Errol

A twisted site with emotional depth

Reviewed: 02-03-24

The phrase Catch 22 is so much part of the cultural landscape that I thought it was time to actually read it. It's darkly comic, but at times tragically bleak. The characters of Yossarian and the other servicemen emerge bit by bit as the non-chronological plot twists and turns. The amoral Yossarian is revealed to be hold a firm moral compass, the benign but weak chaplain is forged into a stronger man by his brutal treatment. Foolish, funny, actions at the beginning of the book have unexpectedly serious consequences later. Not always an easy listen to modern ears - the casual sexism, of its time and authentic for the period and setting, is quite jarring at times - but a powerful satire on war.

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Clever story brilliantly told

Reviewed: 04-09-23

I haven't reread Monstrous Regiment for several years and I had forgotten some of the clever plot points and multilayered references and jokes. I very much enjoyed getting reaquainted with the book.

Katherine Parkinson is the perfect narrator: her reading is clear, well paced, and with each character having a distinct voice.

Definitely recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

Interesting experiment. Not wholly successful

Reviewed: 07-07-23

I love the Guards books and have the complete set read by a mixture of Briggs, Planer and Robinson. I like Jon Culshaw. But the two combined just isn't working for me.


His narration is OK, although he gets the phrasing and pacing wrong in a few places, which either robs the sentence of meaning, or punctures the joke.

It's the voices of the characters. They sound like impressions of Roundworld people. Vimes sounds like Les Dawson, Vetinari keeps shading into Victor Meldrew. I'm waiting for Tom Baker to appear.

Good idea to broaden the pool of readers, but please Penguin, stick to professional actors.

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3 people found this helpful

Seems like a great bargain but isn't

Reviewed: 01-05-23

I used my free download and was delighted to get the complete Shakespeare canon. Disappointed.

The plays are in alphabetical, not chronological or even thematic order. The track breaks are not between acts, and sometimes split scenes.

There is ne additional information or cast lists.

The sound is very flat. It sounds like it was recorded with a single microphone in the middle of the actors sat round in a circle. The performances vary in quality. The leads are usually well performed, but some minor parts either sound like a first read through for words or are delivered in mummerset "yokel".

And that random trumpet becomes irritating.

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10 people found this helpful

A myriad of stories

Reviewed: 20-08-22

Although this volume lacks the overall narrative arc of the first, I was captivated.

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Unlistenable

Reviewed: 22-09-21

Dreadful sound quality, the narration speeds up, slows down and slurs.

And who picked an American actor to read such an essentially English author?

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6 people found this helpful

Well read but not one of Ngaio's best

Reviewed: 28-08-21

Excellent reading. But the story is very silly. Ngaio can't make up her mind if this is a who dunnit (it's obvious from about Chapter 3), a thriller or a comedy. Alleyn without the Yard can work, but not here.

Ric Jerome is a far better reader than Nadia May, in my opinion, and is the best thing about this audio book. I found the print version almost unreadable, he makes it come to life. Even if he resorts to a cod French accent a bit too much.

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Worth one in three of every penny I paid

Reviewed: 04-09-20

Badly edited or remastered: lines are repeated.

Poorly read: monotonously delivered with no characterisation.

Words are mispronounced or the wrong word misread. The narrator seems to be sight reading unfamiliar text with no sense or meaning.

Pacing is dreadful: one line or paragraph runs into the next with almost no regard for punctuation or phrasing. One story finishes and the next begins with no pause.

Recommended only as background noise to lull you to sleep.

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