Could not get past the narration

I love this author. I waited eagerly for this book's publication. I tried to listen five different times. Alas, when Kate Lock launched from her very pleasing narration of the basic text into her shrill, banshee interpretation on Irish accent, I just. Couldn't.Take. It.

Why a producer thought this accent was a good idea is simply confounding. It ruined this listen.

I am blind and "read" all my books and magazines on audio. I am supremely tolerant of imperfections in narration.

Alas, not so much here.

82 people found this helpful

Wonder No More, 5 Solid Stars

Note: Tread carefully with the reviews...the more you don't know the better, and disregard any foregone conclusions you might have. If Room haunted you, prepare to be haunted -- and furious to tears, with Donoghue's masterful new novel.

Donoghue absolutely intrigues me. There is so much psychology and strategy behind her stories, so much accumulation in each sentence. She seems to approach her writing like an architect, laying a simple foundation that is solid and strong, but also aware of the imposing structure that will rise from that footing. Her words are carefully chosen; her characterizations superb, and her story-lines floodgates that by degrees unleash torrents of emotion. Even that which is lightly said, or unsaid for that matter, feels forceful. As I did when I finished Room, I paused and thought back over each step, each word, even pictured in my mind each expression -- and marveled at the tightness, marveled at the whole mighty story balanced on such a powder keg of a premise. And here again, it seems Donoghue has her readers inhabiting just 4 walls, a small room full of secrets and whispers, that contains such enormous dimensions.

A former student of the honorable Florence Nightingale, Nurse Lib is dispatched to a small village in Ireland to observe an 11 yr. old seemingly healthy girl that townspeople claim has existed for four months on only a couple of spoonfuls of water each day. Oddly, she is told to make only observations, that no nursing duties will be needed and she will be sharing a round the clock vigil with a local nun. The time is after the Crimean War, approximately 1860, and just after the Irish potato famine. The atmosphere of the village is one of superstition and religiosity, with little education offered and a strong connection between church and governing. Lib finds herself, a non-Catholic, ostracized, but necessary. As she questions the motivations of her assignment and each person involved with the little girl, villagers seem to move in on Lib. [*Donoghue surely draws on Nightingale's own unsuccessful experience with Catholicism to fuel Lib's pondering of the constant religious events that surround her.] You will begin to feel the questions arise in yourself. Before you come up with your explanation, Donoghue slams the truth down on you -- hard and heartbreaking. But, not so much that you should avoid this book....(There has to be a pay out -- at least a trickle -- for me to stick with a book so overwhelming.)

I will call friends to recommend this one, with the admonition that I have mixed feelings about the ending; but that's all I will say of that to you! (explanation for the 4*'s.) I'll also warn any one interested that this book is constructed of a lot of detailed dialogue and religious explanations. One site labeled the author with the title of the "undisputed master of the small and the slow." But, if the devil is in the details as they say, Donoghue knows how to make the read reveal itself as heavenly. The narrator is fabulous with the accents, but they don't work well at 2 x -- even at 1.5 x she tends to sound a little chimpmunk-y when voicing the child. I would suggest biting the bullet and just devoting the time to this one if your are even considering this for your library. It is 13 hours that you will emotionally and philosophically experience for much longer.

61 people found this helpful

Exceptional narration evokes the "strangeness" of 19th c Irish characters I

A Protestant nurse, trained by Florence Nightingale, attempts to solve the mystery of why a little Irish Catholic girl refuses to eat. Readers enter the world of 19th century Irish Catholicism as the nurse gradually comes to understand the girl's motivations. Kate Lock's narration intensifies the personalities involved, from the tiny, angelic voice of the little girl to the almost unintelligible accents of the uneducated and superstitious parents. I wondered whether my own Irish ancestors came from these folkways and beliefs.

While not an "easy" story, Donoghue gives readers a way into a complex, multilayered mystery, and a past that is so specific it challenges us by its "strangeness." Kate Lock's beautiful narration adds charm and a sense of wonder.

12 people found this helpful

Excellent narration & story, mistake in recording

Kate Lock did an amazing job bringing this compelling story to life. Unfortunately, a part of the story was somehow recorded twice, so there's a weird loop in the recording, but it didn't affect the story too much. Would recommend

5 people found this helpful

Prepare yourself for drunken, slurring muppets

What didn’t you like about Kate Lock’s performance?

I am halfway through this book. It is a lovely story. However, the narrator is horrible! Her Irish accent is atrocious! All the Irish characters sound like drunken muppets. She is barely comprehensible. The only reason I know she is trying to do an Irish accent is because the book is set in Ireland. I very much wish I had purchased the print version of this book. What was the narrator thinking? If you can’t do an Irish accent, don’t do one. I have dozens of audible books, and this is the first one where I have vehemently objected to the narrator. She is so distracting that she is ruining the book.

8 people found this helpful

Slow and steady

This isn't for those seeking a page-turner but it will keep you interested and wondering about little Anna's backstory and outcome.

Would recommend for anyone who appreciates well-developed characters and dark twists.

The narrator was a little difficult to understand with the Irish accents and often hysterical women speaking.

21 people found this helpful

Slow beginning but worth it!

Character development is excellent!, it just a little long to get there. Reader was excellen

7 people found this helpful

Good story, although a bit slow

The story was good. However a bit slow and difficult to go through. That being said, I would recommend it. I enjoyed the narrator very much.

7 people found this helpful

Narration Irritated Me, but Good Story

I enjoyed this story for the most part. I was expecting a huge twist...and there really wasn’t a huge twist, so that was a bit of a let down. The most frustrating part was the narration! It was so odd. I thought the main character’s accent was spot on (English lady), but the Irish accents were an abomination. It’s not only that they were extremely difficult to understand - it’s that they were cartoonish. The girl of 11 years was portrayed with the voice of what I would consider a 3-4 year old. It was completely exasperating.

2 people found this helpful

Good story - narrator mad it difficult

The story was compelling. The narrator was irritating in parts. I think i would have enjoyed it more had I been able to read instead of listen.

2 people found this helpful