Search - Various Artists :: This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear

Great 'Spoken Word' Collection of Stories

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 11/30/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Here's something different for your CD collection. "This American Life" is a radio show that features stories - usually true - that are unusually compelling. If you are a fan of public radio, then you may already be familiar with the program. Usually, it's the kind of show that keeps you sitting in your driveway, listening to the very end. As a host of my own (much smaller) radio program, I figure that's probably the biggest compliment that any radio show can receive. "Stories of Hope and Fear" compiles eleven of these stories on two disks, and much like the radio program, I find it addictive enough to disrupt my schedule. Even though I know I could pause the CD and pick up where I left off, I still found myself sitting in my car, waiting for the story to end before heading inside to my evening dinner.

Each story is extraordinarily compelling as both human drama and comedy. For example, "The Babysitter" is told by an older man and his sister, recalling their `need' as teenagers to invent a family so they could escape the grasp of their mother. It is both sad, funny and touching to hear them relate their deceit, especially in light of the fact that their ninety-something year old mother is still alive. "On Hold Noone Can Hear You Scream" is a tale of phone company indifference that everyone can relate to, only hopefully not to this degree. From a technical perspective, each show's editing is brilliant, utilizing interesting music segments to enhance the mood and allow the pathos to subconsciously set itself in your mind.

Whether or not these stories will hold up after repeated listens is another matter, and I imagine that unlike music, most listeners will not feel inclined to hear the same stories repeatedly. The best use for this collection is during long drives, with a maximum of two people listening. My wife and I listened during a weekend road trip, and we were absolutely glued to the tales. It also made a great change of pace from the relentless series of songs pouring out of my i-pod. Repeated listens notwithstanding, I'd imagine this would make a great gift for friends who don't show much of an inclination toward pop music. A spoken word collection might not be for everyone, but it will certainly appeal to most. For the first pass, I'd guarantee it. B+ Tom Ryan"

Radio Documentaries For Long Drives

Sal Paradise | Washington, DC | 01/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've listened to This American Life going on 8 years now either on NPR or on-line on the website. Great program, this is the 3rd compliation CD I have purchased and I must say that this was interesting especially the Stories of Fear. I am interested in how the human psyche handles fear given certain levels of stress introduced through everyday normal situations. Quite frankly it can be more than a little funny. The story that really clicked with me was On Hold No One Can Hear You Scream, one persons ordeal dealing with an unresponsive phone company. This is a great cd. Better than the last compliation cd for This American Life."

Regular Folks With Amazing and Hilarious Stories

Phillip | Philadephia, PA | 01/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ira Glass has a job that everyone would love to do. He gets to interview people and learn about life lessons. I have listened to the NPR show on occassion but could never follow the program faithfully. If you are like me, then this will be your solution. In this 2-CD collection, there are stories about hopes and fears in a new light. I think that the 2nd CD is the most interesting of the 2 CDs.



The story that really made an impression was Julie Synder's dilemna with cell phone customer support (CD 2 Track 2). She really articulates her frustrations that we can all relate to. I worked as an software engineer and dealt with customer service issues on occasion. It's good to see how sometimes mis-communication and tempers often flair into after-the-fact humor. You definitely see the views from both sides which sheds some light on problems with customer support. But, the problems with a phone company just compounds to the humor with technology issues that you cannot imagine. Believe me, it's laughter after laughter but you soon realize that we can all relate to it.



Another touching but eerie story (CD 2 Track 3) is about a closeted son who takes care of his mother. It borders on the unreal as the interviewer learns about the ordeal with his father than suddenly changes things completely. As you listen, there are intimate details that you feel as if you are in the same room. This is one of the true experience that you lack with TV today. It just seems to be all about the shock factor and nothing about the fact that we are all human. It's wonderful that NPR still has shows out there for everyone to listen instead of being glued to the tube."