| Title | : | In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Volvo |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audible Audio |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published September 10, 2020 |
If you knew you were going to die in two years, would you still have gone with the Volvo? So begins the first question of this interview between the recently deceased Linda and her Volvo’s Market Research representative. Over the course of the rest of the interview, listen in and roll down your window into not only a woman’s marriage but a psyche. This brilliantly woven tale shines a light on our collective idiosyncrasies, neuroses, and desires. In the tradition of Sally Rooney and Maria Semple, Alison Espach threads the needle between humor and devastation and emerges a master of observational satire and millennial voice.
In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Volvo Reviews
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In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People by Alison Espach is an Audible Original. This Audible really made me think about what is important in life. Do you want boring all the time? What really makes you happy? If you knew you were going to die, would you do anything different? Buy something fun? Do something daring? Go see something new? It was a touching story, although short, it was powerful.
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This was fun, I liked the flow
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This was a really nice piece which says a lot in a small space.
The framing is kind of silly, but it worked pretty well for me. -
OK, este fue un audiolibro ... interesante...
Creo que el titulo me llevó a pensar que se trataba de algún tipo de documental acerca de errores en la marca de autos Volvo que le habían costado a sus usuarios la vida ... pero resultó ser una especie de cuento corto (totalmente ficticio) en el cual una mujer después de muerta es entrevistada por Volvo (si, así de raro) acerca de qué fue lo que en vida la hizo elegir sus productos, y la mujer comienza a explayarse y a filosofar acerca de varios aspectos en su vida, usando una experiencia con su auto Volvo como el hilo coherente de su historia.
Se siente como leer el trabajo de un estudiante de literatura, alguien a quien su tarea era improvisar una historia en 15 min a partir de un escenario hipotético. ¿lo mas gracioso de todo? No esta mal ... no esta nada mal.
Este audiolibro de solo cuarenta y tantos minutos me entretuvo demasiado, la verdad me sorprendí cuando se acabó porque sentí que solo habían pasado 15 min. De acuerdo a Audible ésta es toda una saga, hay mas audiolibros como éste pero que giran en torno a productos como Bounty y Tempur-pedic ... así que esperen reseñas pronto de esas historias porque esto está bastante bueno.
3.5/5 estrellas -
Not as good as the other one, kept me interested enough till the end but I didn't care as much about this woman like I did with the married couple from the Bounty interview.
Narration was good though.
*Audible audio * -
Very short yet enjoyable!
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Reflections and lessons learned:
“If you knew that you were going to die in two years, would you still have bought your Volvo?”
Two things from my day drove this middle of the night choice - a much needed, shuffle thrown up, listen to an old Bill Hicks bit about advertising, and a couple of unexpected prompted sad thoughts about loss from the week. I started and stopped it a few times not knowing whether it was the right time, but it really helped.
A story of reflection told from the other side - philosophical ponderings resulting from a mundane interview - family, communication, security and reflection all achieved in a short story -
A bit strange yet touching very short story about a woman and her neighbor.
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A short story of someone’s regrets of living a safe life after they died under the veil of an interview. A little boring and pointless. Not recommended in general.
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After I finished this, I sat for a while and wondered, "What did I just listen to?". A little humorous, yes but I'm not sure what else to say about it to be honest. It was hard to follow at times and I think I missed the whole point. There were some moments when you'd think, "Hey I can relate to this" and others when you'd consider finishing the book a waste of your time not because it's long but because you don't know where it's going.
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a short story where a company does rote market research with recently deceased customers has such POTENTIAL to be something unique and absolutely absurd (and honestly an interesting and potentially hilarious take on capitalism and the way corporations value sales & innovation over people's lives again and again) and yet.....all this was, was a short story about a dead housewife recounting the time she cheated on her husband with her douchey neighbor bc her husband’s trauma from his brother dying tragically young makes him a bit careful and honestly she found that kinda boring:/
hugely disappointing. -
Total waste of time. The conceit that the person being interviewed was dead added nothing to the story. Am not sure what point the author was attempting to make with this story. The humor was sophomoric and the storyline seemed to have no purpose.
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Cute
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Hauntingly tragic, tragically normal. This well paced story of young woman's life is told through the creative lens of market research interviews. Ones conducted after the consumer has passed away! It felt like something out of Black Mirror.
From the first paragraph I was hooked. It was enjoyable, amusing, relatable. As I started to understand where the story was heading I felt sad, determined to understand something I feared I already knew too well. Her stories weren't my own but the feelings were all too familiar. I let her emotional journey crash over me like waves. Experiencing and releasing old wounds I'd forgotten were there. And ultimately, gloriously, left with a message of loving yourself. Not as a self-help platitude but as a reality.
I can't promise it will resonate with everyone the way it did with me, but I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it. -
Listen to this free shortstory on audible, it's 40 min long.
At first I gave it 3 starts, but then I thought about the story and change my view on it, and the more I think about the story, the more I like it.
It's a strange setup, a dead woman is being interviewed about her carpurchase before her death and it's a 'person' from the carmanufacturer, who's questioning the woman.
This story is sort of 'everyday realism' where the questions from the interviewer,
(who really wants to know why she ended up buying the car she did)
makes the woman not just answer with the story about the day her car died, but also her thoughts about her life, her neighbour, familylife and how one day, started out bad but then became a something unexpected. -
Funny concept, and well presented as an audio program. A wife/mother dies and is being interviewed in a market research thing ("after death", although no real use of the death; it was really just "after the fact"), and she talks about her car buying behavior and forgone life choices. Basically, that she was always a Volvo buyer because it was safe and expected of her, but that when she test-drove a better and sportier car with her neighbor, she preferred it -- and him, the adventure-seeking man next door vs. her boring accountant husband and family life. Could have been a lot better, but was at least short, and the concept was sort of worth it. More like 3.5 stars.
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Existential crises surrounding car buying isn't limited to mid-life crisis men. This mostly monologue is ostensibly about a woman buying a new car, but is more about breaking out of a rut for a brief moment. I went in with very different expectations of what I would be getting, so what is basically a self-reflective cry for help was unexpected, and the whole 'dead people' aspect doesn't really add much to it. Anyone who feels trapped in their set ways might sympathize, but even at under an hour, it felt like it went on too long. It's not bad, just not what I was looking for.
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On today's episode of you are an ethnographer if: tips to conduct an interview with a dead 🪦 woman.
This audiobook (more like audio story) is structured as an interview between a Volvo employee/sales rep and a dead woman who used to be a Volvo customer. With only a few questions and minimal interruptions by the employee, the (dead 🪦) woman shares her hopes, fears, and pains.
It may be fiction and satire, but we can learn much about conducting user interviews/ethnographic interviews from this short story. -
In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Volvo by Alison Espach
47m narrated by Susannah Jones and Allyson Johnson
In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People #1
Genre: Satire, Short Stories, Humor, Fiction, Fantasy
Featuring: Interview Format, Dead People, Car Shopping
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult humor and situations
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
My thoughts: I was expecting this to be better. It was okay, could have been longer, or not as the climax died quickly.
Recommend to others?: Sure. If you're in the mood for a quickie this will do. -
Wow! I didn't expect this. It really did make me think about what's the MOST important thing to do... while you're living. Existing is not living. Do you want your daughter driving through life in a safe Volvo? Or should you want her to drive through life in a convertible, wind in her hair, a little fast... to a surprise destination? You set the example. You pass to your daughter the lesson of how to really live life. Should it be in a safe Volvo, destination ALWAYS known? Hmmmm......
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This little audio is exactly what it sounds like. During a market research about a formerly alive couple's choice of paper towels they end up revealing a lot more about themselves than even they realized. Absolutely hilarious to listen, and a bit cringey as parts of it sounded very much like conversations with an ex. Part of why they are an ex. Market Analyst and marriage councilor all in one, Bounty really is the best paper towel!
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This was so good! I listened to this for free (it's free with the Audible membership) and the narrator is amazing. There's something about a story to do with dying (and suddenly feeling alive) and living but feeling lifeless that really hits different during a pandemic. This book asks the question, "How safe is too safe to feel alive?"
*Please, wear a mask but don't stop living;) -
I've taken an interest in short stories and considered writing more of them - what better way to study them then consume them? At first, I didn't quite understand the premise but overall, I enjoyed the simpleness of the story. The author could have easily turned this into a series of short stories. I have trouble understanding the overall point which is why it only has three stars.
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I needed something quick to fill the time before my next audio memoir arrives, and this was the right length and already in my library, so sure, let’s try it. I expected the gimmick to be gimmicky and the story forgettable, but the piece was actually really well done and memorable and is well worth your attention.
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This short audio feature is relatable and moving. It questions what it means to drive the car that you do and what it tells about what you want from your life. Instead of tumultuous relationships, it focuses on the boring and does an excellent job making us think about what's important to us.
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Es un cuento interesante, muy ameno y que creo en lo personal me dejó la duda de que tanto conocemos a quienes creemos conocer, y que tanto hemos vivido la vida que queremos y no la vida que nos es más cómoda, es rápido de leer y agradable.
