Kerplunk!

Stories

By: Patrick F. McManus

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

This is the latest hilarious collection of folksy, humorous, and wonderfully wise stories about country life from the best-selling author of The Blight Way.

Patrick F. McManus has garnered legions of faithful fans with his monthly column in Outdoor Life and his many celebrated books, including the New York Times best-sellers The Grasshopper Trap and The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw. The humor and warmth of Kerplunk! put the book right up there with the very best of McManus. A rollicking blend of Dave Barry and Garrison Keillor, with a twist of Mark Twain, McManus is an American classic whose wry, curmudgeonly tales appeal to real outdoorsmen and the armchair variety alike. There are nearly two million copies of his books in print.

The stories in Kerplunk! travel the byways and highways of the Pacific Northwest, bringing to life offbeat, down-home characters who hope their grandchildren can pick the lock on the gun safe because they've forgotten the combination, who know exactly why it costs $500 to make a fly lure that retails for $2, and who aren't afraid to confront the problems of bird-dog flatulence.

©2007 Patrick F. McManus (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Everybody should read Patrick McManus." ( The New York Times Book Review)
"McManus narrates his woodsy stories with a laid-back style that will earn many smiles." ( Publishers Weekly)

narrator nightmare

Though I am only 20 minutes into this book I had to stop and put in my first review ever even though I have been an audible customer for many years. I have no doubt I will like the book, I have never been shorted on laughs by Pat McManus. The narrator on the other hand is the worst I have heard to date. Picture if you will a class of first graders learning to read, then picture one with a deep voice. It is narrated choppy and hesitant and I can't quite come up with the words to properly describe. I found it to be distracting and will most likely stop listening to this one and just get the hard copy. I gave 3 stars because the author rates 5 and the narrator 1. I would recommend listening to the sample prior to purchasing this title.

Kerplunk

We thoroughly enjoyed this book on one of our road trips. Pat McManus is an old, entertaining friend to all members of our family.

Many laughs, smiles, chuckles while listening

I had put this audiobook on the Wish List for a while, wanting to hear another Patrick McManus set of stories, but turned off by the many critical reviews of the narrator. I had tried the Sample audio, but that only seemed to confirm the negative comments.

But, in dire need of some comedy, and also some high craftsmanship in story telling after having listened to some merely adequate audiobooks produced by less talented authors, I went ahead and gambled on this audiobook.

With preconceived prejudice against the narrator Dick Hill, and being used to Norman Dietz as the voice of Patrick McManus, the first story was listened to with resentment. And as Dick Hill started with the story of Strange, the dog, and the turkey gravy, I was still listening with negativity toward the different voice. But, I was laughing. Laughing so hard that I was glad I was home alone and not listening in public.

Soon, I noticed that the voice was smoothing out and story after story lifted my mood, and I kept laughing, or at least chuckling or smiling or just enjoying one well crafted and funny tale after another.

Midway, I had become used to Dick Hill's version of narrating and forgot any resentment over change and saw how well he was telling the stories. He was great at it, with perfect timing and still retaining the humanity and cleverness that is an undercurrent in Mr. McManus' work.

Well done again to Mr. McManus, and thank you to Mr. Hill!

I love McManus....what else can I say?

I prefer when McManus reads his own work, but Dick Hill does alright. This series of short stories is one I continue to listen to when I need a laugh. McManus is my role model for learning to laugh at our own foibles and enjoying those of others. He's also my role model for how to write. I hope he continues to do so!

Do not buy this book!

The reader was so bad it made the excellent stories moot. About every third word was over modulated, coming across scratchy.

worst audiobook reader ever.

huge fan of Patrick McManus, but this book is not funny and narrator is terrible.

Great Book, Poor quality Reader.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The book /Story, is great like all Patrick McManus Books. The Reader for THIS book is not fluent, Listen to an exerpt first, before you buy.

What did you like best about this story?

Always funny and stiring my imagination!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Dick Hill?

Norman Dietz, Perhaps Mr. McManus himself, or any of the previous readers.

Did Kerplunk! inspire you to do anything?

It has inspired me to further emphasize to my children 'the need to learn to read well.'

Any additional comments?

I don't mean to be