In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Bounty

In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People #2

by Alison Espach, Carol Monda (Narrator), Neil Hellegers (Narrator)

In this at-once hilarious and heartbreaking series, In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People, Alison Espach explores our collective idiosyncrasies, neuroses, and desires through the consumer choices, big and small, that we face every day.

Was there any particular reason that, near the end of your lives, you suddenly stopped buying Bounty paper towels? So begins the first question from Bounty's market research representative to Paul and Maggie. In this unique short story, a couple who died suddenly in their 50s recounts their use of Bounty paper towels and their sudden switch to a bargain brand near the end of their lives. What appears to be a run-of-the-mill spat between spouses at the Stop & Shop is revealed to be a defining moment of a marriage years in decline and a chance for two people to make sense of their complicated past. 

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Humor, Adult, Death

1 pages, Audible Audio

Published November 4, 2021

About the author

Alison Espach grew up in Trumbull, Connecticut, where she lived for most of her life. She earned her BA from Providence College and her Masters in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney's, Five Chapters, Glamour, Salon, The Daily Beast, Writer's Digest, and other journals.

She is currently teaching in New York City.

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟: Story/Characters
4 stars 🌟: Narration
---

For me, this was interesting to hear the story of this couple and how things got there (and how things can get complicated in a relationship ).

You'll either enjoy this or feel bored, no in-between methinks. I went into this without reading the summary expecting a comedy but got a different experience (in a good way).

The question at the end did get a reaction out of me though.

*accidentally reviewed the wrong one haha, didn't know there was more than one *

[Mahjabeen Alam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie and Paul have suddenly died and are currently being interviewed about their switch from Bounty paper towels to cheaper paper towels as well as any marital problems that they had.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Bounty, enjoyable listen.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I listened to this one last. Definitely the best one of the series. Painfully good.

[Genna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is how a small part of your life impacts the bigger things that matter.

[Uli Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this part of the trilogy really funny. Perhaps market researchers should investigate the usage of their product more thoroughly 😀

[Elizabeth Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super quick read (or listen since it’s an Audible original). It was less than an hour long. It definitely was not what I was expecting! What started out as a simple question asking why the couple stopped purchasing bounty paper towels, turned into couples counseling. It was fairly funny, but also hit on some real life issues between marriages (even if that wasn’t the purpose of the book). I definitely would recommend it!

[Jacob Faulkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these short stories, the format is interesting but the stories feel very raw and real. Discussions of life, love, and loss mixed in with humor from the absurdity of a post death brand interview that always holds the focus relative to the brand. Both things are important and neither diminish each other leading to a fun quick story that is emotionally investing.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of short stories based on interviews with dead people on how the consumer choices they made in their lives affected them is both humorous and so revealing in terms of the little things that add up and change everything.
This story has a married couple Maggie and Paul, who died suddenly in their fifties just as they were looking forward to years of relaxed retirement and a new lease of life. The interviewer wants to know why they stopped buying the Bounty brand of paper towels which they had preferred for years. This seemingly innocuous question sets off an avalanche of memories and revelations that are startling to the couple themselves as they see how their marriage became so complicated. They talk about what they each expected of the other and what changed and why.
In the middle of all the serious contemplation is the interviewer wanting to know about the paper towels at every stage and this feels funny because they are discussing something they are so passionate about and they are being asked about this insignificant thing. However, it turns out that this detail actually mattered and it helps them reconcile with their past and what their marriage became and even laugh about it.
The everyday struggles and differing perspectives were very real and the interviewer's role in the whole process was funny.

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Bounty by Alison Espach
57m narrated by Carol Monda, Neil Hellegers, and Mark Sanderlin
In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People #2

Genre: Satire, Short Stories, Humor, Fiction, Fantasy

Featuring: Interview Format, Dead People, Paper Towels, Marital Issues, Sex

Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult humor and situations

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts: I was told this was the good one, but it was a little dull overall. These people were boring and the storyline was cheesy, I can't give specifics without spoilers but you don't use paper towels for tissue jobs outside of your nose, I'm not buying that for a minute, plus Kleenex is easier to store in your bedroom.

Recommend to others?: Not really.

[cypher · Rating 5 out of 5]

hahahahahahaha!
you are dead, just died, but we are interviewing you because we want to know why you left the paper towel brand and stopped purchasing the product a while back, you appeared to be loyal customers. amazing, lack of empathy!
…which continues as the couple being interviewed, is starting to have a marital crisis, all this, while the “intern” interviewer turns the questions more into a slightly aggressive investigation about the “darn” paper towels.
what was this? it showed up out of nowhere on my radar, and it was absolutely hilarious. and tragic.
definitely listening to the rest from the series.

in the end, neither of the couple is to blame for their death, as a couple too - cute message, sad, all too realistic story details.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if when you die you have to have in-depth market research interviews about products you used to buy? This one is with a couple in their 50s who died in their sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning and had recently changed their paper towel brand from Bounty to the cheap kind. You learn about their romantic mountain getaway trip and their sex life or lack of one. They have arguments that seen universal in marriages, it that's how it seemed to me. I related to it and found it amusing and recommended it to my husband.
Great narration.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
."Waste. "
This time in the. market Research Interviews with Dead People, a married couple are asked about their 25 years of purchasing Bounty paper towels and reveal more about themselves and their marriage. Alternatively funny and dad, this one hour short story is read by three different narrators, one for each character: Carol Monda, Neil Helleges and Mark Sanderlin.

Available for free from the Audible Plus programme. Give it a try.

[Krysta Angotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was hilarious. Listening to the two married couple fight about paper towels and realizing it was so much more than the towels. They figured out so much about themselves once they were already dead and finally talk. They seemed like they weren’t talking to the intern doing the marketing research, but they were talking to a therapist and I feel like the intern was just sitting there like “oh okay ummmm. So what about paper towels”

[Crimson Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Heart-breaking and funny while being an interesting (character driven) exploration and use of short story (a topic of particular interest to me lately), I like how each in this series asks and reveals a subtle mystery: How did our interviewees die? Moreover, how is the unveiling of their story relevant, meaningful, to me, the reader? This one, more than the others, engaged and resonated while artfully toying with its format. I aspire to this level of story craft!

[Effortless Anxiety · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quirky and surprisingly insightful little story. I liked the way it used something as mundane as paper towel to dig into the roots of dissatisfaction and miscommunication in a marriage. It’s told simply, but the point lands, and the humour makes it feel light rather than preachy. For such a short piece, it does exactly what it sets out to do - gives you a laugh, gives you a nudge to reflect, and wraps up before it overstays its welcome.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excruciatingly Human (Complimentary)

This is the second story of this series I've read and I am so unbelievably in love with the concept, depth, writing style, and performances! The raw natural emotion this bizarre framing device creates for these little audio dramas is truly phenomenal.

This is an author I will be following closely.

[Vidhi Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this! Best one in the series.
It felt like listening in on a couples therapy session. It delves into why a couple had changed their tissue brand a few months before their deaths. We sit through this interview and hear what the tissue meant to each of them and how it evolved over time. A fantastic listen.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narration of this audiobook was fantastic. It played in my brain like I was watching a one act play. The premise is interesting: how does a little thing like the choice of paper towels reflect the overall state of a marriage.
Also, I'm with Paul in hating select-a-size. I buy Bounty but might have to switch brands since all I've been able to find lately is their 12 pack of full-size sheets. That's way too many paper towels to buy at once.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amusing series that is exactly what it appears: market research surveys conducted with people in the afterlife. In this episode, a bickering middle-aged couple discuss their reasons for not buying Bounty paper towels near the sudden end of their lives. Like the previous episode, there are touching moments interspersed with humour.

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
“Was there any particular reason that near the end of your lives you suddenly stopped buying Bounty paper towels…?”

Aha - the couples version! Loving the Beetlejuice feel to these but still a bite of melancholy underneath

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating scale:
5☆ - I loved this book and it brought out true emotion in me (laughter, anger, a good cry, etc)
4☆ - I loved this book.
3☆ - I liked this book.
2☆ - I didn't really care for this book.
1☆ - I did not like this book at all and probably did not finish it.

[Katherine R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious short story. Loved this premise and the way the author intertwines real issues with a comical interview about a single product. Shouldn't really count as a whole book but it should get some publicity.

[Kajoli Tankha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book
I am a market researcher, so I especially enjoyed understanding the special role everyday products and brands have in expressing our feelings
The portrait of this marriage was really well crafted

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well acted but I really did not like the people or the story. I just needed a short to put on my phone today. There are maybe 2 others and I hate to say it but I will probably try them too. Free helps sometimes.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

these shorts are an interesting concept. I like it, overall. this story was relatable, a long married couple falling out of communication and out of love and bickering constantly but now finally able just to be honest with each other. I thought it was well written.

[RedReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, funny insight into humanity and life term partnership as a middle-aged couple find themselves retired, in an empty nest and romantically disillusioned - delivered as an afterlife product purchasing interview. Short and surprisingly poignant.

[Jestin James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, an unexpectedly interesting short story.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snort! As someone long married I know exactly how this argument goes...

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This couple was just too funny and cute.

Again as I said for the other book in this series. Slow down, communicate, and stop taking people, places, and things for granted.