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5 out of 5 stars
By
Peter Deane
on
01-22-09
Ulysses (Unabridged)
This book was well worth the money and time invested - a master work which was read accurately and in keeping with the spirit and culture of the writer. The Irish accents of each character were deftly done and easy to identify for without the changes in irish dialect for different characters it would have been very difficult to follow - this book is like Shakespeare - easier followed when performed than when read. Some of the passages were in turn hilarious and disturbing - I was constantly impressed by the narrators skills. The book is NOT AN EASY LISTEN - it requires and deserves a lot of concentration which many folks wont be interested in giving it - it took me a long time to get through, but it was entirely worth it and I doubt if I would have had the stamina to read through the book. The narrators accents and infusion of life and character into the text were wonderful. I intend to listen to this one at least twice to get full richness of the work - Highly recommended.
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138 of 140 people found this review helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
Robert
on
06-01-09
let it flow!
The narration is flawless. NOT too fast... NOT mumbled...excellent modulation and everything...
The audio quality is excellent.
The writing is fascinating. It is not a novel which you try to "follow". If you do , you end up writing a negative review of it. The style is stream of consciousness, so you just let it flow in, through and around you.
I could never have read through the whole thing, so I'm grateful for this wonderful recording.
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100 of 102 people found this review helpful
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
Richard
on
04-02-12
Amazing
I've listened to 30+ books from Audible now and a few of them have needed a bit of persistence. I was keen to listen to Ulysses as I reasoned that I may be unlikely to finish the book in print if I attempted it.
It seems to me that the audiobook format is excellent for this incredible book. I can see why the book is rated so highly. The narrator is excellent and I found his characterisations worked very well. The pace was just right - quite hard to keep up but I don't think this is the book to read aloud slowly.
Did I understand everything? No. I had to review an online source at the end of each episode to keep up. But it is well worth it and I feel like I have experienced a very special piece of literature.
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28 of 29 people found this review helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
Antti
on
03-19-14
Monumental Achievement
"Grant me, Lord, the courage and the joy / I need to scale the summit of this day”, wrote Jorge Luis Borges of "Ulysses" in one of his sonnets. Both are needed, courage and joy, since the most challenging works of literature should be enjoyable in their difficulty. When it comes to Joyce’s great work, a colossus among the colossals, it’s quite impossible to write about the reading experience succintly, to the point, and well. I’m trying, though.
I like reading "Ulysses", but equally I love listening to it. There is something about Joyce’s language and his way of expressing things that lends beautifully to performance. His words float, soar and swerve, and I think we are incredibly lucky to have an audiobook of the work that is without equal. Narrated by Jim Norton and Marcella Riordan, it is an unabridged recording (27 hours and 21 minutes) that has not only been expertly read, it’s actually recorded and mixed wonderfully, and it’s amongst the best audiobooks I’ve ever encountered. This is a monumental achievement in audiobook recording that cuts no corners, takes all the time it needs in the right places, and uses technology and vision to create an unforgettable listening experience.
One of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to.
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17 of 18 people found this review helpful
Customer Reviews
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4 out of 5 stars
By
john ayliffe
on
05-03-16
Ulysses on audible makes sense
Joyce must have meant his masterwork to be read aloud. Is pretty unreadable as text,
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful
2 out of 5 stars
By
Dan Bowen
on
09-29-14
Unabridged too far
Any additional comments?
I had to give up on this after a bit over a quarter the way through (something I rarely do), it just requires too much concentration to keep up with and I don't think it suits the audiobook format. You need to be a bit of a scholar as well; large passages are in Latin, Italian etc. and there are many many references to history/literature which if you are not well versed in take away the enjoyment. The reader is excellent though and I would be tempted to have a go (though it won't be for a good few years) in traditional print.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful