tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761784460667108854.post6069809944456993372..comments2023-11-09T03:33:41.728-05:00Comments on Jenny and Kelly Read Books: Completed: The Professor and the Madmankellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07832228313612518377noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761784460667108854.post-46323572260593507692013-10-08T21:56:18.060-04:002013-10-08T21:56:18.060-04:00THANK YOU for recommending Americanah to me -- I l...THANK YOU for recommending <i>Americanah</i> to me -- I loved this book and the narrator was amazing. Totally terrific. <br /><br />And, on a much broader level, thank you for bringing it to my attention that Salon reviews *Audio* books. I have come a long way in my aBook Journey (I have listened to over 80 aBooks since August 2011! It's been a good journey!) and I definitely appreciate that there are 2 parts to an aBook review: 1. The story itself and 2. The narrator. So I will definitely have to tune in to this feed from now on:<br /><br />http://www.salon.com/topic/audiobooks/<br /><br />I remember arguing with Bill when I first started listening to aBooks as to whether or not it counted as "reading," but when I look at the list of books I have listened to (thanks, Audible, for making it easy to see) and I think about the stories within, I am sometimes even surprised that I <i>listened</i> to some of these books, rather than reading them myself. When I discuss these books with someone else who read (vs listened to) them, it's all about the story, not about how it got into my brain. <br /><br />A good narrator is "absent" -- just get the story into my brain and get out. A bad narrator actually takes away from the story. (Haven't had too many of these, but I *might* not have hated <i>The Marriage Plot</i> as much if I had read it myself. Maybe.) But a *great* narrator actually adds another element to the story. <i>Americanah</i> definitely had that... I'm so glad I listened to this book. The narration really brought an extra texture to the book that I might have missed if I had read it myself. <br /><br />Side note: In reading reviews of <i>Americanah</i>, I discovered that her cousin's name is spelled "D-I-K-E" which I would have pronounced to rhyme with "bike" in my head. But the narrator says it like, "D-K" (dee-kay), which is *so* much better for me. :)kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07832228313612518377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761784460667108854.post-46651856039501380922013-08-22T21:18:36.621-04:002013-08-22T21:18:36.621-04:00Yeah, it really is a shocking idea! No dictionary....Yeah, it really is a shocking idea! No dictionary. I just can't even. <br /><br />Meanwhile, I have what looks like a good aBook rec for you. I read th novel, Americanah, and I LOVED it. It's such a fresh voice and a different kind of story, and this review says the audiobook is excellent. Check it out: http://www.salon.com/2013/08/22/americanah_the_many_voices_of_america_and_nigeria/<br />Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205737257301534685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761784460667108854.post-10620135964676960182013-08-22T20:40:42.912-04:002013-08-22T20:40:42.912-04:00While I agree that it's ever-changing and evol...While I agree that it's ever-changing and evolving (and I *am* okay with that!) the idea that you couldn't even "look something up" is too much for me to bear -- even if a word changes/evolves/is added, we can still get the low-down on it now. Pre-dictionary? You were really screwed. kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07832228313612518377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761784460667108854.post-72820746446324236892013-08-22T20:29:28.132-04:002013-08-22T20:29:28.132-04:00I have read this book! OMG, I had forgotten, but i...I have read this book! OMG, I had forgotten, but it was a super interesting and amazing story. <br /><br />Meanwhile, this was sort of a hilarious review. The whole "lawless" English made me laugh out loud. But our language is still rather lawless! One of my favorite quotes is this one, which I once saw on a T-Shirt: English is a language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages, and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary." We're constantly stealing stuff from other languages, which makes the entire act of trying to "fix" it all that more challenging. <br /><br />Kaesea on the dictionary. Sniff. <br /><br />Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205737257301534685noreply@blogger.com