Official Blurb
Unkillable is the story of a young man who is cruelly murdered then brought back from the dead to revenge himself. The kicker is: He’s not really alive. He can be hurt, he just can’t be killed.
It’s dark and funny and sad and beautiful and violent and magical -- if it could be summed up with just a few words, there would have been no point in writing a novel.
Unkillable. Life sucks. Death blows. In between is worse.
My Review
I've been listening to this fairly short book as its been released and I have to say I really looked forward to each new release. It has been a real treat to listen to.
The story is darkly humourous. Well, when the protagonist is a dead guy, you know it's not your average story.
The lead character is just your average joe, thrown into a highly unlikely occult type situation. Not only does he get quickly and inexplicably killed he then gets taken advantage of too by the undead occult powers. This guy just does not get a break even when he thinks he has. That's where the humour comes in. The author has made his lead character self aware, that is, aware that where he is, is bizarre and strange, so he's able to look wryly at himself.
After listening to this story, I've learnt that being dead isn't all it's cracked up to be!
The reading is by the author who has done a top notch job, his voice brings the characters to life in a way that only author readings can. He has a soft subtle voice that fits the work just-right.
Well worth a listen.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Download it from the Podiobooks
Listen to the first part
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Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Friday, 11 December 2009
You Know Me Al
Official Blurb
Big, fat, dumb, lazy, vain, headstrong and cheap, Jack Keefe is a journeyman pitcher with the Chicago White Sox in the rowdy days of the Deadball Era, circa 1915, ruled by the likes of Ty Cobb and John McGraw. In You Know Me Al, we follow Jack Keefe’s life on-field and off, via the letters Jack writes to his old chum Al in his home town of Bedford, Indiana.
Ring Lardner was a Chicago sportswriter who covered the White Sox, and he brought an insider’s knowledge of clubhouse life together with his biting wit and gift for the vernacular to create a comic gem in You Know Me Al. The six Jack Keefe stories that compose this volume were originally written as individual magazine articles, but the epistolary format made it easy to collect them into a single running narrative covering Jack’s first two years in the Big Leagues.
It isn’t necessary to know baseball history to enjoy the book, which is as much about Jack’s troubles with girlfriends, wives and babies as it is about the Chicago White Sox. For the baseball fan, however, this glimpse into a bygone era adds an extra layer of fascination. In any case, Lardner’s portrait of the professional ballplayer as a dumb, drunken narcissist is as funny today as the day it was written.
My Review
Gosh, what can I add to that blurb, it says everything I was going to say! Well I suppose I can tell you that the reader creates a fantastic voice character for not only the protagonist but also many of the people he runs into. The voice of the reader is what really brings this book to life.
I suspect that a stright reading of this book would have fallen rather flat, but the characterisation in the voice of the reader makes this audio book into an absolute joy!
The humour is subtle and between the lines. As you learn to know and love the lead character, his traits are what will get you laughing. It's hard to explain really, but only once you know this guy does the humour flow out.
To summarise, this is a great read, light humour at its best.
Readng 3
Production 2
Story 3
Total 8/9
Download the book from Librivox
Listen to chapter 1
Big, fat, dumb, lazy, vain, headstrong and cheap, Jack Keefe is a journeyman pitcher with the Chicago White Sox in the rowdy days of the Deadball Era, circa 1915, ruled by the likes of Ty Cobb and John McGraw. In You Know Me Al, we follow Jack Keefe’s life on-field and off, via the letters Jack writes to his old chum Al in his home town of Bedford, Indiana.
Ring Lardner was a Chicago sportswriter who covered the White Sox, and he brought an insider’s knowledge of clubhouse life together with his biting wit and gift for the vernacular to create a comic gem in You Know Me Al. The six Jack Keefe stories that compose this volume were originally written as individual magazine articles, but the epistolary format made it easy to collect them into a single running narrative covering Jack’s first two years in the Big Leagues.
It isn’t necessary to know baseball history to enjoy the book, which is as much about Jack’s troubles with girlfriends, wives and babies as it is about the Chicago White Sox. For the baseball fan, however, this glimpse into a bygone era adds an extra layer of fascination. In any case, Lardner’s portrait of the professional ballplayer as a dumb, drunken narcissist is as funny today as the day it was written.
My Review
Gosh, what can I add to that blurb, it says everything I was going to say! Well I suppose I can tell you that the reader creates a fantastic voice character for not only the protagonist but also many of the people he runs into. The voice of the reader is what really brings this book to life.
I suspect that a stright reading of this book would have fallen rather flat, but the characterisation in the voice of the reader makes this audio book into an absolute joy!
The humour is subtle and between the lines. As you learn to know and love the lead character, his traits are what will get you laughing. It's hard to explain really, but only once you know this guy does the humour flow out.
To summarise, this is a great read, light humour at its best.
Readng 3
Production 2
Story 3
Total 8/9
Download the book from Librivox
Listen to chapter 1
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