Audio Book Readers

[Randy Engel]

JLB:
Your writing is best experienced by listening to audio books.
I do believe the voice of audio book reader Will Patton' and the inflections he creates with it truly embodies the southern soul (and personal torment) of Dave Robicheaux as you intend but he truly shines when he vocally crafts the moods and get-up-and-go actions of Clete Purcell. Clete's intensive and rapid-fire description of the criminal set (their tiny minds, imperfect physical attributes and failures as human beings) come to life through Will's artistry - the words that Clete utters, however, are due to your brilliant craftmanship and for that I humbly thank you.

By the way, Mark Hammer, a reader of several of your earlier novels (such as Jolie Blon's Bounce and Last Car to Elysian Fields), to my ear, matches Will's voice in vocal intensity and purpose but is more world weary. I think your readers would benefit by the comparison of voices if they would listen to Mark on those earlier works.

Thanks for the great writing!

[jamesleeburke]

Thanks, Mr. E. I think you're right. Both Mark and Will recorded many fine tapes over the years.

All the best,

JLB

[jamesleeburke]

Someone the other day asked me who my favorite crime novelists are. My answer was rather complex. But the best crime novel I've ever read is Mystic River. In my opinion it's a masterpiece. Dennis smacked one right out of Fenway with this one.

Also I'd like to recommend a book that just came out this week, Moma's Boy by Rick Demarinis. It's a great book, Rick's best without a doubt. I don't blurb many books, primarily because I have little free time, but this one is outstanding.

Best from Lolo, Montana, the land of knapweed and leafy spurge,

JLB

[LeeCook]

Good evening, Jim.

I sympathize with your problems with Montana native grasses (i.e. knapweed and leafy spurge). I had my problems with the two when we lived in Missoula. You couldn't chop knapweed with a shovel...I actually burned up the motor on my weed wacker trying to cut them. You can't pull them up...well, you can, barely, but most of the roots go all the way through to China. I even tried burning them along the drainage around our house. They would char, but that was about it.

I've read about some insect you can buy that thrive on knapweed, and they can eat a whole field in just a few days. Problem is, I don't know how many you'd have to buy, how much they would cost or how they would survive Montana winters. I've heard that goats also east knapweed, but I don't know if they can get the roots. Anyway, it always comes back no matter what you do.

I don't think we have knapweed here in Helena....just lots of dandelions. My neighbor actually threatened to sue me because the dandelions in my backyard were blowing over into his "pristine" yard. He didn't bother to look all around the neighborhood and see that everyone else has dandelions also. None of us, however, are retired military and have nothing else to do with our time besides babysit our lawns.

Best of luck to you, Mr. Burke.

Lee Cook

[jamesleeburke]

Knapweed is actually the easiest noxious plant to get rid of. It reponds quickly and fatally to Tordon and 2-4 D. Bio-agents can wipe it out, too. But burning spreads it. Knap and spurge both love fire because fire creates a virgin enviroment free of native grasses and allows the seeds to spread by the thousands on warm air currents.

Spurge is the challenge. Its roots go twenty feet into the ground. Spunge is in the fight for the long haul.

Best,

Jim

[IrishTim]

Dear Jim,

I have read only one of your books, The wonderful "lost getback boogie", but I have listened to almost all the rest. I have spent months on my long commute to work listening to JLB only. I have loved both Mark Hammer and Will Patton As Dave Robicheaux. I think it would have been better if Will had read the earlier novels and if Mark had survivied to read as the elder Dave, but each interpretation to me was extraordinary. I would also like to highlight the brilliant Tom Stechschulte for his exquisite reading of Cimmaron Rose, but you knew I was going to say that. Fans of Will Patton should take a rest from Dave and listen to "White Doves at Morning", but be prepared to stop at rest areas and linger in your driveway to appreciate this extradinary novel. You will listen t it again!

Thank you for the many mornings when I have looked forward to my drive to work, just so I could listrn to your wonderful prose!

[jamesleeburke]

Thanks, Irish Tim. I appreciate your remarks about the audio of White Doves. This is one of my best books, but it has not enjoyed the success of many of the others. I've never understood why, but perhaps my opinion is not very objective.

Will would probably enjoy hearing from you, too.

All the best,

JLB

[calgal]

While I agree that Will Patton does a great job of portraying Clete Purcel, I truly prefer Mark Hammer. He presents JLB's lyrical descriptions in a way that makes the images sink into my bones. ... Darn! It just occurred to me that maybe he had passed away. I interrupted this comment to google him, and sadly, he died in 2007 at the age of 69. Wish he had lived and narrated for 20 more years.

[Tbone George]

I am an avid listener of audio books, both fiction and non-fiction. Good narrators provide more than readings - they are truly performances that can significantly enhance one's enjoyment of a good book.

I relish being introduced to good authors and narrators. I recently had such an experience, picking up a CD of The Lost Get Back Boogie narrated by Will Patton.

I must say that the richly textured word paintings of the Bayou and then the Montana High Country were at first enchanting, then became a bit tedious. But the story picked up just before I got too antsy, and I could not wait to get back in the car so I could listen some more. I felt as though I were back in the Montana I know only from a week's vacation. If you don't mind comparisons with other authors - your descriptions of Montana remind me of Cormac McCarthy's depictions of the southwest in his Border Trilogy. If I want to go back to either place, I need only close my eyes and listen.

More importantly, the characterizations were incredibly compelling. Will Patton made them come to life with a voice aptly tailored to each. His brilliance added immeasurably to my enjoyment of your book.

Were I teaching a high school or general health or college level sociology class, I would consider collaborating with the English Department and have the students of both classes read this book. For the latter as a study of great American Literature. For the former as a study of the post-war drug culture and the effects of alcoholism on the individual and family. The insidious manner in which drug and alcohol abuse can invade the life, impair the judgment and impact the behavior of intelligent, talented and otherwise decent human beings is incredibly well told in this book, providing a more compelling and immediate reality than the image of a skid row bum.

I was so taken by this book that I decided to try one of the Robicheaux series from the library. I picked up Sunset Limited, narrated by Mark Hammer. I am sorry to say I did not make it past the first CD. Both books I believe are early works, and from what I've read on this page, Mr. Hammer's narration is liked by you and the readers who have commented.

While I appreciated his subtle accent and the languid, unhurried style of his narration (which I assume is designed to match the pace of life of the Bayou), it was just too slow for me. No matter how hard I tried to slow myself down and adjust to his pace, I lost track of the characters and train of thought. What little change in vocal inflection he used to distinguish between the characters was often impossible to detect due to the painfully long pauses. Again, I appreciate the 'art' of what he was doing. But, for me it was too much. Like a worthy, but failed experiment.

If the languid style of his narration was unique to this book, or at least not found in others, I would appreciate knowing that. I would love to listen to as much of your work as I can, but not the way Sunset Limited was narrated.

Having said that, one very good thing came out of listening to that one CD. I noted the unusual first name of 'Alafair' assigned to one of the characters. When I returned to the library book shelf containing audiobooks written by 'Burke', I noticed not just works by James Lee, but also one by Alafair Burke entitled Dead Connection. I doubted that was a coincidence, and with no biographical detail on the cover, thought it might be your pseudonym. I decided to give the pseudonym a try, and while listening to the book on my way home realized that the writing style was much different, though very good in its own way. I was delighted to discover that the author is you daughter. I am enjoying her book very much and will add her to my list of favorite authors as well. I'm now looking forward to many more months of good listening courtesy of the Burke family.

Being an attorney myself, I am encouraged to encounter one with a delightful sense of humor. That is far too rare in our profession.

[jamesleeburke]

I'm glad you have enjoyed the books, Mr. G. In the past Will narrated the abridged version of the books and Mark did the unabridged. After Mark's death, Will narrated both adaptations. He also has done most of the backlist novels, including TLGBB.

You might try Alafair's 212. It's probably her best, although some are saying the forthcomg novel, Long Gone, is.

Best,

JLB