Try free for 30 days
-
Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Them: Adventures with Extremists
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 225
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 199
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 198
Them began as a book about different kinds of extremists, but after Jon had got to know some of them - Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen - he found that they had one oddly similar belief: that a tiny, shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, Jon sets out, with the help of the extremists, to locate that room. The journey is as creepy as it is comic, and along the way Jon is chased by men in dark glasses, unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp, and more.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The truth is out there! Really out there... No, really, really out there!
- By Lawrence on 20-01-2016
-
The Men Who Stare at Goats
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 157
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 157
In 1979, a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice - and indeed, the laws of physics - they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren't joking. What's more, they're back and fighting the War on Terror.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Who knew goats were so maligned?
- By Amazon Customer on 16-09-2017
-
The Psychopath Test
- A Journey Through the Madness Industry
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 603
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 509
This is a story about madness. It all starts when journalist Jon Ronson is contacted by a leading neurologist. She and several colleagues have recently received a cryptically puzzling book in the mail, and Jon is challenged to solve the mystery behind it. As he searches for the answer, Jon soon finds himself, unexpectedly, on an utterly compelling and often unbelievable adventure into the world of madness.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Could easily have been condensed.
- By C.J.R Flanagan on 03-02-2014
-
Things Fell Apart
- Strange Stories from the History of the Culture Wars
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
From taking the knee to transgender rights, wedge issues are everywhere in modern life - dividing opinions, polarising debate and tearing friendships and families apart. Even something as seemingly innocuous as wearing a facemask can provoke vicious disagreement. But how did we get here, and what does it mean for society going forward? In this gripping series, acclaimed writer and journalist Jon Ronson searches for the origin stories of the hostilities - the pebbles thrown in the pond, creating the ripples that led to where we are today.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Incredibly Enlightening
- By maxime mauelshagen on 18-02-2023
-
The Elephant in the Room
- A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the "Alt-Right"
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
'But Hillary is a known Luciferian,' he tried. 'She's not a known Luciferian,' I said. 'Well, yes and no,' he said. In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times best-selling author of The Psychopath Test, Them, and So You've Been Publicly Shamed, travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
I used a credit on this?
- By Joel on 22-03-2017
-
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,918
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,654
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,646
From the Sunday Times top ten best-selling author of The Psychopath Test, a captivating and brilliant exploration of one of our world's most underappreciated forces: shame. "It's about the terror, isn't it?" "The terror of what?" I said. "The terror of being found out." For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world, meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made jokes on social media that came out badly or made mistakes at work.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not for me, but a sound tale for the internet era
- By Sam on 19-09-2015
-
Them: Adventures with Extremists
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 225
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 199
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 198
Them began as a book about different kinds of extremists, but after Jon had got to know some of them - Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen - he found that they had one oddly similar belief: that a tiny, shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, Jon sets out, with the help of the extremists, to locate that room. The journey is as creepy as it is comic, and along the way Jon is chased by men in dark glasses, unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp, and more.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The truth is out there! Really out there... No, really, really out there!
- By Lawrence on 20-01-2016
-
The Men Who Stare at Goats
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 157
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 157
In 1979, a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice - and indeed, the laws of physics - they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren't joking. What's more, they're back and fighting the War on Terror.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Who knew goats were so maligned?
- By Amazon Customer on 16-09-2017
-
The Psychopath Test
- A Journey Through the Madness Industry
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 603
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 512
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 509
This is a story about madness. It all starts when journalist Jon Ronson is contacted by a leading neurologist. She and several colleagues have recently received a cryptically puzzling book in the mail, and Jon is challenged to solve the mystery behind it. As he searches for the answer, Jon soon finds himself, unexpectedly, on an utterly compelling and often unbelievable adventure into the world of madness.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Could easily have been condensed.
- By C.J.R Flanagan on 03-02-2014
-
Things Fell Apart
- Strange Stories from the History of the Culture Wars
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
From taking the knee to transgender rights, wedge issues are everywhere in modern life - dividing opinions, polarising debate and tearing friendships and families apart. Even something as seemingly innocuous as wearing a facemask can provoke vicious disagreement. But how did we get here, and what does it mean for society going forward? In this gripping series, acclaimed writer and journalist Jon Ronson searches for the origin stories of the hostilities - the pebbles thrown in the pond, creating the ripples that led to where we are today.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Incredibly Enlightening
- By maxime mauelshagen on 18-02-2023
-
The Elephant in the Room
- A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the "Alt-Right"
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
'But Hillary is a known Luciferian,' he tried. 'She's not a known Luciferian,' I said. 'Well, yes and no,' he said. In The Elephant in the Room, Jon Ronson, the New York Times best-selling author of The Psychopath Test, Them, and So You've Been Publicly Shamed, travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
I used a credit on this?
- By Joel on 22-03-2017
-
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,918
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,654
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,646
From the Sunday Times top ten best-selling author of The Psychopath Test, a captivating and brilliant exploration of one of our world's most underappreciated forces: shame. "It's about the terror, isn't it?" "The terror of what?" I said. "The terror of being found out." For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world, meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made jokes on social media that came out badly or made mistakes at work.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not for me, but a sound tale for the internet era
- By Sam on 19-09-2015
-
The Last Days of August
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 309
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 277
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 275
In December 2017 the famous porn star August Ames committed suicide in a park in the Conejo Valley. It happened a day after she’d been the victim of a pile-on, via Twitter, by fellow porn professionals - punishment for her tweeting something deemed homophobic. A month later, August’s husband, Kevin, connected with Jon Ronson to tell the story of how Twitter bullying killed his wife. What neither Kevin nor Ronson realized was that Ronson would soon hear rumors and secrets hinting at a very different story - something mysterious and unexpected and terrible.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent
- By Donna on 15-02-2019
-
Frank
- The True Story that Inspired the Movie
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 1 hr and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
In the late 1980s Jon Ronson was the keyboard player in the Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band. Frank wore a big fake head. Nobody outside his inner circle knew his true identity. This became the subject of feverish speculation during his zenith years. Together, they rode relatively high. Then it all went wrong. Twenty-five years later and Jon has co-written a movie, Frank, inspired by his time in this great and bizarre band. Frank is set for release in 2014, starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Domhnall Gleeson and directed by Lenny Abrahamson.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great story adding another layer to a great film.
- By Andy Newton on 18-10-2020
-
Happy-Go-Lucky
- By: David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 166
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 142
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 142
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper, and wearing a mask—or not—was a decision made mostly on Halloween, David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things. As Happy-Go-Lucky opens, he is learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia, buying gummy worms to feed to ants, and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes. But then the pandemic hits, and like so many others, he's stuck in lockdown, unable to tour and read for audiences, the part of his work he loves most.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not all laughs
- By Sarah on 19-02-2023
-
Doppelganger
- A Trip into the Mirror World
- By: Naomi Klein
- Narrated by: Naomi Klein
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 21
When Naomi Klein discovered that a woman who shared her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn't. She started to find herself grappling with a distorted sense of reality, becoming obsessed with reading the threats on social media, the endlessly scrolling insults from the followers of her doppelganger. Why had her shadowy other gone down such an extreme path? Why was identity - all we have to meet the world - so unstable?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Both brilliant and infuriating
- By Saraghina on 04-10-2023
-
Sure, I'll Join Your Cult
- A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere
- By: Maria Bamford
- Narrated by: Maria Bamford
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
Maria Bamford is a comedian’s comedian (an outsider among outsiders) and has forever fought to find a place to belong. From struggling with an eating disorder as a child of the 1980s, to navigating a career in the arts (and medical debt and psychiatric institutionalization), she has tried just about every method possible to not only be a part of the world, but to want to be a part of it. In Bamford’s signature voice, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult, brings us on a quest to participate in something.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
It’s perfect
- By Nyssa on 01-11-2023
-
The Debutante
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not sure there’s a story here
- By Robert on 19-04-2023
-
The Call of the Weird
- Travels in American Subcultures
- By: Louis Theroux
- Narrated by: Louis Theroux
- Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 134
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
For 10 years, Louis Theroux has been making programmes about off-beat characters on the fringes of US society. Now he revisits America and the people who have most fascinated him to try to discover what motivates them, why they believe the things they believe, and to find out what has happened to them since he last saw them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyed
- By Anonymous User on 06-07-2017
-
The Best of Me
- By: David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 87
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
What could be a more tempting Christmas gift than a compendium of David Sedaris' best stories, selected by the author himself? From a spectacular career spanning almost three decades, these stories have become modern classics and are now for the first time collected in one volume. The collection will also feature an introduction by the author; two never-before-collected stories, 'Unbuttoned' and 'Undecided'; and a new interview with David Sedaris.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
david sedaris' best of
- By Ben on 21-12-2020
-
Unruly
- A History of England's Kings and Queens
- By: David Mitchell
- Narrated by: David Mitchell
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 114
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 108
In Unruly, David Mitchell explores how early England's monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects' destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky sods who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear to us today in their portraits.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant
- By Anonymous User on 29-11-2023
-
Gotta Get Theroux This
- My Life and Strange Times in Television
- By: Louis Theroux
- Narrated by: Louis Theroux
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 649
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 565
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 563
In Gotta Get Theroux This, Louis takes the reader on a joyous journey from his anxiety-prone childhood to his unexpectedly successful career. Nervously accepting the BBC’s offer of his own series, he went on to create an award-winning documentary style that has seen him immersed in the weird worlds of paranoid US militias and secretive pro-wrestlers, get under the skin of celebrities like Max Clifford and Chris Eubank and tackle gang culture in San Quentin prison, all the time wondering whether the same qualities that make him good at documentaries might also make him bad at life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Louis Theroux: Everythings weird
- By Joseph Ryan on 28-09-2019
-
Theft by Finding
- Diaries: Volume One
- By: David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 146
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 134
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 134
For nearly four decades, David Sedaris has faithfully kept a diary in which he records his thoughts and observations on the odd and funny events he witnesses. Anyone who has attended a live Sedaris event knows that his diary readings are often among the most joyful parts of the evening. But never before have they been available in print or audio.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
sedaris goes deep
- By borneveryminute on 26-06-2017
-
Puff Piece
- By: John Safran
- Narrated by: John Safran
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 329
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 289
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 287
The folks that bring you Marlboro - Philip Morris - are wheezing, slowly dying. Cigarettes are out of favour with everyone, from world governments and investors to, increasingly, smokers. So, what's their plan? Prepare to be dazzled. Or, at the very least, befuddled. Philip Morris has announced they will shut down as a cigarette company, and relaunch as a health enterprise, dedicated to convincing the one billion smokers of the world to quit.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Safran (Lucky) Strikes Again
- By Matthew on 04-09-2021
Publisher's Summary
Jon Ronson is fascinated by madness, extraordinary behaviour and the human mind. He has spent his life investigating crazy events, following fascinating people and unearthing unusual stories. Collected here from various sources (including The Guardian and GQ America) are the best of his adventures. Always intrigued by our ability to believe the unbelievable, Jon meets the man preparing to welcome the aliens to Earth, the woman trying to build a fully conscious robotic replica of the love of her life and the Deal or No Deal contestants with a foolproof system to beat the Banker.
Jon realizes that it's possible for our madness to be a force for good when he meets America's real-life superheroes or a force for evil when he meets the Reverend 'Death' George Exoo, who has dubiously assisted in more than a hundred mercy killings. He goes to a UFO convention in the Nevada desert with Robbie Williams, asks Insane Clown Posse (who are possibly America's nastiest rappers) whether it's true they've actually been evangelical Christians all along and rummages through the extensive archives of Stanley Kubrick. Frequently hilarious, sometimes disturbing, always entertaining, these compelling encounters with people on the edge of madness will have you wondering just what we're capable of.
This is an updated edition with new afterword, written and narrated by Jon Ronson.
More from the same
What listeners say about Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- RCF
- 09-03-2015
Enjoyable
If you can cope with Ronson's rather droning narration - and I can as I'm a fan - then I recommend his compelling yarns. Investigative journalism with street cred.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hope Sneddon
- 19-05-2021
quirky and funny collection of essays
Jon Ronson finds the strangest parts of humanity. I enjoyed these essays and the wonderful world Ronson creates through his storytelling.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 04-05-2021
Jon Ronson's voice makes everything better
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and to have it narrated by Jon Ronson himself makes it even more worthwhile the listen. 15 hours well spent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Ariah
- 01-10-2019
Book is lost
I quite liked Jon Ronson's so you have been publically shamed so thought I would try some others. Lost at Sea is meandering and I quite often lose track of what he is talking about. It also seems to be an excuse to name drop in some places
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Graham
- 14-06-2019
Great, why no chapter names?
Loved the book, highly recommend, but why are there no chapter names? Come on guys, it's a book of short essays. It can't take more than five minutes to put the bloody titles in.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Levi
- 10-06-2018
Absolutely Enthralling!
Jon's narration and story telling skills leaves you hanging off of every word. While listening to it you aren't washing the dishes, driving your car or working out - you're right there with him, exploring places and meeting people whose bizarre takes and experiences you never would have conjured up in your own imagination.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lenny
- 04-01-2018
Jon Ronson is amazing
I️ will only Listen to books written and read by Jon Ronson. He is the schnitzel
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Flowergirl1602
- 13-09-2017
Relentlessly fascinating!
I loved every twist and turn of this marvellous collection of stories...Ronson really does go to show that fact is stranger than fiction. A most absorbing listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Annie B
- 05-07-2017
Fascinating
The stories are so interesting and strange they make you want to jump online to find out more or see if it's really true. Jon is the perfect narrator. His unique voice and speech patterns make this recording all the more engaging and intriguing. I will be buying the rest of his books now.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bec Booton
- 10-11-2015
Love
Any additional comments?
I loved the part where he makes himself into different personalities to see what kind of advertising junk mail each personality gets. It’s fascinating and engrossing and definitely worth a listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pamela Harvey
- 20-10-2012
Like a Collection of TAL Episodes
Ronson's journalistic style and various narrative journeys remind me of the weekly podcast episodes of This American Life, with Ira Glass. I particularly related to the stories of the credit/bank clusterfluck of 2008 - and Ronson was writing way before this crisis started to peak - and the missing cruise ship staff member. Ronson has a signature method of starting small, with an individual or seemingly low impact situation, and then developing the larger picture with expanded implications.
His narrative voice is good, but takes some getting used to. Initially he sounds slightly hoarse, with little projection at a very low volume, but once I became more familiar with his auditory style, it was all good.
Compilations of stories and episodic collections used to be exactly what I would avoid purchasing on audible, but now I find myself enjoying the varied range of perspectives and story lines afforded by edited groupings of shorter pieces. I think this is partly due to looking at why I listen - I'm not always seeking a 9-to-21-hour plot line and buildup to a specific result; nor is "how it all ends" my predominant purpose in listening to books rather than reading the print versions. I just like the explorations of emotional landscape and inner dialogue and it's not that relevant for me to have a specific factual ending. Another aspect of listening for me is that I can read books while doing other things - working, walking, running, driving, so listening to one full-length story is not a huge factor.
This is a superb collection and well-suited to the investigative journalist's voice of Jon Ronson.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
51 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diane
- 17-10-2012
Bizarre Bazaar
Jon Ronson is a master of the absurd which both surrounds AND is within us. Whether it is indigo children, alien abductees, Christian pentecostalism, SETI, Insane Clown Possee or Stanley Kubrick, Ronson probes into all that is weird and wonderful.
Perhaps one of the best things about Ronson (and his delightfully appropriate narrative style) is that he eschews the superior tone characteristic of most skeptics in favor of a wryly self-deprecating humor which acknowledges his own (and by implication, our) attraction to these phenomena. Not all of it is light-hearted; there is a darker side to some of his subjects, such as the would-be school shooters in North Pole, Alaska. Throughout, Ronson has an extraordinary ability to sympathetically engage with his subjects while retaining his sense of gentle skepticism. His aim is not to ridicule but to understand and to be amazed and sometimes to be saddened--and he invites us to do the same.
Ronson does not have an agenda. Don't be surprised if your own particular ox is gored; but in Ronson's hands the experience is humbling rather than enraging. To paraphrase Pogo, he reminds us that "we have met the crazies…and they are us."
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
43 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 18-04-2013
One of my favorite audiobooks
This has to be one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. Ronson is insightful, funny, and most importantly picks really interesting topics to write about. I do not want to list all the topics or chapters but there are not too many dull moments (even stories I have heard before are given an interesting twist by Ronson. A great listen for anyone that wants something funny and somewhat topical/non-fiction but not 'silly'
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 06-01-2013
Quirky Journalism ... Loved It
Jon Ronson is a British journalist who has made a career of finding weird and crazy stories/people and writing about them in a heartfelt but snarky way. I found him very enjoyable, and I liked his somewhat subtle and sly sense of humor. The stories are just amazingly odd and intriguing (Robbie Williams and his obsession with UFOs, the hidden Christian message of Insane Clown Posse, the archives of Stanley Kubrick, the quest of the Jesus Christians to donate their kidneys, real-life superheroes). I never knew what Ronson would be writing about next, and it was fun to see what oddities he unearthed for each story. I particularly enjoyed how he inserted himself into the stories (whether he is flagging down a taxi to avoid a gun fight in Seattle or interviewing a robot). He brings a healthy sense of curiosity, skepticism and personality to his writing, which I enjoyed a great deal. If you like hearing about people who live on the fringes of “normal,” this would be a great read or listen. I definitely plan on reading more of Ronson’s stuff.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 05-11-2012
Clever as always
I adore Jon Ronson and his fantastic, quirky voice.
I would recommend listening to this book as you might a podcast and not straight through as it is more enjoyable in smaller doses.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charles
- 22-01-2013
Essential Listening
If you could sum up Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries in three words, what would they be?
Amusing, astounding, enlightening
What did you like best about this story?
I am interested in the same things that Jon Ronson is obsessed with.
Which character – as performed by Jon Ronson – was your favorite?
John Ronson is an excellent reader of his own work, and since the central character in this book is himself, I'd have to say John Ronson is my favorite character in the book. Although I also loved hearing about Stanley Kubrik!
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but I did it in two.
Any additional comments?
I'd highly recommend this audiobook to anyone. It's a great listen. Ronson is an excellent journalist and this collection of insightful short pieces gets right to the heart of what is going on in the world today.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Slam Bones
- 06-11-2012
Excellent Listen!
If you could sum up Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries in three words, what would they be?
This was an excellent listen! The author/narrator sounds a lot like Bill Bryson, very similar personality also. I highly recommend!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fun Lovin Lady
- 17-10-2012
Worth Credit 4 Dry Witt Alone, Why Not Learn Too?
I have read all of Jon Ronson's books. And I'm pleased to say, I have enjoyed them all.
Each book subject matter is different, which is refreshing, all the while he manages to convey a steady stream of self-deflecting observations. There is no way not to like this guy. Plus, you learn so much.
Would I recommend using your credit to purchased this Audio Book? That would be A Huge HECK Yes! Notice I didn't swear. And your welcome. SMILE
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- W Perry Hall
- 21-07-2014
great writer, awful narrator
I wish someone would answer the question arising every time I hear the author destroying all his/her excellent written work by narrating it: Is the author a narcissist or that strained financially to do something so self-destructive? Ronson, so talented as a writer, is terrible as a narrator with that SUPERSOFT sleep-inducing voice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Darren
- 20-12-2012
Enjoyable and insightful...and delightfully morose
Any additional comments?
Ronson's book is a wrap-up of many of his essays and articles. For those who have read them before and want to hear them again, this is a nice way to do it. Ronson takes an intensely objective view at controversial figures and topics, and does so in a way that is self aware and often ingenious. His narration is perfectly suited to his writing style, and you come away with a sense of being wiser about the bits of the world that are usually somewhat veilled from us.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- D. Faulkner
- 15-10-2012
Absolutely Brilliant !
I first "met" Jon Ronson when i picked up a copy of "the men who stare at goats" in the airport. It took me a while to work out if i was reading a true account or a clever parody, it was the former - i was hooked. Since then i have read "the psychopath test" and "them" and enjoyed both very much. However, this latest book is by far the best. I listened from start too finish, only pausing to eat and sleep (i bought it on holiday) Every chapter was a little christmas cracker of bangs and surprises. Some left me feeling sad, some left me feeling incredulous, some made me laugh out loud (the james bond chapter was hilarious) others left me feeling furious. the last one left me breathless and smiling from ear to ear. I loved this book and it will undoubtedly go on my "read (listen) again" list. This is the best book i have read since Malcolm Gladwells' "Outliers" and "Blink" Absolutely brilliant. I cant wait for his next one!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
36 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Charlotte Low
- 02-12-2013
Reliably bizarre giggles from Mr Ronson
Where does Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is the funniest audiobook I've listened to yet, and when it isn't amusing its baffling, shocking or touching. The situations Jon finds himself in are too hilarious to not be true, such as
What was one of the most memorable moments of Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries?
Who would have thought Stanley Kubrick is the reason why we have post it notes in every pop of colour?
Who knew that Robbie Williams believes in UFOs and aligned being abducted by aliens as much like being in Take That as a teenager?
What happens when someone goes missing on cruise ships?
Jon Ronson's life must be a chain of very stressful or very ridiculous encounters, I would love to delve into his diary and just see what a week looks like. If you've never read his articles before, listening to this book is a great introduction. I'll keep going back to this more than I will a novel just to bask in the bizarreness and check that I heard exactly what he said right - that there are children in Christmas Town who answer letters to Santa as part of their school curriculum?!
Which character – as performed by Jon Ronson – was your favourite?
Jon Ronson's voice is homely to me - my family are Welsh and his accent warms me. I couldn't imagine anyone else reciting his stories, his delivery is the funniest part.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I giggled on my dry morning commute and will be forever bringing up anecdotes from this book (alongside other Jon Ronson collections - the Psychopath test and Them are others which I would strongly recommend. I spend my spare moments narrowing my eyes at colleagues and weighing up their points on the Psycopath test at least once a week, and you should too, it's a brilliant past time).
Any additional comments?
Jon is working on a film I believe is called Frank at the moment which I can't wait to hear more about if it delivers more of the same humour as this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-11-2012
More please Jon
I can't get enough of Jon Ronson's writings, tv programs and radio show. Fantastic story teller and a great view on the world.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-04-2013
Take a walk on the left-side.
As much as he undoubtably hates the comparison, Jon Ronson is the more down-trodden, less well-connected, face-for-radio version of Louis Theroux. They both pursue the left-fields of culture, often in seemingly mundane territories such as interviewing semi-washed up TV-show hosts or attending motivational seminars with self-help gurus, but whereas Louis, whose natural habitat is TV, would play events so as to get the interviewee to paint themselves into an emotional corner from which the viewer sees the mask fall away, Jon is more likely to turn inwards into self.analysis and doubt. Often by the end of each story I feel I know more about Jon himself than the victim he is supposed to be dissecting, his inner demons are worn for all to see, and this is what makes Lost at Sea such an enjoyable read. With Louis you feel he is always calmly in control leading his subjects through the steps, but with Jon you always wonder if he'll actually be able to make it to the end of each assignment without first having a break-down. I imagine this is why so much of the material he's covered over the years has been on mentally questionable people of one kind or another, from derranged psychics and their belivers to the "I've been vetted" founder of the Indigo children movement. He seems drawn to the delusional and psychotic. However, I do sometimes wonder if somewhere inside Ron there is still a little child with a less cynical journalistic mission, who secretly hopes to find something truly awe-inspiring such as a UFO or real life super heroes. A few times in the book he does come across some truly amazing people, but most of the time he finds only crack-pots, all beit entertaining ones. A final comment I'd like to make is that in my opinion Radio is Jon's best medium and as such it was great to have Jon, with his almost whispery delivery, narrating his book. I'd also highly recommend Jon's free short stories on Audible. Hilarious!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Brooksies
- 29-09-2014
A collection of suprising real life stories
This is quite a big collection of short stories/articles that Jon Ronson wrote over the years. His style of journalism is very distinct and it is not for every one, he makes himself part of the story. But I quite enjoyed that. I always like listening to a book read by the author because they know how they intended it to be read and for these stories that was definilty the case. I do have to say that I did expect more 'fun' strange stories but there were a couple of truly depressing ones. One of them I actually did not listen to because it is a subject which is bit tough for me personally. But overall I really enjoyed this book.
I did look for other material by Jon Ronson and found that he repeats himself in his books, so if you already own some of his books, make sure you realise there might be some overlap!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- mrs
- 08-07-2015
A fabulous journey
Jon Ronson at his best. Honest and insightful. Kept me entertained for days. You will not be disappointed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katherine
- 28-03-2016
super interesting
This is a group of diverse tales, all weird, fascinating and unique. worth a listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- P. W. Burridge
- 10-03-2014
Not a "Them"
What did you like best about Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries? What did you like least?
Jon Ronson is a great researcher and tells the stories very well. The JK one just adds more fuel to the Saville fire
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
Less short stories
Which character – as performed by Jon Ronson – was your favourite?
none in particular
Could you see Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
No
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- David Blackburn
- 23-07-2016
Great read!
Love Jon Ronson's journalistic wanderings and his search for the nature of human experience, good and bad. Wonderful!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chrssie Maitalnd
- 08-04-2016
Jon Roson, as always, never fails to entertain.
Could listen to Jon Roson all day, every day. His mix of stories here told in a honest & intresting way keeps you hooked for the whole book. One of my favourite authors, I can't recommend enough!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
