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The Sound of Things Falling

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The Sound of Things Falling

By: Juan Gabriel Vasquez
Narrated by: Mike Vendetti
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About this listen

Juan Gabriel Vsquez has been hailed not only as one of South America’s greatest literary stars, but also as one of the most acclaimed writers of his generation. In this gorgeously wrought, award-winning novel, Vsquez confronts the history of his home country, Colombia.

In the city of Bogot, Antonio Yammara reads an article about a hippo that had escaped from a derelict zoo once owned by legendary Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. The article transports Antonio back to when the war between Escobar’s Medelln cartel and government forces played out violently in Colombia’s streets and in the skies above. Back then, Antonio witnessed a friend’s murder, an event that haunts him still. As he investigates, he discovers the many ways in which his own life and his friend’s family have been shaped by his country’s recent violent past. His journey leads him all the way back to the 1960s and a world on the brink of change: a time before narco-trafficking trapped a whole generation in a living nightmare.

Vsquez is “one of the most original new voices of Latin American literature” according to Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, and The Sound of Things Falling is his most personal, most contemporary novel to date, a masterpiece that takes his writing - and will take his literary star - even higher.

©2012 Juan Gabriel Vasquez (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
Crime Thrillers Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Thriller South America
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What listeners say about The Sound of Things Falling

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  • Overall
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Very enjoyable

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Very poignant. You care about the characters and although the ending is foretold well before the end you are still keen to discover the details.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Bad narration

Poor narration distracted from mediocre story and thin plot. Enjoyable in parts, seldom cohesive

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book, appalling narrator

This is a terrific story, beautifully translated by Anne McLean. Unfortunately the narrator Mike Vendetti was the worst I have ever heard. He frequently mispronounced words, and was inconsistent in the pronunciation of names - even Laverde! Often he gave the wrong emphasis in sentences as though he had not understood the meaning. Could you not have found someone better, Audible?

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good historical content but shocking narration!

The narrator has a poor grasp on sentence structure and shocking Spanish. Interesting history colombia

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good but not great

I enjoyed it but not as much as others I have heard and reviewed.
Thank You Thank You Thank You

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Terrible narration & sound

I heard the author talk on a radio book review show and immediately downloaded what seemed to be an interesting, well written book.

What a disappointment! Terrible narration and sound quality. Incredibly difficult to understand what is being said. Stopped listening after 15, painful minutes. Without a doubt the worst audio book listening experience I've ever had.

Such a shame.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good story, weird narration.

The story is good but sadly the experience is kind of ruined by an odd narration which for the majority of the time sounds like Google translate.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Dreadful narrator

Narrator had mispronunciation, wrong emphases and he read too fast. At times he mumbled the book. Since the story is good this spoilt it for me.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A Columbian tale.

Not a strong storyline with elements of recent Columbian history. The shallow characters are very forgettable. Do we really care about Antonio or Ricardo?

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

appaling narrator churning them out

appalling narration. bizarre intonation. seems not read it through before and I am sorry but it is full of bizarre pronunciation giving the impression the narrator has never spoken quite a lot of these words in conversation / day to day life.
also half way through the recording oscillates wildly between different tones and volumes.
I am new to audible. I am astonished and puzzled by what the commercial relationships here are and editorial/quality checking.
the narrator ruined it.

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