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A review by lilylanie
One of Ours by Willa Cather
3.0
You expect a book about World War I to be sad, but I think the events prior to the war were so much sadder that it made Claude's war experiences seem almost enjoyable. Which I think is the point of the book but is still kind of hard to fathom. I feel like if you made a few adjustments for technology, this story could be just as relevant today, and as the mother of a newly adult son, that's a sad and frightening commentary.
I've been enjoying a lot of audiobooks lately, and frequently felt that a good narration gave life to otherwise difficult or dreary subject matter. Unfortunately this is an example of the opposite effect - the reader was a bit too monotonous, and used a strange, effeminate voice for Claude, which didn't really seem to match his personality. I don't think her voice ever rose in volume or speed, even at the height of battle or apex of disaster. So this will be one of the rare instances where I strongly discourage using the audio version of the book, unless you can find one that isn't narrated by Kristen Underwood.
I've been enjoying a lot of audiobooks lately, and frequently felt that a good narration gave life to otherwise difficult or dreary subject matter. Unfortunately this is an example of the opposite effect - the reader was a bit too monotonous, and used a strange, effeminate voice for Claude, which didn't really seem to match his personality. I don't think her voice ever rose in volume or speed, even at the height of battle or apex of disaster. So this will be one of the rare instances where I strongly discourage using the audio version of the book, unless you can find one that isn't narrated by Kristen Underwood.