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feelingpeachygreen's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
If I'd read this, rather than listened to it as an audiobook, then the rating could have been higher.
But this isn't a great audiobook. It's alright. But it's not clear when a new story begins and so much of the time I was confused if it was a new story or just a new perspective/paragraph/element to the old story.
The author is also the narrator and I don't think he's the best narrator for the job. Some of the voices just really drew me out of the world and did not fit at all. With a different voice actor I think this may have been as spooky as intended. As it was, it was more confusing than spooky most of the time.
But this isn't a great audiobook. It's alright. But it's not clear when a new story begins and so much of the time I was confused if it was a new story or just a new perspective/paragraph/element to the old story.
The author is also the narrator and I don't think he's the best narrator for the job. Some of the voices just really drew me out of the world and did not fit at all. With a different voice actor I think this may have been as spooky as intended. As it was, it was more confusing than spooky most of the time.
nicktomjoe's review
5.0
Dithering about four stars; maybe I’m just mean with the five. Give it five: this is a very clever book indeed, combining disorienting tales of the afterlife such as Séance, reminiscent of The Third Policeman (or is it just the bicycles that make me think that?) with a slow menace in The Pool. Ah yes, The Pool: the story that would put anyone off wild swimming… and Listings: the slowest of slow burn stories grippingly told - and entirely from Estate Agents’ blurbs.
It’s hard to review and avoid spoilers because it’s the twists that make these stories engaging: Just Good Friends needs a second read just to see if you’ve caught every hint, every nuance; the gentle rural horror of the title story (is it really that gentle?) needs savouring; the comedy of “Nine Tiny Stories About Houses” belies a real unease. Each of these nine stories is different in tone and form; the final story of Margaret is, for example, creepy enough to bring a shudder as the story comes to a conclusion, and a wry smile at the narrator’s own coarse world-view.
It’s hard to review and avoid spoilers because it’s the twists that make these stories engaging: Just Good Friends needs a second read just to see if you’ve caught every hint, every nuance; the gentle rural horror of the title story (is it really that gentle?) needs savouring; the comedy of “Nine Tiny Stories About Houses” belies a real unease. Each of these nine stories is different in tone and form; the final story of Margaret is, for example, creepy enough to bring a shudder as the story comes to a conclusion, and a wry smile at the narrator’s own coarse world-view.
atlantic_reader_wannabe's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
still_life_with_guitar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alba_marie's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
It was okay but not as riveting as I expected from the blurb. I also hadn't realised it was short stories, and I was listening to it as an audio book, so that led to some confusion! Even after I realised that, it was hard to tell when one story ended and another began.
The author himself read the stories, but I don't think he was the best choice...his accent was a bit too pep and upbeat for a darker book. I think voice in general was where I struggled the most - I had trouble telling whether the collection wanted to be dark, funny, dakly funny, serious, or something else altogether. It kept flipping back and forth, never quite settling on a single voice or tone.
The best story was the first one. It was also the longest, and this was back when I thought it was a short novel rather than a story. So when it ended and another one started, I was confused and then frustrated. My fault for not reading the categorisation carefully enough, but still, I walked away feeling a bit cheated, and couldn't get nearly as invested in any of the subsequent stories.
The author himself read the stories, but I don't think he was the best choice...his accent was a bit too pep and upbeat for a darker book. I think voice in general was where I struggled the most - I had trouble telling whether the collection wanted to be dark, funny, dakly funny, serious, or something else altogether. It kept flipping back and forth, never quite settling on a single voice or tone.
The best story was the first one. It was also the longest, and this was back when I thought it was a short novel rather than a story. So when it ended and another one started, I was confused and then frustrated. My fault for not reading the categorisation carefully enough, but still, I walked away feeling a bit cheated, and couldn't get nearly as invested in any of the subsequent stories.
certified_bookworm's review against another edition
it was a good book but i think i’m in a reading slump and just got bored
eleanor_nicbhatair's review
None of these stories had a point or a conclusion, they were boring and not engaging at all. This was not a fun time and it would be a waste of my time to try and push through and finish it!
fateleanor's review against another edition
3.25
I didn’t realise these were short stories until I came to the second chapter!!
ellabels's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0