Acceptance

The Southern Reach Trilogy, Book 3

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick, Bronson Pinchot, Xe Sands

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

It is winter in Area X. A new team embarks across the border on a mission to find a member of a previous expedition who may have been left behind. As they press deeper into the unknown - navigating new terrain and new challenges - the threat to the outside world becomes only more daunting.

In the final installment of the Southern Reach Trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may have been solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound - or terrifying.

©2014 Jeff VanderMeer (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great Story, Bad Audio

The story itself is amazing. I used audible for every book of this trilogy.
This last version had the worst audio of the 3 though. It cuts in and out between obvious re-recordings that are at a MUCH worse quality than the rest. It occurs sporadically, but often throughout the whole audio. The readers are great, but it's obvious that they did not work in concert. One vocal actor has a character with a southern accent, and another who is reading the same character does not.
So, story is FANTASTIC.
Actors are good!
Audio is only ok and with many hiccups.

That's it?

Finally finished all 3 books and I don't feel like I'm anywhere closer to understanding what was going on

EVERYTHING

Seriously how do people not know what's going on in Area X. Highly recommend

Conflicting

I'm not sure how one could follow the first book in this trilogy satisfactorily and maybe books two and three are as good as they could've been. I notice often times authors will struggle to handle promises they make earlier in a series - with complex plot lines or ideas - and while I am not entirely happy with how this book turned out, it may be as good as it could have been.
Given the scope of what was accomplished in the first book, tying all of the ideas and plots up nicely was no small undertaking. Here in book three and to a lesser extent in book two I believe Jeff Vandermeer did an admirable job with his story. I can say honestly that book one was the best of the three but I am happy to have read the rest of the series and am walking away satisfied to have stuck it out to the end.

good acters but not my kind of book.

I did read all of them and I know people that likes this book but I rather read wheel of time

good book

good book, great cast for the read. still so many questions and things to know

Interesting and compelling but what was that?

Would you listen to Acceptance again? Why?

Yes I would only because audio books can be the kind of thing you might get distracted by outside elements and not hear something important. Also I'm the sort of person to re-read a book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Biologist, for no particular reaason

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Dude the RECORDING of this book is really sloppy. Obvious edits and changes in tone and loudness affect the reading of it. Otherwise I liked the readers.

Compelling

I was compelled to take in the entire The Southern Reach Trilogy, no lapse in time between each book. Jeff VanderMeer's lyrical writing about Area X is stunning and poetic. He pulls you through a riveting story where there are points in time but no ending just existence, a new kind of existence that keeps your mind deeply engaged and at times spinning. I loved the adventure and images that emerged in my mind, but if you're a linear reader you won't enjoy it as much.

Terrible Conclusion

After the hot mess that was book 2, I hoped for more from this book. Instead this book is even crazier. I think the author may have been affected by Area X while writing this. The voice actors on the other hand were really good, and actually pulled most of the weight, in regards to storytelling, of this dragging, overly descriptive mess of a book.

This Book And This Series Are Important!

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

This series is unlike any other story I have ever read. It is excellently executed "sciency" science fiction but it is also very poetic. The imagery is beautiful and the characters are deep, complicated and beautifully vulnerable. This series definitely will attain cult classic status rapidly but has a real shot at mass public appeal because the story is so timely. Much of my fears these days are ecological. Lets face it all of the books in this series are about how humans interact with their environments, blundering about, largely making things worse for themselves. I was never sure if I should be rooting for Area X or the humans.

These characters have been really important to me especially "The Biologist" and her counterpart "Ghostbird". I have learned about bravery from them. I am a better person for reading this book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Acceptance: The Writing is On the Wall.