nreyes

A hugely entertaining story

Rédigé le : 05/06/2020

Another Naipaul classic. Timeless, witty and endearing. Expertly narrated by Ron Butler. Along with “A house for Mr Biswas”, this is one of my favourites.

A trippy escapade

Rédigé le : 07/05/2020

Part documentary, part travelogue delivered with wit, style and humour. I thoroughly enjoyed this “trip” set in various places around the world during the author’s travels. Like many of the drugs described, it leaves you wanting more. Looking forward to a Threshold 2, of ever something like that is likely to exist or become reincarnated ...

A treat for V S Naipaul fans

Rédigé le : 02/02/2020

I enjoyed this collection but struggled with the last title which I am sure would work well as a radio play but did not adapt well to the audiobook format. If you are new to Naipaul it may be better to start with one of the novels like “A house for Mr Biswas” to get a feeling for Naipaul’s wit, charm and bittersweet tales, before tucking into this otherwise fine selection.

Epic in all senses of the word

Rédigé le : 15/10/2019

A lengthy adventure masterfully read by Ralph Lister who is able to render and sustain the character voices and temperaments cohesively across many hours of audio (no mean feat!). James Clavell had clearly researched the era in intricate detail adding to the authenticity of the tale and the rich descriptions of life in Japan. The ending was a bit of a disappointment in some ways, leaving the fate of some of the principal characters up to the imagination of the reader, which is in sharp contrast to the fact that we have been guided through most of the story at a deliberately steady pace and in great detail. Still - for a long reading that you are ready to spread over numerous weeks, this is a great audible purchase.

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Entertaining, if a little sprawling

Rédigé le : 10/06/2019

There are times when the story’s pace drops off and you are left pondering whether it is worth taking a detour only to end up back in the main plot once again. Nevertheless, a great read / listen for fans of Murakami, but probably not a recommended way to discover the author for newcomers. Could be a bit on the long side for the uninitiated. The split of chapters between the different characters works well but the ending was a bit flat - after many chapters slowly unravelling twists and turns and seemingly impossible connections it just sorts of fades out.

A masterpiece, beautifully voiced

Rédigé le : 30/03/2019

A wonderful, moving tale full of wit, intricate descriptions and colourful characters. Superbly voiced by Sam Dastor, this has been one of my favourite audible books so far. Loved it!

Brings these works of art to life

Rédigé le : 20/02/2019

As a fan of the Discworld novelsi by Terry Pratchett I found that these BBC versions really brought the characters to life. I was less impressed by the performances in the last book “only you can save mankind” but that is more of a personal choice of reading matter.

My first venture into the genius of Murakami

Rédigé le : 27/11/2018

After mulling my options and ignoring online advice as to which Murakami story I should pick up first, I dived right into Kafka on the Shore. Brilliant, complex, funny and sad all at once, expertly written (and I suppose very well translated). Surreal and bizarre at times, you can’t help relate to the characters in this fable. And the audio actors did a fantastic job of recreating the scenes throughout. Bravo!

The killer thriller extraordinaire

Rédigé le : 08/08/2018

A very clever take on Crime, Alzheimer’s disease and humanity in general. An absolute gem masterfully narrated. Fantastic!

Another masterpiece with great narration

Rédigé le : 31/07/2018

Certainly a book that gives us food for thought and covers a wide range of topics in an incisive and sometimes humorous way. Coupled with the expert narration skills of Derek Perkins, this latest book by Yuval Harari is delivered effectively and is not a chore to get through (despite the complexity underlying some of the concepts). Compared to my review of Sapiens I have dropped a star because I felt some bits repeated themselves and I think it still needed a chapter at the end that imagines a world with a few different scenarios: computers / data coexisting with humans rather than been surpassed, or some other type of combination. As it stands, I felt the conclusion was rather abrupt. Looking forward to yet more soon!