Barbara K’s review of The Extinction of Irena Rey > Likes and Comments

A terrific review Barbara, thank you! I can picture that the book would be difficult to follow on audio, just as there were plenty of challenges in the print version. I had to start taking notes to keep track 😅, but it was worth it in the end and I enjoyed it immensely.

Lovely review. I've got this on my WTR shelf already and am looking forward to it!

Excellent review, Barbara! Thanks! I have this on my list and your review has me even more excited for my turn to read it.

Alan wrote: "A terrific review Barbara, thank you! I can picture that the book would be difficult to follow on audio, just as there were plenty of challenges in the print version. I had to start taking notes to keep track 😅, but it was worth it in the end.."

Thanks, Alan. It was fun being kept on alert every minute. Print would definitely have been a better choice for this one, but it would have taken me a lot longer to get to it.

Berengaria wrote: "Lovely review. I've got this on my WTR shelf already and am looking forward to it!"

Thanks, Berengaria. I do hope you enjoy it.

Vanessa wrote: "Excellent review, Barbara! Thanks! I have this on my list and your review has me even more excited for my turn to read it."

Thanks, Vanessa. It’s a wild ride, but worth it!

Great review, Barbara! Sounds like a demanding listen ... maybe too much so for an old bloke? :))

Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus] wrote: "Great review, Barbara! Sounds like a demanding listen ... maybe too much so for an old bloke? :))"

:-). If you don’t try to multi-task while reading you should be fine. Of course, as Alan said, it doesn’t hurt to have a paper and pencil nearby,

Barbara, such an intriguing review. Perhaps for me, better as text, not audio.

There are photographs in the book so maybe reconsider listening to the audiobook. Although perhaps the Audible version comes with a PDF?

Lisa (NY) wrote: "Barbara, such an intriguing review. Perhaps for me, better as text, not audio."

Yes, I would say that print would be a better option for this one. I was just excited to get to it quickly and didn't know when I'd have the time it took to sit and read, even though it's not that long.

Jennifer wrote: "There are photographs in the book so maybe reconsider listening to the audiobook. Although perhaps the Audible version comes with a PDF?"

Oooo, I didn't know about the photos. I'm pretty sure the print version would be better in any event. The narrator is no better than OK.

Barbara K. wrote: "Lisa (NY) wrote: "Barbara, such an intriguing review. Perhaps for me, better as text, not audio."

Yes, I would say that print would be a better option for this one. I was just excited to get to it..."
With the photos, sounds like print is the way to go!

I'm not sure if this would work for me, but your review and the premise is super enticing so I'm going to have to find out for myself, Barbara! Thank you!

As there are a lot of mentions about the photographs in the comments, I'll just mention that Jennifer Croft's own memoir about life with her sister & her own multilingual translation talents Homesick (2019) contains dozens of photographs to illustrate the story. Curiously, she originally wrote it as a novel (based on a fictionalized version of her life) but was talked into making it a memoir. Charco Press in the UK (who have published several of her translations) published it as a novel Homesick (2022) but without the photographs. In both versions she doesn't use her real name, so it is fictionalized regardless of which one you read.

It does sound like it'd be confusing at the beginning but I'm glad that didn't keep this from being 5-star enjoyable, Barbara, especially since I know you're trying to be more discriminating handing them out.

Candi wrote: "I'm not sure if this would work for me, but your review and the premise is super enticing so I'm going to have to find out for myself, Barbara! Thank you!"

You’re welcome, Candi! It was a lot of fun for me - I hope you enjoy it.

Alan wrote: "As there are a lot of mentions about the photographs in the comments, I'll just mention that Jennifer Croft's own memoir about life with her sister & her own multilingual translation talents [book:..."

Fascinating info, Alan! Have you read either version?

Barbara K. wrote: "Alan wrote: "As there are a lot of mentions about the photographs in the comments, I'll just mention that Jennifer Croft's own memoir about life with her sister & her own multilingual translation t..."

I've read both, the novel version first as I missed hearing about the memoir when it first came out. It was one of my top reads from 2022, totally different from The Extinction of Irena Rey, but very compelling about her own life, even if exaggerated for fiction. I reviewed the novel at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thanks for introducing me to this Jennifer Croft novel, Barbara. You've set out exactly the kind of bait to attract me and make me order this book asap! Anything related to Olga Tokarchuk catches my attention anyway, and the mention of a Polish writer and a primeval forest only spur me on further! I enjoyed Tokarchuk's Primeval and Other Times plus her House of Day, House of Night, both set in her home area in south western Poland just as 'Drive your Plow' also is.
And I admired Jennifer Croft's translation of Tokarchuk's Flights. Plus I love discussions about translation. It's a no-brainer!

You make this sound fascinating, Barbara. Not all works are cut out for an audio version and you did well to point it out. I'm intrigued by the concept of translation, less so by ancient forests...
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and judgement!

Violeta wrote: "You make this sound fascinating, Barbara. Not all works are cut out for an audio version and you did well to point it out. I'm intrigued by the concept of translation, less so by ancient forests..Thank you for sharing your thoughts and judgement!..."

Thanks, Violeta. It really is a book stuffed full of stimulating, slippery ideas and a treat to read.