Just One Damned Thing After Another: An Audible Original Drama

I am frustrated by this audioplay... I love this St. Mary's universe and want nothing but continued success and fame for author Jodi Taylor, including expansion to other forms of media if possible. I am never the person to snobbishly complain about book-to-video adaptations and actually prefer the opportunity to see a different creative take on great stories. But the script of this adaptation just doesn't sit right when compared to the book series.

While the vocal performances are quite good (especially the always brilliant Zara Ramm), and some details from the books are beautifully incorporated in this audioplay (Bairstow's ticking clock, Kleio's musical tones), there are many distracting changes to some seminal St. Mary's themes and details.

Some of the main cast of characters are essentially ignored (Peterson, Foster, Dowson, Mack), and some have quite different personalities (Leon is melodramatic, publicly flirtatious, and classically charming instead of painfully stoic, romantically awkward, and flawed). Many elements from the book are included, but in a different order or under different circumstances that feel shoe-horned for no reason instead of out of necessity for the change in storytelling format.

I must give credit to the way the scenes at the WWI hospital at the Somme were recorded... that was one of the most emotionally impactful parts from the book for me, and the sound effects used in this audioplay really ramp up the intensity.

It is not an unpleasant listen, and I'm glad I gave it a shot, but I have a feeling die-hard St. Mary's fans will not enjoy as much as they had hoped.

I don't even know how to rate this book. One star, yes. Uninspired cast/performance, yes. Bad script, yes. A word about Jodi Taylor, she is one of the best writers of dialog out there, but these idiots changed it and left out the best lines. I didn't like this book? performance? whatever this thing is. And the sound is bloody awful too. For the movie please get a good writer. Why don't I know how to rate this? Because it is Jodi and Max and I love them, and it is a good story, just not this time.

If you have not read the book, don't read this, it is not the book, you will love the book. If you have read the book, run.

Where was Peterson? Max's best friend. Shows up twice. Markham the third member of the dream team is a clown????

the overuse of sound effects. the overuse of screaming. The extended "scenes" that i just, for the love of god, wanted to end.

An absolute yes to Jodi Taylor. I'm sure Marty Ross can turn out a fine script, just not this time.

The narrators were okay. Zara Ramm is fantastic.

The original story is wonderful. Buy that one and all the rest in the series.

It wouldn't take much, just stay with the story as originally written by Jodi Taylor. I understand that changes need to be made for this type of adaptation, but there is NO reason to re-write it. The many, many followers of the 'disaster-magnets of St. Mary's' prove that Jodi Taylor has done a great job of creating a world, populating it with characters you care about who act consistently throughout, without being in your face hostile and aggressive.

Not if it is a dramatization of popular series.

Extreme disappointment with Audible and Accent for allowing this project to continue with all of the changes made; with some anger at the changes made which are contrary not only to the original, but with the philosophy of the 'world'; and sadness that new listeners would think that this is St. Mary's and the story written by Jodi Taylor. I was also astounded by the aggressive, back-stabbing confrontations that were created and that the subtlety and quiet humor was wholly lacking.

This is not a story for die-hard fans of St. Mary's or anyone who might want to be one.

What an awful awful massacre of a great book. Stick to the regular audios read by Zara Ramm. This is a disaster.

It definitely ranks at the top! The cast was incredible and brought to life a story I already love. I really enjoyed the entire thing, so it's at the top of my list.

I liked that they stuck close to the original, but added in scenes we wouldn't normally have seen/heard. Such as Barclay & Ronan, Ronan & Sussman, all of the little bits we either didn't know happened or knew happened but now we were exposed to them.

I love Zara Ramm and her continued performance of Max is brilliant. I really enjoyed the multiple narrators and they each brought personality to the character they were voicing.

Maybe if you haven't read the book you might endure, but if you're a fan of the books or audio books stay clear!!!

Not sure...I was left a bit bereft after experiencing this version of Jodi Taylor's classic St. Mary's adventure. It felt like something important was missing and I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but then noticed some of my favorite characters were missing.

It was perhaps a bit too much huffing and puffing throughout, like the characters were out of breath. It became distracting.

I always,always love Ms Zara Ramm's narration. She brings everyone to life for me. The other narrators fell a bit flat, but that's probably because I'm used to Zara Ramm doing all the voices. If I had never listened to the original St. Mary books, I might have enjoyed it more.

Not for me...I much prefer listening to the original St Mary books by Zara Ramm.

I'm glad I made this purchase, it was different from the original in that it was a drama and I like to try new things. I was just a bit disappointed that it was so very different from the book.

I love the writing of the original work but this was forced and just horrible. I tried to listen to it as a unique work and it really left me wanting, and as an adaptation of some of my favorite listens I found it self indulgent and bloated in all the wrong areas.

I will read things Jodi writes till she stops but no more adaptations.

Zara Ramm and the other actors can't be blamed for bad scripting.

most of them

I adore the series this is based on, Fantastic in every way. I have read the critical reviews and have to disagree, respectfully. This is not meant to be another in the series, this is a fun adaption of the first book. It is like a play.. Not everything is included and things were changed, but it is still a blast. I felt is was a cool peek into the Saint Mary's Universe from a different view point. I agree the original series should be read first, but I truly enjoyed this book.