The Stand Audiobook Review
There was a time, decades ago, I read every single Stephen King book being published. Nowadays, I pick and choose between the more recent stuff of his, but that’s not any reflection toward him as an author. It’s more about what my tastes in reading are at this stage in my life — and it’s not unusual they’ve shifted over the years. No matter. Without question, this author has been influential in my life. If he wasn’t, I’d not seek his newer works or go back to re-read his early books. There’s only a handful of writers that I do that particular thing with, and re-watch the TV/film adaptations of his novels (sometimes referred by me as the good, the bad, and the ugly). Read more 
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The Garner Files: A Memoir Audiobook Review
mem•oir |ˈmemˌwär; -ˌwôr|
noun
a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources.
Confession time (yet, again). Though I’ve pored over a number of genres in the decades since I began reading written matter (mystery… I started out with The Hardy Boys [go figure], sci-fi, all kinds of thrillers, horror, historical fiction and non-fiction, etc.), I’m a closeted memoir reader. This is especially true for some of those personalities associated with Hollywood movies and TV. Hey, you can’t grow up in L.A. and not have the principal center of the U.S. movie industry not have an effect on you (even if you’re just a moviegoer). A number of celebrities have had their lives played out through studio promotions, across local media, and sometimes buried in courtroom transcripts through the years. In memoirs, it was always interesting to read their side of the story byway of their personal accounts (always with grain of salt, that is). So, when it was announced earlier this year that one of my all-time favorite actors was going to publish his, few were more eager than I for its arrival (the exception being a few Craisies I know and The Rap Sheet’s J. Kingston Pierce). I wasn’t disappointed.
The Book
James Garner has been that rare actor who never took celebrity, or himself, too seriously. That’s not to say he wasn’t a true professional at his chosen craft. Far from it. But in this internet-age, he’s considered a throwback from another era. That’s true, but that also means he’s a bit of fresh air compared with today’s celebs. The 84 year-old’s memoir of life and career as depicted in The Garner Files: A Memoir makes the case for all that. And even though Mr. Garner is well-known for his privacy, he’s uncommonly upfront about a great many things in his life, as he makes clear in the book’s introduction:
“I’ll also talk about my childhood, try to clear up some misconceptions, and maybe even settle a score or two.”
The actor, who has been in the limelight since his days in Maverick (and like a lot of older Garner fans, it was this one-of-kind western TV series where as a kid I first caught sight of him), with deft help of author Jon Winokur (The Portable Curmudgeon), states it plain and head-on. I think Garner, through his roles in movies and TV, exudes, for lack of a better word, integrity. While a lot of things will surprise readers and admirers, he is a “captivating, enigmatic, complicated man“, as Julie Andrews herself mentions in her intro that is in front of his in the book. Even when he’s revealing aspects like his bouts of alcohol overuse, dabs with cocaine, or the affect of marijuana in his life, it’s not so much a confession he’s making rather that he’s owning up to the things in his life. He maintains an ease and longevity that’s well-earned, I think. But, even those bits aren’t the true revelations found here. For better or worst, Garner’s not about to back down from a fight, a statement of fact, or a cause his conscience can’t walk away from. He’s his own man, and I believe it is that quality that attracts fans and comes across in the characters he’s portrayed on television and film. And it continues here.
“You take this back to your leader, Mr. Wong. Tell him you met the last of a dying dynasty, King of the Fools. Unassailably virtuous, invariably broke.” ~ James Garner as Philip Marlowe speaking to Bruce Lee (Winslow Wong), Marlowe (1969)
Yes, the juicy parts in the memoir are the actors, movie moguls, and studio execs who’ve run afoul of our man Rockford (even his friend, neighbor, and fellow celebrity racer, the icon of 60s cool Steve McQueen doesn’t come off well). Still, you don’t get a sense Garner’s being mean-spirited or saying things just to sell a book. Far from it. He’s covering his career and those who’ve been a part of it. Most of the time, in fact, the actor/producer makes the case that he wouldn’t be where he was but for the generosity of others through the years (especially family and friends). Loyal as he is ornery, but always a team player, he wouldn’t change a thing (and that’s fine by me). The best portions of the book capture Garner’s speaking manner, fond and painful remembrances, and earnest beliefs (whether you agree with him or not), particularly his loving expressions to his long-time spouse, Lois. It’s not that he doesn’t suffer fools well, it is that he doesn’t take kindly to those who lie to him or just want not to pay him what he’s worth (his legal wrangles with studios and executives are the stuff of legend). But, he was always in the corner of the little guy (anytime, anywhere) and the writers of the spoken word on the shows he’s starred in and/or produced (Stephen J. Cannell and The Sorpranos’ David Chase among them).
“My friends have overlooked my shortcomings, seen me through some dark days, and brightened up the rest of them. I’m glad to have them; I’m honored to have them; I’m lucky to have them.” ~ James Garner as Murphy Jones, Murphy’s Romance (1985)
Overall, waiting for and finally reading (and listening to) James Garner’s memoir was very much worth it. The man involved in two seminal genre deconstructions on TV (Maverick and The Rockford Files) made it so. The loving detail he gives his car racing exploits and exasperations on the golf course through the years will certainly finds fans among his male followers (maybe less with others). But, his remembrances of his work in film and TV are extraordinary, and surprising. I mean, who knew his long-time friend Clint Eastwood could get him to do a nude scene? The last section of the book offers an interesting highlight. Garner rates and notes on the motion pictures, series, and TV movies he done since the 50s. The Americanization of Emily (no surprise if you’ve seen it) and The Notebook (I need to look at that one again) are his clear favorites with five-star ratings, while the childhood favorites of mine — Up Periscope (one star) and A Man Could Get Killed (two ½-stars… and Tony Franciosa could be a prick) — fared worse than I expected. No matter. This was a memoir that stands with the best I’ve read over the years — David Niven’s Bring on the Empty Horses, Errol Flynn’s Wicked, Wicked Ways, Charlton Heston’s Actor’s Life (who is also called out by the plain-spoken man from Norman, Oklahoma).
The Audiobook
Tantor Media’s audiobook was more than a pleasurable experience for this devotee. That’s saying something since memoirs can be tricky in audio format. This type of work, sometimes, is better served by the author themself giving it a go (one of the few exceptions I make to groaning as a vet of this medium when a professional narrator isn’t deployed on an audiobook). Hell, its their life they’re recounting, and it can work very well (Adrienne Barbeau’s reading of There Are Worst Things I Could Do being a prime example of where it does). Plus, James Garner is well-known among his fans for his easy-going manner and humor. Yet, the respected and talented Michael Kramer made the experience work for me as an audiobook listener (and as a long-time Garner fan). I swear the parts I chuckled at (and there were more than a few), those I imagine the actor actually saying, came out of the narrator’s mouth and I didn’t think it was anyone else voicing it but Garner. He utterly nailed the actor’s delivery and timing. No small feat. As the James Garner would say, “That’s ACT-ING!” Kudos. A sample of the work can be found on Tantor Audio’s The Garner Files: A Memoir webpage.
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When The Last Man on Earth Wasn’t Alone
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As the month of October counts down to its end, and landing on the favored holiday of Halloween, my good blogging colleague Ed Copeland has graciously republished an updated piece of mine from a couple of years back. The post was my way of paying tribute to a book I consider (because it broke the mold of the vampire genre) as influential a work as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The fact that it was done by one of my all-time favorite authors, Richard Matheson, was no surprise (at least to me). The article looks at his 1954 novel, I Am Legend, its the film adaptations, and its most recent publication to the audiobook form. With thanks to Ed, here is the link:
“Come out, Neville!”
Whirlwind, an Appreciative Audiobook Review
“A man who tries to carry a cat home by its tail will learn a lesson that can be learned in no other way.” ~ Mark Twain
Synopsis (from the Publisher): “Charlie McKenzie was the best in the business of CIA dirty work — until he was double-crossed by his bosses and jailed to cover up a mammoth intelligence blunder. Now they want him back. And Charlie wants to get even.
A Russian spy has stumbled upon the most important U.S. military breakthrough since the atomic bomb — a top-secret technology called Whirlwind — and only the disgraced former operative has the skills necessary to retrieve it. But Charlie already knows too much. And once Whirlwind is back in Company hands, his enemies intend to betray him again — and put him out of the game permanently.
However, Charlie McKenzie has other plans. And he won’t be that easy to kill.”
Why It Works For Me: Having finished my fourth (or could it be fifth?) playback of one of my favorite thrillers in audiobook, I felt the need to voice for myself (in regards to the audiobook) and my offline but still good friend, Corey Wilde (who shared my admiration for the novel) why that is. First, anyone capable of finding a fitting Mark Twain quote (like the one above) to greet the reader or listener as they start their journey with the work, will always be aces in my book. The late-Joseph R. Garber was just such an author. The former and self-described ‘army brat’, who eventually joined the Army himself, once worked for AT&T (“…then the world’s largest and most boring company“, his words) and later wrote business and technology articles for Forbes magazine. In between writing literary criticism for the San Francisco Review of Books and other ventures, Garber wrote fiction and non-fiction freelance. His first novel was published in 1989 (Rascal Money).
Time to Plug ‘Plugged’
[While I'm jetting my way toward St. Louis, MO, and my first Bouchercon, I thought I'd offer the following review since the book made an impression]
It’s amazing what kids make their parents do. What with carpools, the school variety that is, my wife and I get to experience quite a bit at this stage of life. The arguments, the fights, the shoe-throwing and the name calling — then there’s our children not getting along with each other in the bloody car. It’s enough to drive you to the Jameson. Anyway, it was these kinds of experiences that drove my bride of more than two decades to enact a policy of audiobooks in the vehicle to keep the peace when whisking our progeny to institutions of learning. And it’s because of that, I reckon, that moi became hooked on one, Artemis Fowl.
There I was, minding me own business… driving home one day, when this voice (that almost sounds like he’s what… 30?) floats up from the backseat:
“Dad, put this disc in.”
Me, being the ever so calm and beguiling parent, naturally replied:
“Why the hell should I?!? And while you’re answering that, put your damn shoes back on!”
Then, my oldest proceeds to tell me they (he and his smart-alecky sister) have been listening to some fantasy novels (written by one Eoin Colfer) while riding in mum’s car. “Really?“, I say. Well, since it’s been the only thing holding down the mayhem of the morning executions… er, excursions, I answered: “Well, if it’ll shut you two up, then give it here!” And I snatch it up and throw the disc into the car’s CD player as if my sanity depended upon it. As might have been expected, it got worst.
I tried, really tried, not to become involved in some story of the Irish teenage criminal mastermind named Artemis Fowl II. It was the second book in the young adult series, Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, at that. Right off the bat, I was already playing catch-up with the mishmash of fairy magic and high-technology, anti-hero humans, elves and gnomes from the start. Life ain’t bloody fair, if you ask me! No wonder the author’s called it “Die Hard with fairies.” What the feck!!! So, I had to go back to the beginning once done, and the rest is history. I’d turned into a Fowl-head… in my late 50s, for Chrissakes!
Besides that, I’d somehow managed to become involved with another Irish author (Adrian McKinty, Stuart Neville, and Ken Bruen being the Gaelic co-conspirators, to that point). It’s now my firm opinion, except for a few of the most skilled, that the language we Americans mangle use compares not bit with what those from the Emerald Isle actually command on a page. It’s like we’re playing with Duplos while they’re constructing the Taj Mahal with quantum Legos! The writing from this group is that great. It just ain’t fair. Then, I heard that writer Colfer had another book released this month. This time a book for adults. And, it’s in audiobook.
What possessed me?!? I know… it’s a work of bloody crime fiction. That’s what did it. Yeah, I’m the innocent one in all of this. Perhaps, because the novel Plugged centered on a follicly-challenged protagonist, I was oddly charmed by the guy. I mean you couldn’t miss the large ex-pat casino bouncer named Daniel McEvoy. And, he was dealing with a newly dead almost-girlfriend, plus people trying to kill him for God knows what. Y’know, standard fare, yes? Okay, maybe it’s because the author included one Chrrrist-Almighty obnoxious lawyer and a Jersey Irish-American mobster to liven it up. Let’s not forget the female detective this ex-Irish Army sergeant just had an unexpected tryst with (the same one who shot a person she’s not supposed to, btw). What a week this guy is having!
Through all the unexpected plotting, priceless humor, and flashbacks to “the Lebanon” in the tale, the narrator for the AudioGo production, John Keating, did an abso-bloody-lutely splendid job in bringing Colfer’s distinct wordsmithing, characters, and dialects to the top. Sometimes, listening to such novels in audio form is tantamount to being the open milk carton in the refrigerator. You start to taste like what you’re sitting next to. And I know McEvoy’s Irish brogue is going to take a while to get out of my speech pattern. Bejesus! At least I learned to never call the Irish, ‘Laddie’. So, this adult had a fab time listening to it all. Maybe I’ll get a chance to express this to the author himself. Supposedly, he’ll be at some mystery writers convention this weekend. You never know 
.
