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5 out of 5 stars
By
Kindle Customer
on
07-23-15
A Great 'Read'
Not often that I write a book review particularly one I don't need to read, but just listen to. I have a lot of Audibles and enjoy most as I'm a careful chooser, always reading other's reviews! I am drawn to writing a review here though simply because I really enjoyed listening to the author reading his own story. It's a bit like a poet reading their own work, being the only person who really knows what the text was meant to sound like.
Throughout the book, which I found really hard to pause, I could see Tony relating his adventure in person and not like in a book but as if we were sitting across a pint in the local, having got together after his latest voyage of discovery.
The story was completely absorbing. I have read, using my eyes, his previous books too but this one just connected in a unique way and was a great experience.
This book could be used by Audible as a sample to entice new converts to the audio book world.
Tony, If you read this; it really is 'Grrrreat!' - could be a serial (see what I did there?).
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4 of 4 people found this review helpful
3 out of 5 stars
By
TomPhil
on
05-22-16
Once upon a time... Hawks went on adventures
I started reading Tony Hawks's books years ago, back when he used to travel around with a fridge, and play Moldovans at tennis, and try to get a hit single in Albania. I used to wait eagerly for his next book, ready to laugh out loud at his latest crazy exploits.
In this book he... moves to Devon. That really is it. I can't help but feel that Hawks's publishers were also a little underwhelmed by this book, given that their synopsis concludes - "in the epic battle of man versus countryside, who will win out?" Really? Did they actually read this book, or just assume its contents based on his previous stories?
That's not to say that this is a bad book. Hawks is an engaging narrator and a good storyteller. He comes across as a really nice likeable guy, so you're genuinely interested in how things turn out for him.
There is certainly a niche for books written by good storytellers about their everyday ordinary lives, and this falls squarely within it. With one exception, nothing particularly unusual or unexpected happens to Hawks. Having moved from London to Devon he simply settles into slow paced, quiet Devon life.
The thing that lets this book down a little however is that it's rather uneven. A mini-adventure that Hawks goes on with a miniature pig dominates the book, despite not being long or interesting enough to justify such focus. The seemingly minute-by-minute description of his son's birth, whilst obviously of great importance to Hawks, seems to be given rather excessive space in a book about moving to the country.
Overall I'd summarise this as "listenable". I actually finished this book, which probably puts it in the top 50% of books I've listened to, but it was something I dipped in and out of when I had nothing else to listen to, and the last hour or so was more a case of "let's get this one finished". If you're a Hawks fan, planning on moving from a city to the country, or find miniature pigs particularly cute, give it a try.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful