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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Jess Walters is back at it again with amazing storytelling and exquisite writing.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Collection of short stories with title story one of the best
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Alcohol
Delightful novella! Just the little bite I needed. Especially when Jess took me back to Italy.
Molto bene!
Molto bene!
emotional
funny
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Loved!! Normally I don't like short stories, I want longer relationships with the characters, but these were perfect and got into it.
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a silly audiobook send up of self-discovery of an American kid on a study abroad in Italy in 1993. At the outset, it seems there will be plenty for those who have studied abroad to relate to, but the plot quickly turns farcical just a few minutes in as young Jack from Nebraska gets mixed up with a washed up television actor from America and a famous Italian movie star while he studies Latin at the Vatican. Antics follow.
I had hoped to find more of the characteristic complexity and depth I’ve discovered in Jess Walter’s other short stories, which felt absent here until near the story's redemptive end. The outlandish characters, being so far removed from my experience, were hard to relate to. As I'm not a voracious audiobook consumer, perhaps my unfamiliarity with the medium was part of the issue. What kept me listening were Walter's pacing and gift for storytelling and Ballerini’s superb narration skills.
I enjoy Walter's writing. He's a tremendous talent. I'm looking forward to his forthcoming short story collection in which The Angel of Rome is the title track. Perhaps a redo on the written page will prove more satisfying.
I had hoped to find more of the characteristic complexity and depth I’ve discovered in Jess Walter’s other short stories, which felt absent here until near the story's redemptive end. The outlandish characters, being so far removed from my experience, were hard to relate to. As I'm not a voracious audiobook consumer, perhaps my unfamiliarity with the medium was part of the issue. What kept me listening were Walter's pacing and gift for storytelling and Ballerini’s superb narration skills.
I enjoy Walter's writing. He's a tremendous talent. I'm looking forward to his forthcoming short story collection in which The Angel of Rome is the title track. Perhaps a redo on the written page will prove more satisfying.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.3 stars
My rating is an average of the individual ratings I gave to each of the twelve stories. Ratings ranged from 2 stars to 4.25 stars.
My rating is an average of the individual ratings I gave to each of the twelve stories. Ratings ranged from 2 stars to 4.25 stars.