Matthew Ward (6)

I received a copy of the audiobook version of Matthew Ward's War of the World Records--great title!--months ago and just recently found myself going on a 10-hour car trip, thus making it possible for me to listen to most of this book at one time. Having never before listened to a "book on tape," I was surprised by how different the experience is from reading. Namely, I didn't realize that driving along unfamiliar roads, through construction zones and detours, in bad weather, and in other such conditions would make it quite difficult to follow a narrated story: if you miss an important passage (due to focusing on driving), then you're playing catch-up with trying to figure out what's going on. (I suppose one could rewind; but glancing back at text is so much less disruptive than repeating content that you've heard already, for want of having missed a number or a name or some other such detail.) Also, when text is narrated, I found it easier to notice extraneous or otherwise unnecessary details: for narrated stories of this ilk, what seems to matter most is the plotline. Material that diverges from carrying the narrative thread forward seems somehow uninteresting (when narrated).

But, general comments about the nature of the genre aside, the story was fun--certainly an imaginative storyline. (It reminded me of Lemony Snicket, with elements of books involving other hyper-contrived universes.) I'm not sure that it's appropriate for children as young as 8: skeletons found along the beach, attempted murder (and murderous clowns), carnivorous lizards, explosions and fires, abductions and kidnappings, and those sorts of plot-propellants fuel the storyline. In short, it's the type of book that seems to be written both for children and their parents. Some of the themes are heartwarming, though: striving for excellence, being different from everyone else, understanding the importance of family. The book seemed to end about five different times (in the penultimate and final chapters, though)--I suppose I was used to holding a physical book in my hands and thus knowing how close I am to the end at all times (not as easy to know with an audiobook). Ultimately, it sets up the next book in the series quite directly.

A note on the narrator: Although some of the English accents were fine, I was not convinced by the Scottish, German, Russian, South Asian, or American accents. Again, I'm new to the genre of the audiobook, so perhaps these performances were at or even above the norm--for this type of book.

Overall, I enjoyed the story--and it did make a long drive pass more quickly. I'll likely borrow a copy of the precursor (as a physical book, not audiobook), The Fantastic Family Whipple, from the local library and may even revisit this audiobook after I've read the first book in the series.… (meer)

I found this book to be really long - especially the beginning. After listening for a while, you begin to find out that this story doesn't build toward some great finale, but is more like several small episodes that finally come together at the end of the book.
The children seem to be a creation of of their families, and in the end of the story you find that it is really true. In this book is danger, competition, silliness, and even a little love. It is a strange book that I am still not completely sure I would read again.… (meer)