Brilliant book but Audible version is awful.

The Buddha of Surburbia is a delight. It’s extremely frank, gloriously indecent, and perverse - and very funny. Be warned though it is raw and extremely explicit at times and definitely not for the easily offended.

Sadly though this Audible version is awful, it sounds like it’s recorded in an empty room on an old cassette recorder, and there’s something in the background, a TV or radio or something. Also the quality fluctuates from bad to worse and back again. As for the narrator himself, he sounds like one of my attempts to read out loud in English literature at school, although this does improve (or is it that I just got used to it?). Playing it at 1x2 helps a bit but not a lot. Also the chapters are out of sync, the physical book chapters starting in the middle of the Audible book chapters. Sadly this Audible version is a messy affair.

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Wonderful story but spoilt by the awful narration

I loved the book , have read it several times and have seen the TV dramatization several times but this for me was nearly spoilt by the standard of the recording. The tone of the narrators voice changed in different periods of the recording which I wonder was a fault in the production as on passage of narration would sound completely different to the next.

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Just ok

I was recommended this book and looking forward to it but although I somewhat enjoyed the story, the audio quality was atrocious.

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quality issues

What a great story read by an engaging and charismatic narrator. The only stain on the otherwise pristine Y-front is the audio quality and editing are spectacularly abysmal. Still glad I fought my way through, it was worth it

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Enjoy listening

This is a great story performed by Mick Jagger; however, the recording needs updating as the sound quality isn’t great and changes with some rough edits. Still very good though.

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A masterpiece!

Buddha of Suburbia is a much more subtle and complex novel than I thought it was going to be from watching one episode of the tv series as a kid, it is still so very pertinent in its observations and commentary. There is a lot of sex, for sure, and if he means it to or not, it is a lens through which to understand better the nature of the relationships. It’s a fascinating book, especially about ethnic minority identity in the U.K. and makes me wonder who else there is until Zadie Smith who even attempts to tread this ground with so much complex reality and honesty since.

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Good story, terrible editing

I enjoyed the story but it was spoilt by the editing of the narration. The narrator was fine it was just the editing. It was obviously not checked before being released. I listen to many audible books and this is the first time with this problem

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Worst quality audiobook I had listened to

Worst quality audiobook I had listened to, you can clearly notice the start of a new recording session. I think at times the narrator left room while still reading and still recording.

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loved this book on first reading...

...just as enjoyable as an audiobook. Now working my way through the other Kureishi books on here.

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Brilliant

Really enjoyed it despite the poor sound quality. Narrated well I thought. Would recommend.

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