Talker

By: Amy Lane

Narrated by: David Kaplan

Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Tate "Talker" Walker has spent most of his life hiding his scars under a bright punk facade, and until he sat next to Brian Cooper on a bus, it worked. But Brian has spent his whole life being the invisible man, and he's used to looking below the surface. What he sees in Talker is a fragile and lovable human being.

Brian is outwardly straight, but Talker is desperate for love, and when Talker's behavior leads to some painful consequences, Brian is forced to come out of his closet—in dramatic fashion. He'll do anything to make sure Talker sees that he's the Prince Charming Talker has always needed.

©2010 Amy Lane (P)2011 Amy Lane

Good High School Gay Story

I am a mature gay man and not a pedophile. I listen to this kind of fiction with an ear toward what I wish was available when I was growing up gay. I have mixed feeling about the graphic sexual conduct. A straight version of this story, while including the sex would hardly be as explicit, making it more acceptable to parents to recommend it as a coming of age story that would speak to the universality love. But it is what it is, and I wish it were available 40 years ago.

Talker

Would you listen to Talker again? Why?

I really enjoyed this book. It will be one of my re-reads/relistens.

What did you like best about this story?

I always enjoy books that shows how folks learn to communicate with each other.

What about David Kaplan’s performance did you like?

You really felt what the characters were feeling. He did a great job.

Who was the most memorable character of Talker and why?

I liked both MC's, they were both struggling with growing up and loving.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoy all of Amy Lane's books.

I wish this was not a short story I wanted more

This is a short story so worth reading. I wanted so much more. I wish this was a novel. I loved it!!!

Liked it Better in Ebook

I read this as an ebook several years ago and quite enjoyed it. This time listening to it didn't work for me. The narration made it hard to keep up with what was going on. Also I couldn't always tell if someone was talking or not. The narrator didn't really do much for the characters.

Terrible narration

The narration for this book is horrendous. The intonation and phrasing make it extremely difficult to follow. There are pauses mid sentence that don't make any sense. The story seemed to chop and change and bounce all over the place. It was extremely hard to follow. I'm not sure how much of that was due to the narration and how much due to the writing.

Sweet story but...

It's a sweet story, but I think it got downplayed by the narrator. He added no emotion to the story. It was a bit confusing the back and forth with past and present but again, that may have been delivered better from the narrator.

Very boring book

What did you like best about Talker? What did you like least?

I did not like it. It was nothing like Amy Lane's Keeping Promise Rock or The Locker Room.

What could Amy Lane have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Nothing. I shouldn't have bought it, that's all.

What does David Kaplan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I now have another male narrator to add to my list of favorites:)

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

It has and I made the mistake of buying them but I'll wait awhile and see if I want to give it another try. If it still sucks, I'll get a refund.

i didn't hate it but...

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Length, plot development, stronger characters, better plot...

What do you think your next listen will be?

Probably something from Josh Lanyon. He really is the best at gay fiction!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

he was ok. He was probably the reason i listened all the way through.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Meh, Amy Lane can do better

A bit hard to follow at times

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. Parts of it are hard to follow and it seems to jump around from place to place and from this timeline to that timeline.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Probably Brian. I think I identified with him more than I did with Talker.

What aspect of David Kaplan’s performance would you have changed?

He mispronounces some words but other than that, he is a very good reader.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

If it had been a longer book, possibly with a greater antagonist it would have faired better in my eyes.

Any additional comments?

A good listen, but a bit short and hard to follow at first.

Cute story, overly dramatic ending

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

More cute moments, there were a few in their past and I liked their past interactions. It is the melodramatic climax I have issues with. I realize it would have been a 'flat' endning if they had just sat down and talked, but that would probably have made my rating go up.

Has Talker turned you off from other books in this genre?

It hasn't turned me off from the teenage/coming of age genre, but it has made me a bit more cautios in what I pick.

Did David Kaplan do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

While Kaplan has a nice voice it is often difficult to distinguish whether it is talk, speech or thoughts he is reading. The book isn’t chronological, the changes are marked as ‘then’ and ‘now’, but this isn’t expressed thoroughly enough in either tone or pause. If you are aware of it and make sure to pay close attention it doesn’t matter, but otherwise it might be somewhat confusing in the beginning. I had to sit afterwards and piece the two different timelines together.

What character would you cut from Talker?

I would cut the present characters and just keep the story of the past ones.

Any additional comments?

It is a cute story, but overly dramatic in the end. The narration experience doesn't add much to the experience but can cause some confusion.

The boy of your dreams; close but yet so far.

Would you listen to Talker again? Why?

Yes. The story is beautiful. It's subtle and it's down-to-Earth. Nothing's perfect and this shows how one deals with the imperfections and makes it pure.

I liked the musical intermissions to signify a new chapter and it relates to the personality of one of the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Talker?

The non-phone phone sex talk.

What does David Kaplan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He brings expression to words. For instance, sometimes as the protagonist speaks, he follows his sentence with a exclamation thought. David does express it that keeps to the meaning.

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

Yes. I could have easily have if I had the chance.

Any additional comments?

Bonus points for having Audiobook Artwork that gives a good visualisation to the appearance of the characters. Especially for Tate.