Another Umrigar book to savor

Excellent narration -- brought the characters to life, particularly my favorite character, Lakshmi, the 32 year old Indian woman who meets Maggie in Maggie's professional capacity as a therapist. Their lives become intertwined with both learning from and helping each other, with difficulties and pain at times. The book left me hoping all would be well, but lives do not have fairy tale endings, which is likely true for these characters. Umrigar has so much insight into the intricacies of human behavior and interactions and weaves stories within stories. Love her books !

25 people found this helpful

A stellar performance almost carried the book...

What would have made The Story Hour better?

I found the shifts back and forth quite confusing. First-person, third-person, Maggie, Lukshmi, Peter... and with one narrator - even one as talented as Sneha Mathan - it was just too hard to follow.

I also found that not only did I not like any of the characters, I couldn't wrap my head around their motivations.

What do you think your next listen will be?

"Rose Under Fire" by Elizabeth Wein

Any additional comments?

I tried to like this book, and in some ways I did, but at the end of the day I just lost interest and didn't care anymore.

36 people found this helpful

Beautifully woven story of friendship, marriage, & culture

Where does The Story Hour rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

If it weren't for the abrupt ending, it would be at the very top, but even with the ending still fairly high.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Story Hour?

At the ending where the note is made that we are more important than our mistakes. Very strong idea to ponder especially when you consider giving not only yourself that beautiful grace, but also those around you the same blessing, how different our lives become.

What does Sneha Mathan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She is an absolutely perfect narrator. At first I was concerned I wouldn't be able to understand her, but she brings the much needed culture and character that you wouldn't be able to experience if you read the actual book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

For sure.

Any additional comments?

I'll start off by saying, this was not a book I would typically read, but as I saw the rave reviews it was receiving, I decided to jump on the band wagon to see what all the commotion was about and boy, am I glad I did.

Excellent read! Just a beautiful, raw story that weaves culture, marriage and friendship into very real issues everyone faces, no matter the country. Very in depth with no details spared.

My only qualm was the ENDING. How do you make a book so detailed and pristine and leave me wondering about what happened between the two best friends and the husband and wife? I'm dying to know what became of them.

This is a book that will have you thinking long after you have closed the book.

One of my favorite points was this *we are much more important than our mistakes*. How deep this single message goes and if we also gift this same grace to those around us, as well, as ourselves, how different our lives become.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone.

5 people found this helpful

Wonderful story

Interesting tale of two very different women & how their lives intersected and affected each other. Enchanting.
Very well written & read.

20 people found this helpful

she forgot to finish the story

I enjoyed this book right up to the moment when it abruptly ended - which, unfortunately was well before the story was over. I'm not a fan of just quitting in the middle. It was so abrupt, in fact, that I assumed something was wrong with my copy and it was missing the last part. Duh. No. She just quit.

4 people found this helpful

Great narrator !

I loved the narration, which gave the (2) women at the heart of the story very disctictive personalities. The book was so interesting and quite emotional, until the final hour. Then it started to drag, and the plot lost focus. The "ending" is just that, not really a conclusion but a "huh ?". Such a letdown. It could have been a (5) star book.

4 people found this helpful

Outstanding!

Loved this book. Excellent story and the narrator does a great job. Flawed characters that you come to love. I will be thinking about this book for a long time and would be looking for more books by this author.

4 people found this helpful

I loved this book -- until I hated it

If you could sum up The Story Hour in three words, what would they be?

I found this book to be fascinating, engaging and heart-rending.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Story Hour?

There were several memorable moments in this story, but one of my favorites was when Lakshmi finally realizes her own worth and points it out to her husband. He is so astounded, he can hardly speak -- but that is when the tide begins to turn for Lakshmi's life. Of course, the "turn" actually began even earlier, when she met Maggie, and it is Maggie's influence that leads Lakshmi to stand up for herself.

Which scene was your favorite?

I didn't have only one favorite scene, but several. But most of them involved Lakshmi's innocence and the moments when she would realize or understand something she previously had not. Those moments were charming and childlike and made me feel as proud of Lakshmi as if I'd been the author who created her, or was someone living in the book with her, who had known her.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book made me smile often but also made me worry for the characters in their troubles and concerns -- a sure sign that the author has done a good job of pulling me in as a reader. I was engaged with all the characters to the point where I could hardly wait to know what happened to them next. My heart laughed and cried with them. And unlike with some books I've read or listened to, where I might care about one character more than another and so only want to get back to that plot line, in this book, I was interested equally in both sides of the story, so that when the author switched between characters, I was not annoyed or impatient to get back to "the one I like," but continued to be engaged with all characters and the book as a whole.

Any additional comments?

This is one of the best, most charming and entertaining narrations I've heard, particularly for the part of Lakshmi, and it was a pleasure to listen to all the way through. My one and ONLY criticism of the book is that it ended abruptly. I didn't even see it coming. I wanted to actually see the happy ending that was implied -- and which was, also, in no way guaranteed. Hence, my need to have just a few more chapters so as to really see assured the ending I hoped for. The abrupt ending so annoyed me that I ripped my headset off in anger. But just the same, I cannot discount this book. It was well written and so expertly narrated, with such interesting cultural insights and contrasts, plus simply being so charming in its prose, that I would still recommend it to any discerning listener.

8 people found this helpful

Entertaining, Riveting and Filled with Wisdom

This recording made me realize that listening to a great book is as good as reading one! I loved it!

17 people found this helpful

Engaging, unusual, touching

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, to women friends who have a psychological bent. It's a story of sin craving redemption with characters who are fully human. A great read. In print, it would be a page-turner.

What other book might you compare The Story Hour to and why?

Some of Jennifer Weiner's stories plus an East Indian flavor.

Which scene was your favorite?

The end.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but it required two days because it was 11+ hours long.

Any additional comments?

Really liked it!

2 people found this helpful