The story is great, the reading is terrible

The story deserves a better audio productiom. The plot is interesting and thats why I powered through this truely awful reading. the performance is flat and feels rushed like the reader is disinterested and wants to get the job over and done with as fast as possible and so rushed the reading. This does not fit in terms of pacing and left me feeling frustrated and to be perfectly honest irritated to the point I was on the verge of giving up on multiple occasions. its a shame because the book itself is good and its a true testament to the plot that I kept going... but yea, honestly one of the worst preformances I've come across on audible, rushed, emotionless and flat from a preformer who seems to be completely uninterested in what they are reading. Good book truly awful performance... Its not a long book so I recommend reading it instead of listening, I wish that's what I'd done

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2 people found this helpful

(3/10)

Honestly I'm not quite sure why I decided to read this book in the first place as I watched the film adaptation and didn't like it, but maybe part of me hoped that the book would be better. It wasn't.

With regards to the narrator, I have to say I wasn't a fan. Her voice was very monotonous and so incredibly slow. Towards the end of the book I was turning it to 1.5x speed and only then did it seem bearable.

I had the same problem with the book as I did with the film to be honest, I was okay with it at the beginning. I liked the story telling and I think it was well written. I genuinely wanted to get to the end, however as the book went on I found it a chore to listen to. I'd delayed listening to the last 30 minutes or so for days. This wasn't a bad book by any means I just think the plot wasn't for me, I most likely will not be reading the following books.

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Imaginative and enthralling

It's so good to see women as complex and unique individuals with their own faults, idiosyncrasies, and strengths.

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5 stars

If you came here for a written version of the film then unfortunately you won't find that here. This was different in many ways but filled me with the same existential cosmic horror and evoked the same feeling. It was incredibly vivid in its description and conjured tactile and emotional imagery that is really worth experiencing.

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A really intriguing tale of cosmic horror.

I truly enjoyed the story and its creeping implications. The storytelling is spot on and the worldbuilding on point. can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

oh and dont mind the hater, the narrarion was fine!

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Pleasant overall

From the reviews, I was expecting the reading to be something truly awful - it wasn’t half bad! I think given the fact that the story is an account written in a journal, the method of detached, calculated and somewhat mechanic voice acting was apt. I will say I zoned out a couple of times, but it really wasn’t as bad as the other reviews might suggest!

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So interesting!

This was such an interesting book and very well written and read, I would recommend this to anyone who likes sci-, thriller or just something different. Very enjoyable and not very long to read (listen too) definitely worth a try.

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Compellingly narrated

What made the experience of listening to Annihilation the most enjoyable?

The book is brilliantly narrated, a nice range of modulation without ever going over the top or becoming distracting.

What other book might you compare Annihilation to, and why?

The opening third focuses on the interpersonal politics of a group of researchers, and in that way reminded me of Le Guin's 'Vaster Than Empires, and More Slow.

'The middle third owes a great debt to Lovecraft's 'At the Mountains of Madness.'

The impact of research on a personal relationship reminded me of the Chiang short-story 'Division by Zero.'

Which scene did you most enjoy?

There's both humour and drama in the first act's scenes featuring the interactions of a group of scientists, each with different specialisms. I particularly enjoyed those.

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

The mad rush of the very ending, and the prospect of the future it looked out upon, I found affecting.

This was particularly because the book had sagged in the middle, and the writing in those parts seemed stale, which highlighted the verve and panache with which the conclusion was accomplished.

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great story

got recommended this series by a friend. gripping throughout with beautiful narrative and complex characters

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Strange story strangely narrated

I love the premise of the book and elements within it. However like the book it just didn’t connect with me. I don’t get it. Perhaps it’s more of a reflection of me than the book, but given it’s my review I say it’s just weird, perhaps imaginatively weird is fairer.

The narration would be ok except there is a strange pacing to it and few pauses. The result is a read that feels a touch robotic and disorienting.

I tried

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