Penelope Hood

A joyful journey through London

Reviewed: 19-10-2024

I loved the arborial perspective on a city I've known for more than 70 years. I was never a tree climber but my husband was (and still is when he thinks i won't chide him for being a geriatric risk taker). The clever chapter construction sliced and diced the well researched topic without ever feeling repetitive. The written English is beautiful. The metaphors and other figures of speech are used artfully. I often smiled at an elegant allusion. The narrating voice was delightful. I know that I would love to meet Jack. His tone is always gentle and respectful of living things. Because of him, I find myself looking at trees with new eyes. I assess their climb-ability. I simply wonder at them. Thank you Jack.

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Disappointing and Bizarre

Reviewed: 27-05-2023

It was a plod to complete.

A friend had recommended the text as she found it thought provoking. Indeed, so did I which is why I gritted my teeth and stayed the course to the end.

I am left with much greater consideration of the basic premise thanks to LS. A lot of interesting points bundled together for my perusal. However, the storyline felt cobbled together and without any compelling reason to engage with the characters. I have, previously, been enthralled with - We Have To Talk About Kevin. Hence choosing DISAPPOINTING as part of my tag line.

For the first 30% of the text, the voice performance performance annoyed and distracted me. The frequent diabolical mispronunciation of relatively familiar vocabulary was jarring. Hence choosing BIZZARE as part of my tag line.

Then, I decided to make a virtue of necessity. If I was determined to finish the piece, I would need to change my attitude to avoid more irritation. So, for the balance of the tale, I looked forward eagerly to the next glaring spoken error and hugely enjoyed the ludicrous attempts at sounding out common words.

What a pity the producer failed to rehearse the performer sufficiently.

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unexpectedly interesting

Reviewed: 05-09-2022

I wanted to know something about Culloden ahead of a holiday near Inverness. I got a lot more. I have never taken an interest in military history so the densetechnical army content was initially confronting. But the reader was excellent. the prosewas simple and clear. I warmed to the content which shone a bright light on late 18th century British politics. I am glad to have a greater understanding of much that was vague to me

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the reading experience more than justified marvell

Reviewed: 28-05-2022

I started listening.with caution. I could not discern anything about the early story to have generated epithets - delightful, charming, spell binding etc. But pretty soon, I was a believer. Like many others, I started to dawdle as I approached the end. I wanted to stay in the enchantment. Superb writing. Masterly performance.

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Disappointing Production

Reviewed: 01-03-2022

I've known this text very well for over 50 years. It is Heyer at the top of her game. I've read the print version many times. I've listened to the Phyllida Nash narrated version almost many times.

I thought it would be interesting to hear this new production which has a male narrator. He did a worthy enough job. The abundant dialogue pieces were delivered well with good separation of the characters' voices.

Unfortunately, the pronunciation of several repeated words (e.g. lowering, phaeton) were unfamiliar to the performer. Also, from time to time, the punctuation tripped him so that the sentence was delivered poorly. Sadly, I was distracted from my ripping yarn by the mechanics of the production.

All of this could have been corrected by the producer/director prior to publication. I lament the poor attention to detail. Penguin - I am dismayed.

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4 people found this helpful

A Pleasure from start to finish

Reviewed: 24-02-2022

The voice of the reader engaged me from the first word. Steady, calm, melifluous. Exactly the right pace for a Faustian tale.

Beautifully written, never overwrought, charting it's own path without resorting to conventional tropes. It kept me wondering all the way.

I only write reviews of books that I know will stay with me for many years.

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1 person found this helpful

shockingly gripping

Reviewed: 02-02-2022

I was transfixed from the opening paragraphs. It confronted me to listen to the writer's personal history laid out with stark clarity of style, and use of English. I was confounded by my dawning awareness that this simple child was living her young life right into the 21st century. In the USA!

The telling was vivid and almost, but not, unbelievable. It read, at first, like the tale of a peasant family from another century, with limited kowledge of the world and an intense devotion to a dogmatic religeon. But it is so much more.

I was strongly moved by her struggles to become the educated person she is now. This memoir will stay with me for ever. And the narration was superb.

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A gem

Reviewed: 07-01-2022

I was enthralled. On the last stretch, I listened ALL night. Glasgow is a great setting. The narrator makes the characters sound real. The premise of the book is simple and clear and the journey towards resolution is fascinating. I was sad at times and happy at others. A sweet story beautifully told. A pleasure to have experienced. Unforgettable.

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Engrossing

Reviewed: 13-10-2021

A jewel of a life story. It made me feel both sad and happy as the bus journey continued. What a marvelously economical turn of phrase. Thoroughly satisfying digressions which inevitably underline the point she is making. I laughed a lot. I frequently quoted Sandi to my husband as I listened. The boarding school passages brought back memories that I had buried for many decades ever since my own experience at a dreadful school when I was well under 10. Sandi found the words that I had never been able to articulate. What an interesting, self deprecating, likable, talented and courageous woman. A thoroughly enjoyable book. I will read more of Sandi's writing.

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A book I'm recommending to friends

Reviewed: 16-08-2021

Thoroughly entertaining. Good plot underpinned by excellent command of words, mood, style and wit. Scene setting clear enough to help me imagine myself in the story surrounded by well described characters that I could see in my mind's eye. The dry, ironic, world weary tone of the text was beautifully performed by Sean Barrett. Reminiscent of a George Smiley type yarn without plaguerising. It was a rare binge read.

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