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Between the Desire and the Dream
- Selected Poems by T. S. Eliot
- Narrated by: Dennis Regan, Michelle Dumelle, Stephen O'Connor
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Publisher's Summary
Included are "The Love Son of J. Alfred Prufrock", "The Hollow Men", "Preludes", and "Portrait of a Lady".
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What listeners say about Between the Desire and the Dream
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Laura
- 02-12-13
Words exquisite RUINED by music
T.S. Eliots words are exsquisit as always. I've read them many times.
I was very disappointed in this audio version, however. The background music is LOUD and overpowering. At times I could not make out the words AT ALL for the overpowering background music. In addition, there are times when the narrator uses a really annoying, unnecessary hallow echo effect as if speaking into a metal tube. It is distracting, strange and not needed. Really. Just Elliot's words are enough. Just read his words, please. No cheesy, silly, over powering music or special effects are necessary.
13 people found this helpful
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- Margaret
- 06-30-14
Dreadful, Overbearing Production Required Refund
Whoever thought playing loud, discordant music that drowns out the sound of the reading of TS Eliot's "Hollow Men" was a good idea is an IDIOT. The poetry, of course, is the reason you download this - and you can't even HEAR it over the discordant cacophony of "music." And - uh - poetry has its own meter, so overlaying other soundtracks over it makes it pretty difficult to absorb the original work. I exercised Audible's refund option.
7 people found this helpful
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- Elizabeth
- 02-15-12
Do you like elevator music? If so, this is for you
Any additional comments?
1 hour and 2 minutes containing 4 poems interspersed with too-long intervals of really boring music and ending with an unbroken, 30 minute section, of elevator music.
11 people found this helpful
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- jbay99
- 04-03-17
Disaster
Great rendition with exception of the musical background. It's too loud and goes on for an extensive 25 additional minutes. Waste of money despite the book being a cheap purchase. I'm very dissatisfied. Awful. I do wish audible would do a better job of screening its collection.
1 person found this helpful
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- Andrew Cotton
- 11-21-16
Horrible
Aaah. I've never written a review but this is a necessary community service. The poor voices are as nothing when compared with the spooky weird music that they struggle against and finnally lose to. The last 20 odd minutes is just the the 'music'. Zero stars does not seem to be permitted so the single star is for those who enjoy self abuse.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jay Quintana
- 02-20-22
Horrible! If you do buy this, please listen...
... while the refund window is still open. It's almost certain you're going to return this. Unfortunately, I waited too long. Nor did I read the reviews before I bought this. The narrator is excellent. And, needless to say, so are the poems. The problem is, you can barely hear the narrator because he's drowned out by hackneyed, overly-dramatic music. I stopped listening after Prufrock.
I have no idea how it's possible to think Eliot's poetry needed an action movie score.
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- petr
- 02-08-14
I LIKE IT !!!
If you could sum up Between the Desire and the Dream in three words, what would they be?
Words, music, images.
What other book might you compare Between the Desire and the Dream to and why?
Franz Kafka's Trial
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
Clarity, emphasis, rhythm.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes: "This is the way the world ends..."
Any additional comments?
I respectfully disagree with some of the other reviewers: 1) this is not elevator music, 2) the music does enhance the words.
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- marian
- 02-16-16
Sound effects killed it
Could have rated five stars. Loud, intrusive music make it a one star. And it only gets worse as you listen to it. Don't buy it.
1 person found this helpful
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- Catherine
- 05-07-10
disappointing
The poem selection and the readings are good but the background music that runs throughout is so dominating that it is a constant struggle to make out the words. In the end I gave up and find it deeply frustrating that now I must buy another T S Eliot collection.
6 people found this helpful
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- John C. Macdonald
- 05-13-16
Spoiled by over dominant music
Any additional comments?
A good narrator and a more than worthy work for a music accompanied performance. But oh-dear what a disaster with over loud and mostly inappropriate music.
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- Reginald pelle
- 04-13-13
Excellent!
Eliot is an absolute genius. Full of intellect, charm and exquisite vision. Care and empathy, throughout. Very well recommended to listen to!