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jan_gaunt's review against another edition
I enjoyed this. Haven't read any David Lodge for years. The retired linguistics professor struck a few chords and brought back a few memories!
robert_vardill's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rwoodnutt's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
nobe4's review against another edition
3.0
The story has its ups and down in the flow, energy, tension, intensity and emotional impact.
It contains a few touching moments which are revealed only after extensive exposition.
It contains a few touching moments which are revealed only after extensive exposition.
kath61's review against another edition
3.0
Easy to read, amusing in places especially if you have experienced your hearing deteriorating. I felt the plot lost momentum towards the end which was rather disappointing.
jengiuffre's review against another edition
4.0
I started out this book in tears cracking up! I loved Desmond's character. I was really interested in hearing an adult's perspective of hearing loss, so I could relate to my son's. The last half of the book lost momentum. I got it - dealing with aging and all, but it just descended into a lot of details that seemed unnecessary.
Overall, I enjoyed it and will look into other books by this author. Just think the story lost steam in the second half.
Overall, I enjoyed it and will look into other books by this author. Just think the story lost steam in the second half.
johnnyb1954's review against another edition
1.0
I marked this as "read" but I quit after 70 pages. The story started out well but then bogged down in tedium. He seemed to be endlessly describing taking his hearing aids out or in and then stating that he couldn't hear something instead of just letting the dialogue and action tell the story. Everything else was equally over described and drawn out. This book got a lot of high ratings so perhaps I missed something but I don't have time to waste on boring writing. The switching between 1st and 3rd person was annoying. After writing this review I went and read more of the one and two star reviews. Others found the same weaknesses I did.
lisagray68's review against another edition
2.0
Bookmarks Magazine described this book as "funny and moving". I found it to be neither, and several times debated quitting it altogether. There was one storyline about a crazy undergraduate that I found mildly entertaining and kept me reading. Horrible resolution, though, and I'm not glad I spent the time finishing.