Don't let the comments on audio quality spook you

Any additional comments?

I almost passed on this book based on the comments concerning the audio problems. There is certainly the occasional clipped word, but they are few and far between. I didn't find it distracting, and missed none of the story.

It's tough to say too much without saying too much, if you know what I mean. From a writing perspective, it's always great when an author who can string a nice sentence together ventures into this genre. That's what we have here. The writing is descriptive and lends atmosphere without ever detracting from the story line. Very well done.

The narrator gets top marks, too. The cast of characters could have easily overwhelmed a lesser performer, but he nails it!

13 people found this helpful

WOULD have been a really fun story...

The quality of the recording really messes this up. Toward the end of chapters - over and over - (AND over!) the audio just SKIPS. There is no way to tell how many words or sentences or paragraphs might be missing. Otherwise an interesting and exciting story and great narrator.

24 people found this helpful

Recording glitches, but a great gruesome tale

Let's start with the plusses - this is a rip-snorting, fast-paced, carefully-crafted thriller in both horror and historical fiction categories. The story is literary, first rate and laid out just right. The narrator was very good, although he seemed to forget that his 3 protagonists were YANKEES in the south, and generally gave them heavy southern inflections as well, No big deal.
***
Now to the not-so-good bits. 39 minutes into the recording it seemed to skip, and while the book is labeled as 9hr6min in length, the download read out at 8hr25min. I contacted Audible and they said they found no problem, and sent me a fresh file, but the problem was the same.

I wound up purchasing the book on Kindle so I could make comparisons! The 39 min. skip turned out to be only a single word, and I resumed listening. But almost every chapter ends with one of these squeaky cuts, where a single word is cut off, and when the book resumes and you're in another chapter, it's very disconcerting. I THINK I heard the entire book, but I hope that Penguin Audio is more careful with its finished products in the future.

52 people found this helpful

Technical Difficulties, but Worth Sticking With It

This audibook was not of the quality I have come to expect from Audible. There were frequent hiccups - like a CD skipping. The story got started slowly, but by the time I got to the second half of the book, I was glad I stuck with it.

20 people found this helpful

Gorgeous Prose, Flawed Story

Buehlman's prose is a pleasure to listen to. His descriptive writing is rich and takes you there. His characters are complex and human and deeply engaging. Even his minor characters are fresh and vivid. The setting is eerie, the premise is intriguing. We are all set up for a wonderful walk through the strange, strange south. Then, about two thirds of the way through the book, I get the sense that that someone told the author to quit pissing around and being literary and write a novel just like other horror novels.

Suddenly, many of the characters develop convenient but unconvincing paralysis. The "ones across the river" are disappointingly revealed to be... well, let's just say they're a lot less interesting and more predictable than they could have been.

This is not a bad horror book. But it could have been an outstanding piece of writing and a better horror story. The initial development of delightful creeping dread reveals itself to be less than the potential of the story promised.

All this said, I'm only so critical because for the first three quarters, it's just brilliant.

12 people found this helpful

Fantastic Story- Superb Characters

Buelman's 'Those Across The River' was a real find for me. I can't remember who turned me on to it, but I am so glad I listened to it. There were a few problems with some sentences ending to abruptly, but not enough to abandon this most exquisite tale of terror in small town Georgia.

Eudora and Frank Nichols have moved to a sleepy town in the south so that they could start fresh in a home they inherited from Frank's aunt. Frank's aunt does warn them that things aren't 'quite right' with the house, and tells them to sell it right away and not to live in it.

The couple is looking for a way to get back on their feet, so they decide, against any caution, to move into the home. The townspeople seem fairly nice but much too 'Southern Like.' The setting takes place after World War I and the author does a great job in painting a post war picture.

Strange and terrible things start to happen in the town when a child is ripped to shreds and eaten. When a bunch of bodies are dug up and pieced back together at the local high school, terror runs like a high fever and the townspeople start to fear for their very lives. They have one thing to focus on and worry about- They've upset 'Those Across The River.'

This book is an excellent thrill ride filled with voluminous relationships, gentle and kid flowing prose, and some fascinating, loving and memorable characters. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a good thrill, and good literature at the same time. Don't let the few hiccups in the recording bother you!

4 people found this helpful

EEEK, BITTEN FINGERNAILS HERE!!!

This is one scary book. I really enjoyed it. I love to listen to scary stories, especially when I am home alone! This one was a good one! I really like the way the mystery builds and instills a sense of fright, making you want to yell "run, stupid".

3 people found this helpful

Horror the way it should be!

This is a great book! Not quite as good as his second book (Between 2 Fires) but seriously head and shoulders above most of the horror that is out there. The story moves along a little slow at first, but then then the menacing tone starts and the dread builds. However, when the mystery is revealed things unwind a bit and I started to see bad decisions that could have avoided the tragedies that unfolded. The story lingers a little longer than I wanted but the ending ties all subplots together and gives a nice sense of forboding and mystery for things to come. I also really like the way the author told this story in first person as if he is telling you how things happened in the past. He uses this to forshadow things to great effect. Finally, I liked how Buehlman spared the southern characters from some of the typical stereotypes used by other authors. This is a good story and short enough to listen to in a day or two.

5 people found this helpful

Good enough

This book took me a while to get into. The narrator did a great job with some of the characters making them quite memorable. The story itself was just ok for me but that is largely because I don't care for werewolves. Still, the characters were great and kept my interest through the end. I would recommend to those who like a good werewolf story.

2 people found this helpful

My world just got rocked by the "Insulter"

Would you listen to Those Across the River again? Why?

I am currently listening to this book for a second time. The story sneaks up on you in a way that absolutely forces you to keep listening. The setting is perfect for the horror that slowly unfolds and with the combination of the talented voice actor and the incredibly believable writing of the author it is a story that will stick with you for a long time.

Any additional comments?

Only problem I had was that there seemed to be something wrong with the recording. Throughout the audio sentences seemed to be clipped off at the end and words to complete sentences seem to have been lost.

2 people found this helpful