Gareth

Only buy this if you are not really interested in comedy and you want to hear 3 wealthy individuals laughing at you for buying this second rate stuff.

Not a bad yarn. The downside is that most of the first part is concerned with setting the scene at a slow meandering pace, and the second part ends shortly after things get moving. There seemed to be the basis for a rich plot here, but the idea has been overtaken by the minutiae of describing the environment.

I tried really hard with this book, I listened for the first 8 hours then gave up. The characters are introduced at a rapid rate, one after the other then disposed of or substituted for others. There does not seem to be a core group to anchor the plot and the listener is left trying to remember who is who. The characterisation is as a result shallow, the characters have little depth and the plots wanders continually. I'm told it gets better further down he line, but do I really want to listen for the next 16 hours to get a basic idea of what is going on? There are some good references to the characters on Wikipedia, otherwise it's a major challenge. In good narrative plots more does not always mean better. Mr.Martin could improve his stories enormously if he focused more on plot lines than endless dynasties and neologisms. Ultimately it sounds like a complex western range war novel, the Lannister boys will run Robert off the plains etc. Deeply disappointing.

A bit disappointing really. I suppose most of the authors were commisioned to write different parts and while there was a theme, the books did not seem to have a any great continuity. It's a book which as they say , is good in parts Maybe to many cooks spoil the broth.

A spiritual detective? An odd idea but a good novel. All the spirits he communicates with are very useful, except in being able to supply information. Still, our hero seems to have more than a ghost of a chance to sort out villains on the mortal and spiritual plane.

An interesting take on the idea of the Crucible moulded into a detective novel. It's a great listen with one or two minor irritations( why the hell does our hero never tell anyone of what he has found out until the end?) However it's a well crafted novel and well appreciated.

Science fiction does not usually age well, and this epic written before mobile phones, internet and laptops is strange and hard to get used to initially. But read in the same way as H.G.Wells or other historic science fiction it does pretty well. The introduction of the characters is somewhat long winded, but once the action starts it's a rip roaring listen. I liked the ideas behind the post apacalypse survival stuff suggesting how quickly humanity could return to the laws of the jungle. It has a few holes in the plot, but not enough to affect it in any great sense. Recommended.

I really tried hard with this book. I listened to it for about 6 hours before I gave up. There is a good story in here somewhere, but the narrative is plagued with pointless epic similes that add little to the enjoyment and deviations leaving the listener wondering where they are in the tale. I wonder if the author was paid by the word count?

This is a stunning piece of work, breathtaking in it’s depth and range of ideas. I loved it.

I must admit I looked forward to this but gave up on it after a couple of hours. It’s not really an autobiography, it’s more an academic commentary on an autobiography. It has short stretches of the autobiography itself, interspersed with long stretches on analysis and lists of individuals who carried out the project. Very frustrating and slightly misleading to call it an autobiography.

Rattling good read with terrible factual backgound, poor facts and unbelievable action. Everything that makes a good thriller!