'Thank You' messages for LibriVox readers - continued

Post by **icequeen** » February 26th, 2018, 10:18 pm

Praise received for the readers of the Dramatic Reading of Little Women from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Hi!

I want to thank the entire cast & crew of the LibriVox recording of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (version 3 dramatic reading) for their simply wonderful book.

Listening to all these hours of patient and tender reading, edited to perfection, with Narrator/Jo: Elizabeth Klett in the center of it all, in front of this splendid cast representing many parts of mid/late-1800s society was truly a heart-warming experience. Brilliant performances, in-character, lifelike characters of all types, shapes and sizes displaying all kinds of emotions; people going through many different, both painful and joyful phases of life, living through all kinds of situations, overcoming all life's hurdles, big and small. (Not to mention Meg's jellies. Poor dear. )

Majestic interpretations. I read some of Louisa May Alcott's original text and thought: "Wow! How did they get *that* great, marvellous & nuanced performance out of this old black ink on white-turned-yellow paper?" Now, it *is* true that classics, that quality, never goes out of style, and this also applies to text, but it's trapped in a book, right? It's locked away, and needs help to be released in a way, and all the text that once was contained within the narrow frames of this book, and trapped there, sure has gotten all the help it needed to leap off the pages in this instance!

At the moment when the combined effort was sealed and published, it stopped being a printed book and became a vivid time capsule with a life of its own. A unique life.

There are not - in world history - two 'family Marches' (or Alcotts) that could experience exactly the same set and turn of events. It's unique, it's precious. I never knew Louisa May Alcott's father in himself was such a known and important personage until I read about him! Truly a fascinating person and persona. Louisa May's own family & experiences really shine through her work.

These words of Louisa May Alcott were brought into life, into audible life, in the modern age: Several families, households and - not one, plural - societies, nations and mindsets, all came into life. And you all managed to do this with your combined effort. I applaud you for that. What a wonderful feat!

As a team, you have demonstrated that the really strong side of many separate & easily distinguished voices doing their part, helps minimize the threshold between the listener and understanding a book at large. This combined effort helps eliminate the distance between us all as listeners on one side, and the author's message, plus space and time (no less! - a mighty obstacle to overcome!), on the other. This way of making an audio book, as a team effort, opens the curtains and shows the landscape, letting us peak through the windows. The author's message then becomes a showcase in glass - rather than simply a poster on a brick wall, or a book with page numbers.

To me personally, this means much. I can *hear* 4 or maybe 8 hours of an audio book for every 1 hour that I could read a book, no matter paper/digital. Also simply because language is like a code to code and decode. And I personally pay so much attention to details that I sometimes needs to re-run, re-read entire passages several times to ensure I interpreted the mood and meaning right (not to mention the glossary), or simply got the meaning at all. I'm no bookworm, and my 'human processor' soon becomes tasked at-and-beyond-capacity with black-on-white text. For me, audio books is a great way, a great help, simply to get the message. And that's the whole point of a book, isn't it? Oh, yes, it most certainly is. It's not ment to just collect dust on a shelf. It's ment to be read and cherised. And when this can happen throughout the ages, then an author, like Louisa May Alcott, has truly succeeded. Thank you so much for sharing the message and the dreams of her book with me, and people like me through this LibriVox (or should I say audio/voice book?) recording.

'Little Women' is full of self-contained scenes, not just dialogues. They are sometimes bridged by narration, sometimes shifting as we go; the larger work (book) acting as a main theater for many smaller theaters, one or more displayed throughout every chapter of the book, chronologically in this particular one. The book acts as a foundation for a live manuscript for many contributers, and the result: A spectacle to behold, a life lived to experience, not just text, not just read aloud, no, so much more. So much more. People. Types. Emotions. Places. Settings. Come rain of shine - the world is there; tangible.

When one easily can 'see' and imagine things throught sound, then the cast & crew, the team behind the audio book, has succeeded in showing what the author ment to say. Right on the spot!

Of course it helps to have seen a couple of movie versions, as I have for this book, and/or have some faces, types, to represent the various characters in a book one hears, but a book version often contains so very much more information, entire scenes and loads of dialogue left out in movie/TV series production. This applies to many books, films and series where the book is long and the movie (script) is short in comparison. So it indeed is worthwile to *hear* the book original behind a movie that one loves.

In any case, the author's descriptions of the various scenes, people and moods makes the varios settings in this book-turned-audio-book - from the most spontaneous action in a living room to the most lazy inaction outdoors on a hot summer's day all so very, very real. (The 'busy bee' March girls versus 'lazy Teddy' (as a recurring theme) is simply priceless. Cozy. Lively.) The different types of people remind me of home, of people I know, people I've met. People of so many oddities, peculiarities and quirks that makes one 'bloom' from the inside and out, and smile out of sheer fondness on a gray everyday. (And not just people - let's not forget the parrot. Hit the nail right on. "Come and take a walk, dear...")

Listening to this recording was like looking throught that window, and into another time but still so infinitely recognizable. Thus, it's timeless and it's precious. Thank you all, and thank you again.

Top hats and bonnets off, tossed in the air! 3 x 3 "hurray" and an old-fashioned naval broadside, even, of salute, to a backdrop of applause, confetti, fanfares and heroic music! (Band or symphony orchestra version - at your leisure.) ('Ink stands and horses' too.)

Warm thanks from Mr. O.G., snowy Norway, Europe.

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:03 pm

Praise received for philchenevert (Phil Chenevert) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Just wanted to say thank you to Phil Chenevert librivox contributions! So far I have listened to,

The Marvelous Land of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rinkitink in Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz (just started)
and I still have a bunch to go! My local libraries only has 2 Oz books on audio, so finding them all on Librivox and read by the same reader is a GEM! I'm planning on listening to a few other things you have read, once I am done with the Oz books!

Thank you! thank you!

All of Phil's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:09 pm

Praise received for MARTIN GEESON (Martin Geeson) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Dear Mr Geeson,

This is just a quick note to say thank you for recording Dostoyevsky's The Idiot. I am enjoying listening to it very much.

I watched the Kurosawa film recently and decided to seek out an audiobook version of the book, so I'm very greatful that you took the time and effort to make the recording.

Kind regards,

Michael

All of Martin's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:13 pm

Praise received for clifford (Nicholas Clifford) from our 'Thank a reader' feature regarding his recording of In the Mayor's Parlor:

Whenever I see your name as reader, I just drop everything I'm reading myself (no TV here) and listen. As usual, your reading was perfect, never too dramatic, never monotonous, just perfect. Cant thank you enough. Oh and I enjoyed the book too!

All of Nicholas' recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:16 pm

Praise received for gypsygirl (Karen Savage) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

I just finished listening to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Karen, you did a marvelous job! I know it's been over 10 years since you did this--just thought you might like to know people are still enjoying your efforts.

Marie

All of Karen's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:18 pm

Praise received for neustar (Bob Neufeld) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Bob,
Your reading of R.W. Emerson are a pure joy to listen to.
Many thanks

All of Bob's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:21 pm

Praise received for m8b1 (Maria Therese) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Dear Maria Therese,

Thank you very much for your readings of such good Catholic books, especially the Fr. Francis Finn books (these are our favorites)!

God Bless and Reward you,

Tony and family
St. Philippine Duchesne Catholic Church, Westwood, Kansas

All of Maria's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:25 pm

Praise received for Rev. Steve (Steve Andersen) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

I just wanted to write in and thank Steve Andersen for recording ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’. I homeschool my children, one has a few disabilities and it is often a struggle for him to read on his own and comprehend. He spends so much time concentrating on reading the actual words that he often forgets what he just read. I usually read to him, but after the first couple chapters I got very sick, and stayed sick for a couple weeks. My voice was gone. He was missing our reading time, he wanted to get back to the book and see what was happening. My eldest boy got the idea to see if there was an audio book online and found Steve. He speaks clearly, with such inflection, we all enjoyed the reading. We really just wanted to reach out and say thank you!

Melissa

All of Steve's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:29 pm

Praise received for adonis (Tony Addison) from our 'Thank a reader' feature regarding his recording of The Brothers Karamazov:

Dear Mr. Addison,

Your version of the Karamazov is an absolute masterpiece! I’ve been recommending it to as many friends as I can. I’ve sent the first chapter to many friends of mine, and expressing the amazement I’ve been experiencing since I found your work. I’m on chapter 9 of book three now. Karamazov is not new to me; I read it some years ago, of course, in my native language (Persian). Yet, I have all my astonishment again with the story.
Your voice and accent and articulation is great. You don’t just read the book, you play it and embody it. Amazing! The only person I’ve come to appreciate this much in the matter of articulation is Jeremy Brett playing Sherlock Holmes.
Mr. Addison! Please! Read more of Dostoevsky! "The Demons" is fantastic! I beg you to read it for us, Sir!
Thank you for reading the Karamazov!
Thank you so much, Sir!

Arash
1st March, 2018

All of Tony's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:32 pm

Praise received for Jacquerie (Jacquerie) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Dear Jacqueire,

I want to thank you for reading “The Hand in the Dark.” I very much enjoyed this book and your voice gave the characters life, depth, interest, and your reading was clear and articulate. I realise how much time and effort you put into this recording and so I would like you to know how much I enjoyed this book and send you my deep appreciation.

Thank you,
Best Regards,
Michael

All of Jacquerie's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:36 pm

Praise received for Rowen (Lizzie Driver) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Dear Lizzie Driver,

Thank you for your LibriVox reading of Gulliver's Travels.

You brought the book, which I had read a long time ago, back to life for
me.

Amazing how well your female voice worked in reading the male first-person
narrative. At least for this (Chicago) American, the book did also benefit
from your English accent.

Gratefully,

Thomas

All of Lizzie's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:40 pm

Praise received for bgdavid (David Clarke) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Just finished the whole catalogue of reader David Clarke, including the 54-hours-long “The Count of Monte Cristo”.
The reading is very good and there’s a lot to learn from this classical “oeuvre”.
Thank you for you time, patience and great work!
If you should publish more recordings count on an avid listener from Portugal!
Best wishes!

Ana

and...

For reading the adventures of sherlock holmes version 4

https://librivox.org/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes-version-4-by-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/

Made my Friday evening listening to you reading these.

Genuinely bring the books to life.

Thank you very much!

All of David's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:44 pm

Praise received for sjmarky (Mark Nelson) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

Thank you Mark Nelson for your wonderful reading of another great science fiction — the 1947 novel Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. Smith: https://librivox.org/spacehounds-of-ipc-by-e-e-smith/. I almost skipped this one, but I am so glad I didn't. Although the dialogue, mores, and science were quite dated, the encounters with four different types of aliens, survival in space as well as on one of Jupiter's moons, the detailed science, and your smooth voice made for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I actually looked forward to my treadmill time each day during this book. Thanks!

Jon
Anderson, SC

All of Mark's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:48 pm

Praise received for Rooftrellen (Matt) from our 'Thank a reader' feature regarding his reading in the group project Ancient Greek Philosopher-Scientists:

I haven't listened to all of the readings you did yet but the one I did I liked a lot and look forward to hearing more from you if you are still doing it.

All of Matt's recordings!

Post by **icequeen** » March 5th, 2018, 9:51 pm

Praise received for John Lieder (John Lieder) from our 'Thank a reader' feature:

John,

I just wanted to write a quick thank you note for your reading of The Broad Highway. While I was living in the US I got to know librivox through a friend of mine who used to read as well. Now - being back in Europe - I still enjoy listening to it. I really liked your different voices and the singing. Excellent!

Greeting from Switzerland!

All of John's recordings!