Robert’s
Comments
(group member since Jan 09, 2025)
Robert’s
comments
from the Audiobooks group.
Showing 1-20 of 49
I am listening to Judge Anderson: Year One, it's a collection of 3 novellas dealing with the titular character from the universe of Judge Dredd. Pretty entertaining stuff!
I have returned to listen to the back half of Exhalation. The latest story (about online pets that develop rudimentary sentience and individuality) was a bit of a slog but I'm hopeful there will be some more gems.
I started listening to Galatea read by Ruth Wilson. Pygmalion the Sculptor does not come out well in the one.
I'm listening to Simon Winchester narrate his own Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic. Insightful and droll as always.
I'm listening to The Children of Húrin narrated by Sir Christopher Lee and it is
glorious
.(view spoiler)
Listening to Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Dr. Peter Attia. I'm no big fan of anything "Self-help" or that category adjacent but this one is proving worth my while if only because the good doctor's narration is authoritative and reassuring while at the same time the overarching message is reasonable, i.e. nobody's living forever, we can't stay forever 18, etc., but we can take measures to improve the overall quality of the last decades of our lives.As a 46 year old father of two young kids this message really resonates with me for all the most obvious reasons. I don't want to be a decrepit fossil unable to play a meaningful part of my grandkids' lives, so time to make better choices today. :)
I am 35% through But What If We're Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past and, though it is bog-standard Chuck Klosterman essay writing in terms of content, the decision to hire a mellifluous British narrator was a mistake, I feel. If these are the fiercely held opinions and heady meditations of a pop-culture obsessed Midwesterner then that is who I expect to hear as well! =)
I listened to Laws of Depravity by actor/author Eriq La Salle, read by the man himself. Not my usual stuff but if you like Silence of the Lambs-esque serial killer hunts I recommend it.
Doug wrote: "I am beginning the second half of the year with a book that has been on "Mt. To Be Read" for about a decade, Hyperion by Dan Simmons. It won the Hugo and Locus awards for best science ..."Good luck! I feel this one also passed me by somehow, I look forward to learning what you made of it.
Doug wrote: "Robert wrote: "Good news! I no longer need to feel like a "bad Canadian" as I am consuming Anne of Green Gables for the very first time. My 9 y/o daughter blazed through all 8 books in ..."Nice one! Yeah I had honestly thought my time to experience this story had passed me by but her interest kindled the desire in me.
I'm not sure I'll do the whole series yet but I am at least gaining a much deeper appreciation for why it is so beloved not just here but even abroad as far as Japan where it has legions of fans.
The CBC has done any number of adaptations over the years, I remember the child actor Sarah Polley was one of their biggest stars for years doing the TV series "Road to Avonlea" but as a churlish youth I dismissed it all as "girls' stuff" and never watched. I'm happy my views have evolved quite a bit since then!
Good news! I no longer need to feel like a "bad Canadian" as I am consuming Anne of Green Gables for the very first time. My 9 y/o daughter blazed through all 8 books in the classic series in a matter of weeks and that piqued my interest so I'm going to give it a listen to see why it is so beloved and also what she got out of it.Also, frankly, immersing myself in a narrative set in stereotypically "simpler times" is a nice change of pace given...*gestures tiredly*
I am listening to Quantum Bullsh*t How to Ruin Your Life with Advice from Quantum Physics. I'm not learning too much about Physics, but the casual swearing does make me smile (definitely for headphones this one).
MissSusie wrote: "It's a full cast audiobook with music and sound effects, it is not an adaptation it is word for word just like a regular audiobook however every voice is a different actor plus sound effects and music. I am really enjoying them."I've listened to a few, they can be extremely fun!
I have a more traditional single narrator book on the go, however: Orbital. Been looking forward to it!
Finishing the zany late-90s Marvel series X-Men and Spider-Man: Time's Arrow, just a bit of fun that serves as a grand tour of (at the time of writing) all of Marvel's most notorious alternate timelines and futures. As is to be expected Cable features prominently.
I finished The Dragon Republic!Great narration doesn't save an overwrought story. My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm of two minds, honestly.One the one hand, I love and appreciate the work done by professional narrators. Their craft has been an unlooked-for blessing to my middle age, and for those who were toiling in (relative) obscurity for decades before digital technology made their work so much more accessible.
On the other, there are many, many books that will likely never get a professional recording and I'd love to see these works also available to audiences unable to access them due to disability (I know there is braille but also has its limitations) and advanced AI narrators could be a major step in bridging that gap.
Urgh. Is it a Deontological or Utilitarian ethical dilemma? Anyway I know that one thing I cannot abide is the idea of silicon valley ghouls using existing recordings to clone the voices of long deceased actors and the like. As much as I'd like to indulge weird whims like having Gregory Peck read the Hunger Games books to me I don't think that is the way forward at all.
Michelle wrote: "There are exceptions but I think generally unless the author is an actor, politician, or already an audiobook narrator it is a mistake. I think the reader definitely needs some training or experience in public speaking to make a great audiobook."A fair general rule.
Michelle wrote: "Robert wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I just finished The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I have to say I would not recommend this one. A complicated story with very unlikeable ..."Fair. And I will admit I read it some time ago so I'm not sure how I'd approach it as a middle-aged guy. I will say, as someone who has studied Byzantine history, that appropriating the title from the Christian Procopius' tell-all work about the Eastern Roman Empire from the mid-6th century AD in order to construct a narrative about U.S. College students applying nasty knowledge from the Pagan Greek Classical world a thousand years prior was annoying to say the least. /endrant
