Wonderfully entertaining

Complex plot and delicious writing serving up great characters in hilarity and drama. Michael Kitchen's narration is the superb.

5 people found this helpful

Entertaining story, excellently read!

What made the experience of listening to Cosi Fan Tutti the most enjoyable?

Michael Kitchen is a wonderful reader, he pronounces the Italian words sprinkled through the story beautifully. He has just the right balance of lightness and irony for the character of Aurelio Zen, the disillusioned Italian detective. This story is playing off the opera Cosi Fan Tutte, with the characters of the story having similar experiences to those in the opera.

What other book might you compare Cosi Fan Tutti to and why?

I am a big Michael Dibdin/Aurelio Zen fan, and this book has a decidedly different, more playful style than the other books. That is not to say it is not as good, it doesn't have the more serious tone that the other stories do. It is a nice change for Zen.

What does Michael Kitchen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Michael Kitchen has a wonderful voice, pronounces the Italian words expertly, and has just the right tone of irony that is required for the Aurelio Zen series.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book was very entertaining and funny, I highly recommend it to fans of Aurelio Zen and those who enjoy lighthearted detective stories.

Any additional comments?

I give it 5 stars all around!

4 people found this helpful

Enjoyable, fun, intriguing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good story told by a great voice artist like Michael Kitchen.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is down right fun.

What about Michael Kitchen’s performance did you like?

Mr Kitchen is as good as ever. Besides I love his Folye's War series. He is certainly a great actor. Forget someone like Tom Cruse reading this. Kitchen is the consummate leading character actor at the top of his game. He appears to be having great fun with the various voices. I envy such talent.

Any additional comments?

One can really appreciate this story when you find a quiet place, a cup of hot chocolate, and no interruptions. It is not hard to "get into" this story. I will wait a month or two and hear it again.

2 people found this helpful

Very good!

This was the most entertaining of all of the Michael Dibdin audiobooks. Michael Kitchen was fantastic reading it.

1 person found this helpful

My favorite Zen to date

Great characters, and great reading by Kitchen, whose entertaining and distinguishing accents make listening easy. Zen's taxi-driver reminded me of the inn-keeper in Shaw's A Man of Destiny (comedic play about the young Napoleon). The plot is good enough, but who needs a great plot with scenes and dialogue like this. Don't listen near the "Quiet Please" sign, or be prepared to suppress chuckles!

1 person found this helpful

Much To Do About Nothing

One of those stories where one chases their tail only to end up having it all work out in the end with a few laughs to tie it all up. Not Michael Dibdin's best, but still nice to see that Aurelio Zen hasn't been affected by fame and success, actually this character always just misses out, but he still ends up surviving and not looking too bad. Michael Kitchen is his usually best.
ZEN LITE.

1 person found this helpful

love Michael kitchen

What made the experience of listening to Cosi Fan Tutti the most enjoyable?

The narrator is the best. He makes the Italian voices different and fun. He has just the right touch for this fairly humorous Zen episode. His narration is a bit slow, but his delivery helps you enjoy all the nuances of the authors prose, especially the dialog.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was a tad confusing with lots of digressions, but that seemed intentional in this parody of Mozart's opera. This is not a book for someone who wants a straight detective mystery.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kitchen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to one other Michael Kitchen performance. He is just superlative always.

1 person found this helpful

Zen

What's not to like about Zen? He loves his mother, treats women with respect and catches the bad guys. Michael Dibdin I miss your kind of writting.

1 person found this helpful

NOTHING LIKE ZEN ON THE TELE

We were introduced to this author though the BBC, and that Zen is such an unusual character, not typical, moral in his own way, sincere, with a backbone, and very clever. THIS IS NOT THAT ZEN. It is much more police-corrupt-lazy cop, and so it is a huge disappointment. I forced myself through 1 1/2 hours, then let go and went on. Possibly I will give it another try when I am not thinking it is like the BBC series, WHICH IS EXCELLENT, but I doubt it.

1 person found this helpful

A pleasant listen

Fine writing with humor in the style of Tom Sharpe. Maybe not as good as he, but who is? There's a Shakespearean type finale when all the characters gather on stage to resolve questions and reveal surprises. There's even an ending soliloquy by Zen on the mysteries of life. My only criticism is that the main character is a bit more of a bumbler than I like in crime novels.

1 person found this helpful