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Not that good. Overhyped.

Revisado: 11-07-15

Would you try another book from Neil Strauss and/or Neil Strauss?

I like Neil Strauss. He's someone I would enjoy having a beer with or getting to know. Great narrator too. But this book is pretty empty of engaging content. It's like Neil had a couple of great ideas, but they were only enough to fill maybe a chapter's worth, so he puffed them up with a lot of mediocre stories and rambling. He tries to "hype" some subjects up as well, particularly the whole bit about the subculture of people trying to get passports OUT OF THE UNITED STATES!! They whisper to each other at conventions, passing foreign-citizenship-acquisition-info from ear to ear. Lol alright Neil.

What was most disappointing about Neil Strauss’s story?

Overhyped topics.

What about Neil Strauss’s performance did you like?

He's very likeable, and I like his easy-flowing narration.

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It was OK.

Revisado: 11-07-15

What would have made Moby-Dick better?

The prose was well written. Frank Muller did a superb job as usual. I also enjoyed the many layers and typology present throughout the story. And great attention to period-set detail. However, the glaring weakness of the tome: it dragged out. Be it the classic that it is, there is yet waaaay more prose than there is story to merit it. This one is inflated beyond it's contents. Be ye warned.

What was most disappointing about Herman Melville’s story?

Longwinded. Beautifully written, but longwinded.

Have you listened to any of Frank Muller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Excellent as usual.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom.

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Original story with unusual depth

Revisado: 11-20-14

What made the experience of listening to Revival the most enjoyable?

Having read eight Stephen King books over the past decade, with the Gunslinger as my all-time favorite, yet this book is a new close second.

I won't summarize the story or plotline or provide spoilers, others I'm sure are taking care of that, but I will applaud King for some fantastic elements that stood out from this read.

First of all, King avoids stereotyping characters in this story. There were some tempting opportunities right from the get-go to characterize a a minister, a religious group of people, a junkie, etc a certain way. And I've seen King write into those stereotypes in the past (he's so good he can get away with it). Not so this tale. King takes some bold directions in developing characters against stereotype, particularly the young minister, even though it might have been more popular to write to the stereotype...and I respected that approach King took.

Second (and closely related to my first point above) King doesn't paint characters as good or bad for the most part. They're more gray ethically. And even when lines are more clearly drawn by the end, the ethics that lead characters to draw those lines involve hard decisions of "right" and "wrong." It makes you as a reader/listener question what you your self would do in a supposedly "evil" character's shoes/circumstances.

Third, King writes many of this book's "horror scenes" in a sort of postmodern, tongue-in-cheek sense. And I found that fresh and entertaining (as I believe he intended to make it sort of funny this way). The guy has written tens of thousands of pages of horror, and this time around -- instead of trying to be utterly original and serious with every horrifying description -- he names clichés and calls them right out. For example he'll describe someone screaming and say, "like that other girl who open the door in that old horror movie." Or a scary song will play and he'll compare it to "that creepy number popular decades ago". But with actual names and references you'll remember I just don't want to spoil it all here.

David Morse nailed the narration and I can't imagine anyone doing a better job. Flawless and heartfelt interpretation.

In summary, this novel isn't content to simply relay a fantastic story. King peels back the delicate skin of the story page by page to reveal a visceral, authentic experience that will challenge your expectations and haunt your thoughts long after the final page. The writing is as polished as King is known for writing, but the details are especially full of grit, spit, and heart this time around.

What about David Morse’s performance did you like?

Perfect, superb interpretation.

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Great read, hokey narrator

Revisado: 11-12-14

Would you consider the audio edition of Replay to be better than the print version?

The story is fantastic with plenty of tension and plot twists and turns. Best time travel story I've read to date.

The narrator sounds like a hillbilly or woodsman of sorts, and made it difficult for me to enjoy the characters dialogue. Would have been better, for me, without the folksy accent he read the story with.

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The Verdict

Revisado: 11-12-14

What disappointed you about Prelude to Foundation?

Ok fellow Foundation fans - this review is not pretty (but, there are also no spoilers), but it's honest. And it's from a fellow Foundation fanatic who LOVED the first five books.

Plain and simple, there is not story here. Instead of clever plot twists and surprises, you get one straight-forward, predictable read, without the slightest interesting story until the final 30 pages of the book. The last 30 pages contain several large, ingenious surprises. Problem is, none of the previous story was needed to justify the final surprises.

In the first five books, we have a genius of a storyline with great suspense. In this book, no suspense to speak of. Someone gets left atop a rooftop and almost freezes to death, then someone complains that they have to wear a bald wig on a planet, then someone gets in a knife fight, and really nothing enlightening happens along the way.

I suggest you read the final 30-50 pages and call it a day. Trust a fan of the first five books, the high ratings this book is receiving would NOT have been provided had this been the first book in the Foundation series. There's no story here.

Caveat, The narrator did a Fantastic job.

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Oh my....

Revisado: 08-27-14

What could Jack Handey have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

As a Huge Fan of the following examples of humor...

- Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey
- Saturday Night Live
- Arrested Development
- It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
- the deadpan comedy of Steven Wright and Jim Gaffigan (whose humor has been compared to that of Jack Handey's Deep Thoughts)

...I found this book entirely unfunny and stale. Unlike Deep Thoughts, this story is not funny in the least. I didn't crack a smile one time.

That is my opinion.

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Every man should read this book

Revisado: 08-18-14

What did you love best about The Game?

Even more than the great story and great techniques he shares, Neil's HONESTY is the best thing about this book. In spite of the amazing highs and fantastic adventures, Neil is brutally honest about the times when he fails, where he misses the mark, and the negative effects that sometimes ensue as well. That HONESTY and down-to-earth authenticity made the book the memorable read that it is.

What other book might you compare The Game to and why?

Probably Do They Serve Beer In Hell, although this book is better.

What about Neil Strauss’s performance did you like?

Excellent

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

Oh yeh. It took me a few days due to other responsibilities but yes one sitting given the time.

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Could have been so much more.

Revisado: 08-18-14

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who read Popular Mechanics. A huge portion of the book includes lengthy descriptions of the equipment and the work processes and the industrial environment in general in very technical language.

Would you recommend Wool to your friends? Why or why not?

No, the premise was extremely good but the story failed to take off or develop. So many amazing directions this could have gone but it did not really go anywhere at all.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Amanda Sayle?

Someone who doesn't read with silly voices. The voices ruined the characters and made them melodramatic and corny. Amanda's normal reading voice is amazing, Grade A reader; but when she tries those voices of man not good.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

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Not a Great Story

Revisado: 03-11-13

Would you try another book from Neil Gaiman and/or Neil Gaiman?

Gaiman phoned in the narration and the story wasn't that good either. I like other books by him that I have read/listened to, so this was a surprising let down.

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Epic Read; Life Changing

Revisado: 02-20-13

What did you love best about Atlas Shrugged?

The book is one of the most inspiring books I've read. I read most of this book, then became short on time and finished it with this audio version.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the politics in the book, this books' characters and their resilience will inspire all. It was a life-changing read for me, to be honest.

The narrator's tone and interpretation were excellent and fit the material well.

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