to happen to one of the people he meets and the story floats around that for a while until it pulls towards a conclusion. I get the impression that the strange happenings of the story were devices for making jokes and poking fun at the mystical world that we apparently live in. This is mostly a comedy and if you're looking for something groundbreaking or overly involving you will probably be disappointed. However, if you'd like a chuckle on your way to work, this is perfect.

Tone a little unpowered, but great story

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

Creative, fun, unpowered.

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

Anything by sullivan is sufficiently intricate.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Good voices, wish the tone was a little more energetic, as the story seemed to have a little more power than the narrators opinion.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Bill and Ted meet the labyrinth

Entertaining, but doesn't quite live up

The book promises high spirited fun with monsters living and being hunted among us. There are certainly some fun characters (Monster's girlfriend for instance) and interesting twists, but none of the characters really grab you and nothing in the story is truly original. Certainly worth a listen. A Solid B+

Idea better than execution

Some great ideas form the basis of this book, but the execution was not well done. I think that a sequel could be a lot better as it has potential.

Promising!

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

A fresh interpretation!

What other book might you compare Monster to and why?

Obviously writing about the supernatural is big business these days, but Monster has such a hapless main character that I found it quite unique. Everyone is kinda nasty, but it's hilarious! I think the premise is very promising, and although the writing could use some polish, seeing the characters develop could be great fun if this continues on in a series.

Fun and Easy Listen

If you could sum up Monster in three words, what would they be?

Comical, Magical, Fun

Who was your favorite character and why?

Judy was my favorite character because I could relate to her and her feelings about her work, her sister and her life.

Which character – as performed by Eric Michael Summerer – was your favorite?

Monster

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me laugh a lot.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The characters were pretty interesting and I could really relate to some of the characters and how they viewed their jobs and lives.

Funny story good, not great.

Like other Martinez pieces, it's a fun unique concept that is fairly entertaining, but not the most engaging story ever. Worth a listen if you know you'll like Martinez's humour and style.

Another experience only Martinez can give

Fun, scary with laughter. Look forward to his next work. Original and can listen more than once.

Great story great narrator

I love this author, this was the first book of his I encountered and I enjoyed it all the way through. I will defiantly seek out his other work. Big fan of fantasy sci fi and he hits every nail on every head. Keeps that element of cheese that all lot of books in this genre has keeps it fresh and realistic. Like peeking IMO an alternate universe

Promising, but just misses target

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I feel it could have been if just a few things were changed.Give the main character a better name and by extension the title of the book.Explain what he is, human, elf, oversized dwarf something.

If you’ve listened to books by A. Lee Martinez before, how does this one compare?

First listen

Which character – as performed by Eric Michael Summerer – was your favorite?

No question Chester the paper gnome

Do you think Monster needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Sorry I have no interest in "Monster", would love to hear more about Chester, Judy, and Ed

Any additional comments?

Great ideas were expressed except main character was shallow and misnamed. Can not understand how supporting characters can be so rich and main character so void.