Difficult to listen to at times

Extremely graphic and difficult to listen to at times. Found myself wondering why the writer would choose to write in this way. Had it not been for the fact that I'm studying psychotherapy I would have stopped listening. I didn't like the storytellers voice and the constant. he said; she said all the way through.

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30 people found this helpful

Just Ok

I sort of liked this book, and it was well-written, but I can't say I enjoyed the story very much. I also didn't like the performer who read it, as she has a very scratchy voice. I thought the story was compelling in some places, but overall it was a little slow. I also didn't like the ending, as it left a lot b of questions. Overall, just an OK book, in my opinion.

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1 person found this helpful

M y Absolute Favorite

What a wonderful book, so descriptive and beautifully written and narrated. If you read nothing else this year this book is a must read.

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Will enthrall and appall you in equal measure

Where does My Absolute Darling rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 3

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Absolute Darling?

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What about Alex McKenna’s performance did you like?

At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Alex McKenna's voice. It has a husky quality which made me think she needed to clear her throat, but it gradually grew on me. Being an audio-narrator myself I can only marvel at McKenna’s phrasing and characterisation. From the menace of Martin’s domineering personality, to the hippyish banter of Jacob and Brett, McKenna fleshes out the characters with effortless skill

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

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Any additional comments?

I tend to listen to audiobooks in the early hours of the morning when suffering from insomnia. The notion is that reading a book is likely to wake me up too much and that just lying there counting sheep is counterproductive in terms of wrestling with endlessly cycling thoughts and emotions. Audiobooks, in theory, provide a happy medium between the two; hopefully tapping into the childhood ‘bedtime story’ vibe.

With this in mind, Gabriel Tallent’s book in hindsight, was not the best book to choose for this purpose. It is not an ‘easy’ listen. In the same way that Jack Ketchum’s ‘Girl next door’ was not an easy read. It’s a story that grips you, attaches you to the complex characters and pummels your emotions like a butter churner. Definitely not sleep-inducing stuff!

Turtle Alveston is a young teenage girl and protagonist in this story. She has several names. Her real one is Julia, but her Dad, Martin, calls her ‘Kibble’ (don’t know if I’ve spelled that right – it was an audiobook after all.) At first it’s quite difficult to tell what exactly this young girl’s character is or where the story is going. In fact the first chapter or two are very intriguing for this reason. But one thing the reader/listener is left in doubt about, is that Turtle has an extraordinary upbringing and that things are not quite … normal. She meticulously maintains and expertly uses firearms. She eats raw eggs for breakfast. Her morning routine includes uncapping a bottle of beer for her obsessive and controlling father. She knows how to look after herself in the wild.

Turtle has no friends at school but is not bullied. There’s something so edgy about her that other kids keep a respectful distance. In fact, it isn’t until one of her forays into the wilderness turns into a several day absence from home that she forges a relationship of sorts with two, lost teenage hikers.

As a listener, I remained immersed in the story while I figured out my bearings as a result of Tallent’s uncanny … ahem … talent for description and internal dialogue on the part of Turtle. I’ve watched one interview with the author on youtube and he reveals that he purposefully set out to depict Turtle’s character as a ‘glimmer’ that became fully formed after he repeated draft after draft. As such, he has been able to get into the essence of this complex, young, female character and that is a great accomplishment as a male author. Turtle is the ultimate unreliable narrator as she seeks to make sense of and justify her predicament, often mimicking speech and thought patterns of her father.

Tallent interweaves the scenes and settings of North California with consummate skill. As a biologist, I was enthralled at his descriptions of the plant-life in the story. Something that is not incidental. Turtle’s exploration of the local flora is interwoven with some heavy emotional themes that come to the fore in conversations with her grandfather and her struggles with a garden at the end of the book.

It’s hard to chart the emotional roller-coaster that this book takes you on without giving spoilers, so all I can say is that just when you feel you are able to take a breather from the wrenching you have gone through in one scene – bam! Tallent hits you with another. The depictions of violence, cruelty and abuse pull no punches. But these are not prurient or facile attempts to shock. In Tallent’s own words they are an honest effort to treat the subject matter in a manner that has integrity and reality. The book is stronger for it. For me, the most excruciating moments are Martin’s coercive and insidious justifications for his actions and the way he tries to place the responsibility for what happens on Turtle. Like I said – not sleep-inducing fare.

Another drawing point for me were the observations that characters make about the natural world in the story and how they are an allegory for momentous issues in those character’s lives. Particularly poignant are the scenes where Turtles grandfather talks to her about the naming of plants and how sometimes things don’t need an immediate name, just the will to describe them. Another, is when Turtle deals with a black widow spider on behalf of a young girl, Cayenne (spelling may be wrong – it’s an audiobook.)

Stephen King has placed this book on a pedestal with ‘Catch 22’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’‘My Absolute Darling’ will both entice and appall you in equal measure. Don’t listen if you have a heart condition.

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28 people found this helpful

Gripping story

I've read this before, and found the Audiobook version equally as brilliant. I loved the narrator and the story had me on edge the entire time. I would reccommend to anyone who liked where the crawdads sing

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Gripping storyline expressively written

story is gripping and the characters multi-faceted. i thought it well written with, an expressive use of language. occasionally this felt over done when portraying teenage boys.

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An Extraordinary Book

I felt I shouldn't have liked this book it was so brutal. But several months on the story has stayed with me. Turtle is a true heroine, how she navigated her way through an impossible life is inspiring. The narration was spot on.

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A gritty, complex tome.

Difficult subject matter. Found it long winded but finished it regardless. I sped up to 1.4x which worked with the narrator's voice. Disappointed with the ending.

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Loved it to pieces

It is brutal but so beautifully crafted that I can forgive it that. Perfect narration. Gripping story to say the least. Nerve shredding in places such that I needed one break of a couple of weeks before returning to it. There was no doubt about returning though. Very highly recommended.

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I'm not sure on this one

whilst I appreciated the good writing, I just felt like not a lot really happened for such a long audiobook. narration was good.

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