Is He Popenjoy ?

Readers (most) fantastic; awful story

(2 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

Ive been a lover of Trollope for over 30 years and this is by far the most disappointing work of his Ive ever encountered. Cringe-y gender dynamics, awful women characters, thoroughly ungratifying story lacking interesting plot twists and tying loose ends. But by far the worst is the number of major characters who either hope for or delight in the death of a little 1/2 Italian child, and the birth of the 100% English one who replaces him is supposed to be a happy ending. The readers are what keeps one engaged, save two who only read one chapter apiece but insist on amateur theatrics (and get the interpretations all wrong because theyre bad at it and haven't read the rest of the book). But truly, lovers of Trollope can skip this one without any self-recrimination or remorse.

(4 stars)

A LibriVox Listener

Bobolink reads so softly that it ruins the chapters he reads.

absorbing story

(4 stars)

SR

This is a satisfying story with a large cast of characters. It is Trollope at his least pleasing from a social point of view, with little, for example, of the thoughtful sympathy for the position of women that he sometimes shows, but rather, a complacent expression of the rightfulness of women's being dutiful wives, sisters or daughters to men. Sadly, too, he couldn't resist injecting a gratuitous little dose of vicious antisemitism. But the narrative and the characters draw you in and many of the readers are a pleasure to listen to. Can I say a special word of praise and thanks for bobolink? He has a gentle, soothing delivery and a literature-friendly one! Every sentence is beautifully read so that its meaning is clear. He never mangles a sentence by reading with the wrong emphasis or the wrong intonation. Yes, his S's whistle a bit but as far as I was concerned I ceased to notice after the first two sentences. I suppose it's possible that someone who wears a hearing aid might be affected more?

I know I finished it

(3 stars)

Phxjennifer

I'm not whining. I swear, but this book is so convoluted, and most of the characters so repellent, that the most salient memory I have is of those whistling ssss's! Maybe a filter on the microphone? It's a muddled melodrama of a plot, and toward the end I think even the author got tired of navigating through it.

(2 stars)

BigT

so sorry but bobolink really should review his reading,his ssssss are unbearable ,cannot continue, listening . I am such a great fan of librevox.

Leave your husband

(3 stars)

GildedDrifter

Woman puts up with absurdly unjust and hypocritical baby man incapable of communication for 300 chapters

On bobolink

(5 stars)

Thankful

I feel I should reveal that I hear every single word of bobolink's reading very clearly and comfortably. The said reader's pronunciation of "s" is not uncommon among North Americans. For listeners with tensed nerves I recommend drinking camomile tea and lay off caffeine. This will have several other health benefits as well.

is he popenjoy

(4 stars)

the Book Guru

Easy listening, enjoyable but not his best I would say...