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

Discontinuous but Interesting

This book was an interesting collection of stories, but not Ronson's best work. As always, the narration by Ronson himself was excellent. However, I am still unsure of the overall theme of the book. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Ronson's work.

Didn't know who he was, now want all his books

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

Yes and I would and there's no question that I will. There's a lot of information and a lot of interesting thought provoking articles. I didn't even know who this guy was before getting this book on sale - now I want all of his books.

What other book might you compare Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries to and why?

Maybe you could say it's similar to Christopher Hitchen's book on his essays - but not exactly...

What about Jon Ronson’s performance did you like?

Well, he was very matter of fact and has a great way of drawing you in without being overly dramatic.

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

It made me laugh and cry

Any additional comments?

So worth a listen.

Super interesting and fun to listen to!

Would you consider the audio edition of Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries to be better than the print version?

Part of why I wanted to listen to Jon Ronson's books and not read them is because I loved his spots on This American Life. This is like a very long, Jon Ronson-only This American Life episode... and I LOVE it! All of the stories are so interesting, so unique and read so well. I'm addicted to his work and can't wait to hear more of his audiobooks.

Journalism at its best

Where does Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The British journalist and writer Jon Ronson offers a different look about people and their stories in Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries, even without translation into Brazil. The book contains several articles that address topics in gonzo style, in which the author will investigate, interviewing and becomes almost a character in the plot.

What did you like best about this story?

In its 28 chapters, the book provides intriguing and surprising stories. The story of a psychic charlatan, the painter who signed works done by his wife for decades, fraud in a program like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the suspicious disappearance of a young woman over a Disney cruise and narrative about musician and businessman show business Jonathan King, arrested because of several counts of child sexual abuse are just some of the fascinating subjects counted with talent Ronson.

Which character – as performed by Jon Ronson – was your favorite?

The chapter about Daniel Johnston.

Any additional comments?

The best known of the six author's books is The men who stared at goats, released as a film in 2009 with Ewan McGregor and George Clooney in the cast. The book, next to the psychopath test, was released in Brazil. But the work of Jon Ronson goes beyond the printed texts. Stanley Kubrick's Boxes is a documentary directed by the author that should be seen by every admirer of the filmmaker and his work.

Essential Listening

If you could sum up Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries in three words, what would they be?

Amusing, astounding, enlightening

What did you like best about this story?

I am interested in the same things that Jon Ronson is obsessed with.

Which character – as performed by Jon Ronson – was your favorite?

John Ronson is an excellent reader of his own work, and since the central character in this book is himself, I'd have to say John Ronson is my favorite character in the book. Although I also loved hearing about Stanley Kubrik!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I did it in two.

Any additional comments?

I'd highly recommend this audiobook to anyone. It's a great listen. Ronson is an excellent journalist and this collection of insightful short pieces gets right to the heart of what is going on in the world today.

Worth Credit 4 Dry Witt Alone, Why Not Learn Too?

I have read all of Jon Ronson's books. And I'm pleased to say, I have enjoyed them all.

Each book subject matter is different, which is refreshing, all the while he manages to convey a steady stream of self-deflecting observations. There is no way not to like this guy. Plus, you learn so much.
Would I recommend using your credit to purchased this Audio Book? That would be A Huge HECK Yes! Notice I didn't swear. And your welcome. SMILE

Enjoyable and insightful...and delightfully morose

Any additional comments?

Ronson's book is a wrap-up of many of his essays and articles. For those who have read them before and want to hear them again, this is a nice way to do it. Ronson takes an intensely objective view at controversial figures and topics, and does so in a way that is self aware and often ingenious. His narration is perfectly suited to his writing style, and you come away with a sense of being wiser about the bits of the world that are usually somewhat veilled from us.

interesting listen

I listened to every chapter with great interest. I frequently wondered how the author found so much time to do the research and spend the time needed with each of the subjects. Needless to say, I learned quite a bit about a variety of different things from real life super heroes (and mutual combat), Stanley Kubrick, and human euthanasia.

The audio quality umped around a bit and it was apparent the recordings were made in different locations, sometimes within the same chapter. It was a bit distracting. The narrator also sounded tired at times and it was not the same quality as when he read Psychopath Test. Regardless, I will be listening to this recording again.

Entertaining

I liked it. Jon Ronson has a knack for storytelling. The book is quite interesting although I think the psycopath test is his best yet. I gave it there stars because of the foul language and over detailed description of the deeds of paedophiles . I really don't care much for private lives and intimate acts of individuals on the fringe s of society

The listener

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

The ability of Mr. Jon Ronson to respect the characters with whom he interacts. HIs respect for the "Oddballs" of the world is worthy of praise. He is a true "participate observer" and a balanced translator of the humans who he encounters.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I enjoyed his authentic presentation and enthusiasm for his topic.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to pick they are all good stories. I think the "Lost at Sea" is very well done.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Thank you Jon Ronson, whose name seems like a dyslexic joke I very much enjoyed your work. The NLP story is what Ronson was told but it omits Virginia Satir, the primary teacher for Bandler and Grinder.