Customer Reviews

Absurdistan

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Others have commented on Gary Shteyngart's sophomore novel, "Absurdistan". (See the novel's book reviews here on Amazon.) Given this, I will more or less restrict my comments to the audiobook version of "Absurdistan."

From the first word in Arte Johnson's interpretation of Misha Vainberg, he nails the personality of Gary Shteyngart's lead character. Although sounding more Yiddish (Eastern European Jewish) than Russian Jewish, the interpretration is fun to listen to never-the-less. Arte Johnson captures the essence of the character. It is easy to imagine Johnson's Misha Vainberg tossing his wealth around, never quite being accepted, suffering from his size, being overly introspective, and finding himself tossed into situations that he is not quite adept at handling. All of this comes through clearly in Arte Johnson's vocalizations.

There are, of course, some nits. The levels and microphone distance occasionally changes between chapters. Sometimes Arte Johnson's voice changes slightly with the same characters. Yet, overall his is an entertaining and very listenable version of Absurdistan. If you can't read the book (or don't wish to), pick up this audiobook.