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To Say Nothing of the Dog
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Doomsday Book
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Red Mars
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,373
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Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, Red Mars is the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson's best-selling trilogy. Red Mars is praised by scientists for its detailed visions of future technology. It is also hailed by authors and critics for its vivid characters and dramatic conflicts.
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Old School Hard Sci Fi, but softly
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Junk
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 8,568
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Set in present-day Los Angeles, Junk explores an epic conspiracy, one at work for thousands of years that involves total takeover of the planet Earth by aliens. In the wild, souped-up vision of Les Bohem - the acclaimed, Emmy-winning writer of the Steven Spielberg miniseries, Taken - the world is at the end stage of long-range plot that involves a gigantic genetic-engineering project. The aliens who have invaded us have no planet. No spaceship is coming. Instead, a small advance force comes, breeds, and dies - thus becoming an anomaly in our DNA that can’t be explained.
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Junk
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The Windup Girl
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 5,683
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 3,873
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Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko...Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman.
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Al Gore nightmare meets Blade Runner.
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Hard Magic
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,999
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Jake Sullivan is a licensed private eye with a seriously hardboiled attitude. He also possesses raw magical talent and the ability to make objects in his vicinity light as a feather or as heavy as depleted uranium, all with a magical thought. It's no wonder the G-men turn to Jake when they need someoneto go after a suspected killer who has been knocking off banks in a magic-enhanced crime spree.
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Darwin's Radio
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In a cave high in the Alps, a renegade anthropologist discovers a frozen Neanderthal couple with a Homo sapiens baby. Meanwhile, in southern Russia, the U.N. investigation of a mysterious mass grave is cut short. One of the investigators, molecular biologist Kaye Lang, returns home to the U.S. to learn that her theory on human retroviruses has been verified with the discovery of SHEVA, a virus that has slept in our DNA for millions of years and is now waking up.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Don't have to be a biologist to enjoy!
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Doomsday Book
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 5,124
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 4,217
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For Oxford student Kivrin, traveling back to the 14th century is more than the culmination of her studies - it's the chance for a wonderful adventure. For Dunworthy, her mentor, it is cause for intense worry about the thousands of things that could go wrong.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Timely, beautiful, terrible and haunting
- By mudcelt on 11-02-09
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Red Mars
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- Length: 23 hrs and 51 mins
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,373
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Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, Red Mars is the first book in Kim Stanley Robinson's best-selling trilogy. Red Mars is praised by scientists for its detailed visions of future technology. It is also hailed by authors and critics for its vivid characters and dramatic conflicts.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Old School Hard Sci Fi, but softly
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Junk
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- Narrated by: John Waters
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 8,568
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 7,886
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 7,872
Set in present-day Los Angeles, Junk explores an epic conspiracy, one at work for thousands of years that involves total takeover of the planet Earth by aliens. In the wild, souped-up vision of Les Bohem - the acclaimed, Emmy-winning writer of the Steven Spielberg miniseries, Taken - the world is at the end stage of long-range plot that involves a gigantic genetic-engineering project. The aliens who have invaded us have no planet. No spaceship is coming. Instead, a small advance force comes, breeds, and dies - thus becoming an anomaly in our DNA that can’t be explained.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Junk
- By glass1748 on 04-01-19
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The Windup Girl
- By: Paolo Bacigalupi
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 5,683
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 3,873
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Story4 out of 5 stars 3,898
Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko...Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Al Gore nightmare meets Blade Runner.
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Hard Magic
- Book I of the Grimnoir Chronicles
- By: Larry Correia
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,955
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,999
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,994
Jake Sullivan is a licensed private eye with a seriously hardboiled attitude. He also possesses raw magical talent and the ability to make objects in his vicinity light as a feather or as heavy as depleted uranium, all with a magical thought. It's no wonder the G-men turn to Jake when they need someoneto go after a suspected killer who has been knocking off banks in a magic-enhanced crime spree.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Not what I thought it was going to be.
- By Clinton on 08-06-11
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Darwin's Radio
- By: Greg Bear
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,072
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 677
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Story4 out of 5 stars 681
In a cave high in the Alps, a renegade anthropologist discovers a frozen Neanderthal couple with a Homo sapiens baby. Meanwhile, in southern Russia, the U.N. investigation of a mysterious mass grave is cut short. One of the investigators, molecular biologist Kaye Lang, returns home to the U.S. to learn that her theory on human retroviruses has been verified with the discovery of SHEVA, a virus that has slept in our DNA for millions of years and is now waking up.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Don't have to be a biologist to enjoy!
- By Sue on 03-07-12
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Sovereign
- By: Jeff Hirsch
- Narrated by: Jesse Einstein
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 11,249
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 10,398
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Story4 out of 5 stars 10,396
Micah Cole has been in deep space for three years while his parents chase their obsession with finding intelligence to the far corners of the universe, but Micah dreams of the friends he left behind and counts the days until they return home. When a devastating meteor shower nearly destroys their ship, Micah is separated from his family and stranded on Sovereign, a vast planet of raging rivers, towering forests, and deadly creatures. If Micah ever wants to see his family or his home again, he’ll have to learn to how to survive on a hostile alien world, all alone.
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3 out of 5 stars
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NOT like the Martian
- By TrustedReviewer on 02-21-19
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Dodge & Twist
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Tony Lee
- Narrated by: Matt Lucas, Stephen Mangan, Michael Socha, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,411
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,079
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,078
It’s rumoured that Dickens wanted to return to his classic novel Oliver Twist, to bring him back into a later book as an older character, but he never managed this before he died. However, if Oliver had returned, what would he have been like? Would the scars of his childhood affect the man he would become? And what of ‘Dodger’, sent to a land halfway around the world, his friend, mentor and master dead because of Oliver? Dodge & Twist is that story. The tale of two boys, 12 years later, returning into each other’s lives - for both good and bad.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Excellent performance, pretty dismal story
- By Kevin on 02-04-19
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Wishes and Wellingtons
- By: Julie Berry
- Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,067
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8,389
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,366
Maeve Merritt chafes at the rigid rules at her London boarding school for “Upright Young Ladies.” When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni with no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master. Soon an orphan boy from the charitable home next door, a mysterious tall man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I didn’t want it to end
- By Julia on 10-05-18
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Camouflage
- By: Joe Haldeman
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 813
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 526
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Story4 out of 5 stars 535
The artifact is found seven miles below the surface of the sea and beneath 40 more feet of sand. The Navy's efforts to raise a wrecked submarine uncover it - and set in motion a scientific race to retrieve it, to discover just what it is and where it came from. Denser than any substance known to man, it has broken every drill bit they've tried on it and will not budge an inch. It resists every effort to breach it - or communicate with it.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Grows on you
- By TucsonBaby on 01-23-09
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Bellwether
- By: Connie Willis
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,224
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 882
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Story4 out of 5 stars 882
Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennett O'Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they find a joint project in a flock of sheep. But a series of setbacks and disappointments arise before they are able to find answers to their questions - with the unintended help of the errant, forgetful, and careless office assistant Flip.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Pattern Recognition" Meets "Office Space
- By Pam on 07-04-12
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Trail of Lightning
- By: Rebecca Roanhorse
- Narrated by: Tanis Parenteau
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,688
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,574
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,576
The sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse have destroyed most of the planet…yet out of these waters, Dinétah, a former Navajo reservation, has been miraculously reborn. Listen along as Tanis Parenteau's impeccable narration, capturing the rhythms of Navajo speech, fully envelopes you into the Sixth World. Trail of Lightning follows our heroine as she walks the land alongside gods, heroes of legend, and monsters alike.
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5 out of 5 stars
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AMAZING STORY
- By Annie Slasher (Booked & Loaded) on 01-14-19
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A Mind of Her Own
- By: Paula McLain
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 14,350
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12,918
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Story4 out of 5 stars 12,887
Paris, 1893. Twenty-five-year-old Marie Sklodowska is studying science at the Sorbonne - one of the only universities in the world that has begun to admit women. A thousand miles from her native Poland, with no money and the odds stacked against any woman daring to pursue a career in such a rigorous field, Marie throws herself into her studies. She's certain that to succeed in a man's world, she will have to go it alone. Her meticulous plans get thrown slightly off-course when Marie attracts the attention of an accomplished young physicist, himself on the precipice of greatness.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Based on a true story
- By Kingsley on 03-01-19
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Jerusalem
- By: Alan Moore
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 60 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 326
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 312
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 312
Alan Moore channels both the ecstatic visions of William Blake and the theoretical physics of Albert Einstein through the hardscrabble streets and alleys of his hometown of Northampton, UK. In the half a square mile of decay and demolition that was England's Saxon capital, eternity is loitering between the firetrap housing projects. Embedded in the grubby amber of the district's narrative, among its saints, kings, prostitutes, and derelicts, a different kind of human time is happening.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Magisterial, magnificent!
- By JackFaust77 on 11-05-16
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Among Others
- By: Jo Walton
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,348
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,191
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 1,194
Startling, unusual, and yet irresistably readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Subtle Character Piece
- By Eoin on 09-15-11
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Fuzzy Nation
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton, John Scalzi - introduction
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,626
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9,719
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,724
In John Scalzi's re-imagining of H. Beam Piper's 1962 sci-fi classic Little Fuzzy, written with the full cooperation of the Piper Estate, Jack Holloway works alone for reasons he doesnt care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorps headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporations headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, thats not up for discussion.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Short, sweet, and satisfying storytelling.
- By Samuel Montgomery-Blinn on 05-11-11
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This Immortal
- By: Roger Zelazny
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 562
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 357
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Story4 out of 5 stars 363
Conrad Nomikos has a long, rich personal history that he'd rather not talk about. And as arts commissioner, he's been given a job he'd rather not do. Escorting an alien grandee on a guided tour of the shattered remains of Earth is not something he relishes - especially since it is apparent that this places him at the center of high-level intrigue that has some bearing on the future of Earth itself.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Master of Sci-Fi
- By phelixdakat on 06-05-08
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The Speed of Dark
- By: Elizabeth Moon
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 709
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 520
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Story4 out of 5 stars 523
In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Totally Recommended!
- By Andrew on 01-02-09
Publisher's Summary
When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Ned's holiday anything but restful - to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history.
Delightfully aided by the perfect comedic timing of narrator Steven Crossley, To Say Nothing of the Dog shows once again why Connie Willis is one of the most talented writers working today.
Critic Reviews
- Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1999
"Willis effortlessly juggles comedy of manners, chaos theory and a wide range of literary allusions [with a] near flawlessness of plot, character and prose." (Publishers Weekly)
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Overall
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- Margaret
- San Francisco, CA USA
- 05-28-16
A Sentimental Favorite
This is one of the books that has lived on my nightstand so I'll always have it close at hand for years. It's my favorite Mr. Dunworthy (auto correct keeps changing his name to Unworthy; forgive me, Connie Willis!) story. It combines elements of farce, light-hearted comedy, gallant romance and time travel. Oh, and the Bishop's bird stump. So glad to now have it in Audible format too. Just charming.
29 of 29 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 07-23-08
A fun read
Part country-house farce, part chaos theory, part time travel fantasy and all fun. This book was long but held the interest and had moments of laugh-out-loud silliness. There wasn't a rush to end the story but a careful playing out of the tale that lent to a sense of near perfect closure as loose ends were neatly woven together. Highly recommended.
86 of 88 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Annette
- 03-21-10
Embarrassing, but i'm a sucker for time travel
And the smarter the time travel, the more I like it. Yeah, this was a bit of a romance novel. A bit of time travel book and a tad of a serial mystery type book. So what? I liked it. It made me happy with it's sense of playfulness and whimsy. Cats extinct, time travel a reality and who doesn't want to spend just a day dressing pretty with an empty head (just a day dammit) and then really like the guy who finds it annoying. Light reading. Veiled romance. Chic book I'd say. And a damn nice one. So there.
30 of 31 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Carol
- 05-04-08
Wonderful
I've read this book several times and wasn't sure it was the best investment in the world to listen to something I was this familiar with. Well, I was wrong. The audio version of this witty, funny book was even better than reading it. If you're looking for an escape to a comedy of manners embedded in speculative fiction, I recommend this book (and, really, anything by Willis) highly. I was sad when it ended.
80 of 85 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roxanna
- Olympia, WA, United States
- 08-29-12
If P G Wodehouse Time Traveled
I LOVED this book and was very sad when it was over! Steven Crossley did an amazing job with his narration. I felt like I had landed in the England of P.G. Wodehouse which somehow got crossed up with several centuries of time travel and the hunt for the world's ugliest vase.
Connie Willis does an astonishing job of weaving together a plethora of odd and loose ends, reeling through well-researched historical tidbits all set in England of various eras; from the 13th century to World War II and the blitz and on to punting on the Thames. The boat scenes are marvelous, complete with a bulldog and various other well-drawn characters. I felt like I knew these people by the time the book was over. I would love to see them off on another adventure through time together.
I listened to this book on a very long drive to California and it was perfect, I found myself yelling at the IPod and making remarks as one might at a movie when you know the answer but the character just doesn't see it. Great fun, well plotted with more twists than Chubby Checker.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- rachel
- Yakima, WA, United States
- 07-15-10
I'm still confused
This is an odd book.
I'm still not sure what I think about it.
The narrator was fine, the story progressed.
I think I came in somewhere in the middle of a series, I had trouble following the action for the first 30min-hour, then I sort of settled into it.
Perhaps this would be more exciting for someone with more interest in late 19th century England, English writers and colleges at the time?
I was happiest near the end when time travel was happening and expectations were being surprised and loose ends were finally being tied up.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Luis
- Miami, Fl, United States
- 03-09-09
Great Book...
This was one of the best Historical Sci-Fi books I have read. The characters were great, it was one of those ooks where I was able to envision mysef as the main character. The narations was excellent. Don't miss it.
26 of 28 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- C
- 12-03-09
A Delightful Romp
Never before have time travel, science, literary allusion and the sticky matter of Victorian manners been brought together so charmingly and so seamlessly. The prose itself is a perfect mix of the modern and the Victorian style, and the reader carries it off with perfect aplomb. The story is witty and delightful, the characters both exasperating and endearing, and the entire 20 hours slide by in a kind of dream of delighted amusement. I couldn't recommend it more!
25 of 27 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Coffee Lover
- Huntsville, AL
- 07-26-10
A Gem
This book was in a word, "delightful" from beginning to end. I can't remember when I have enjoyed an audio book this much. The entire premise is clever, often laugh out loud funny, and beautifully read by Steven Crossley. This was a perfect gem of a comedy with a dash of romance, sci-fi and a bit of mystery thrown in with a marvelously ironic ending. The way the author incorporated Three Men in a Boat was masterful and her handling of Cyril and the cat was perfection. To me, the quality of a book is measured by how it makes you feel when you read or hear it. This made me feel wonderful and I'm very sad that it has ended.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Eliana
- Rohnert Park, CA, USA
- 12-13-08
Hilarious, intelligent and so well narrated
I actually tried to read this book, but just could never seem to really get into it. I decided to give it another try as an audiobook because I like Connie Willis' work so much. Let me tell you, the narrator is so good that he literally brings the story to life. I've been listening in the car to and from work and I've actually been wishing I had a longer commute!
The book is about time travel, chaos theory, three-men in a boat, love...to say nothing of the dog.
22 of 25 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Derek
- 08-17-08
Not what I expected but good,
It took me a while to get into as it is not really science fiction as I would have expected. I nearly gave up at an early stage but I'm glad I didn't.
I would describe it as a blend of historical mystery and romance, with satire and some rather amusing characters. Plenty of clues are given out as the well thought out plot develops. The story moves at a good pace and at all stages there is a lot going on, but I never lost the thread. It is witty with many twists and surprises.
A mixture of genres and not the sort of thing that would normally appeal to my taste, but good enough to keep me entertained.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- B. Hay
- 02-09-18
Willis by Crossley is Perfect
This is Willis at her finest with a novel that is time travel, period romance and wonderful humour that nestles up surprisingly closely to that of her muse and mentor, and J K and Jerome. Above all she evokes a wonderfully realistic sense of Victorian England. Her research is excellent which unfortunately makes her anachronistic use of American English sound all the more jarring. Crossley voices every part brilliantly. One could not ask for a better interpreter. Even when this perfect paragon of Victorian English delivers a decidedly modern North American phrase he does so with unwavering panache. I found him a joy to listen to from start to finish and for a book with so many cleverly drawn characters that is talent indeed.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Dianne
- 10-21-10
Time and tide waits for some!
I love this book so much it is going to take its place with my desert island books. The narrator is fantastic. I didn't want it to end. I fell in love with all the characters, especially Cyril!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-18-10
Not to be missed
This is light hearted and really amusing whilst also having a good storyline. I loved the author's turn of phrase and the wonderful world and characters that were created. Definitely a book not to be missed.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-27-16
what a spectacular performance
it was the most ridiculous story ever and I loved it. I loved the dog cutest thing ever. and the hot mess that is time travel was finally revealed to me. as humanity I suggest that we DONT learn how to do it.
even when I felt the story was tedious the performer kept me engaged and in stitches. I wonder if the book would have been so much fun without him.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michelle
- 08-10-13
Time travel adventure romance - for starters!
Stick with the first couple of chapters, where you'll be nearly as confused as the narrator, Ned Henry. He's a Historian who is suffering from Time Lag after being sent back to 1940 to search for an artifact known as The Bishops Bird Stump). Action, adventure, comedy, rowing, art, jumble sales, croquet, Victorian manners, Oxford, Coventry, the Blitz, Spiritism, a cat addicted to goldfish, a dog called Cecil and a butler who can out-buttle Jeeves…. prepare to be gloriously entertained.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- C. Ellis
- 05-10-11
Baffling in places
The story could have been improved by removing the historical lectures which almost made me listen at double speed.However it was a good story with a twist and some romance. There was gentle humour throughout and references to Three Men in a Boat which I enjoyed.
I was baffled by some of the technical stuff - possibly I just needed to concentrate a bit harder.
I really liked the narrator and found his characters clearly defined and realistic. Princess Arjamon's voice was especially good.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Cay Hasselmann
- 09-15-08
The best Sci-fi since the time travellers wife
If you like mystery stories (Agathe Christie) and Sci-fi this is the best book
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Janet
- 06-13-13
Too many Americanisms for easy listening.
Either Connie Willis bowed to pressure from her American editors ,which I doubt, or she shows a disdainful attitude to both her American readers (by assuming they are uneducated) and to her British readers (by dismissing them as unimportant).
With all the research she has obviously put into this book, she must have known how many words and phrases she has included that would never have been used in Victorian England, and are unlikely to have crept into our language in the future.
'Rowlock', 'drapes', 'Postal Office', 'sailboat', 'gotten', 'fishing pole', 'exclamation point'.
We don't go 'down' to London - we go 'up' to London. We don't 'meet with' people - we 'meet' them. 'Infirmary' takes the definite article.
And as for Tossie's frequent use of the word 'cunning'!
These errors would perhaps be forgiveable if the narrator was American, but hearing a British voice reading those words grated on my nerves.
Otherwise, a pleasant book that deserved its Hugo win.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- E M Hawkes
- 08-17-18
Wonderful
Unputhearable if you get my meaning. I love the idea, story, reading and am just waiting for the next book to download.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Faith Newton
- 09-04-17
Brilliant and hilarious
If you could sum up To Say Nothing of the Dog in three words, what would they be?
I had no idea it was possible to combine so many wonderful genres. mystery, victorian novel, and sci fi adventure all in one. Its hilarious, and such a pleasant read. the characters are wonderful, and the reader does an excellent job. I'm recommending it to everyone. Really great if you want something a little less heavy without giving up wit, intelligence, good plot, and great writing. Beautifully done!
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Laugh out loud reactions consistently. What a great book to read on road trips or on breaks between work
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lachlan Kendall
- 07-14-18
Fantastic Time Travel Rom-Com
I picked up this book after several recommendations from reddit’s r/Fantasy. To Say Nothing of the Dog stands by itself very well, and is fantastically happy and comedic. It was just over 20 hours in audio, and took me a very long time to get through. It felt like a bit of a drag at times, but I think that had more to do with how long it took me to listen to the audiobook, rather than any writing flaws. Overall the book is great fun to listen to, and/or read.
Setting
To Say Nothing of the Dog (How We Found the Bishop’s Bird Stump) by Connie Willis is mostly set in Victorian Era England, with a few exceptions for various different time travel locations. Overall, about 80-90% of the book is probably set in the past during the Victorian Era, with small parts in the present (2050s), and World War 2.
Characters
There are 2 main characters who are thoroughly developed – Ned Henry and Verity Kindle. They’re both time travellers spending their time in Victorian England. There is a large supporting cast, which isn’t overly developed. I found a few of the characters to be more like caricatures, however this was well suited to the comedic elements of the book.
Plot
The book focuses on how small moments can have a massive effect on history, and follows Ned and Verity around as they try to fix an “irregularity” which could cause the Nazi’s to win WWII, or possibly tear apart the space-time continuum, that is to say, reality. They’re also simultaneously required to play the part expected of them in Victorian society.
Overall the book has a large number of plot threads which appear to be wholly irrelevant when you first read them, however they do become important later on. Willis does an excellent job of bringing all the events throughout the novel together in the end.
Other Thoughts
I listened to this audiobook while walking around the streets, and ended up receiving a few weird looks as I randomly started giggling and laughing. The narrator also did a fantastic job.
This is book 2 in the Oxford Time Travel series, but can be read separately from book 1. I’ve been told the tone of book 1 is quite different, but haven’t yet read it myself.
Audience
This book is probably best for people who like:
* Comedy
* Romance
* Time Travel
* History
* Historical fiction
* Sci-fi (it’s pretty light sci-fi though)
* Happy books
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nicola Carson
- 03-23-18
Fabulous!
so many allusions it was hard to keep up. looking forward to listening to the next one.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- ozgribbo
- 02-23-18
Whimsey time travel
I don't normally like time travel books - the contradictions involved annoy me. I made an exception for this book and was glad that I did. More than a hint (acknowledged) of Dorothy L Sayers, Jerome K Jerome and P G Wodehouse. Characterisation was good and I was drawn into the story. The narrator did a terrific job of distinguishing the characters and the mood that was present. Don't know if I would read any more in this series but T liked this.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Russell Phillips
- 09-20-17
Fun listen
A good story and an excellent performance makes this a great audio book for your collection
1 of 1 people found this review helpful