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Vladimir Nabokov: Vlad, I really must apologize that there are still listeners out there who have not heard Jeremy Irons reading your masterpiece. Truth be told, Lolita is one of our perennial best-selling books, but I'm doing my best to make sure that everyone, and I mean everyone, listens. It's that good! There is no one whose prose I admire more than yours, but I have to tell you, I had trouble reading Lolita the first time I tried. Jeremy Irons was the key to unlocking the ravishing density of your words. Having played Humbert Humbert in the movie remake, he knew the character so intimately that he performs your words as though he wrote them himself. Seriously, how is it possible that you are considered among the greatest English writers when your first lang...

Vladimir Nabokov: Vlad, I really must apologize that there are still listeners out there who have not heard Jeremy Irons reading your masterpiece. Truth be told, Lolita is one of our perennial best-selling books, but I'm doing my best to make sure that everyone, and I mean everyone, listens. It's that good! There is no one whose prose I admire more than yours, but I have to tell you, I had trouble reading Lolita the first time I tried. Jeremy Irons was the key to unlocking the ravishing density of your words. Having played Humbert Humbert in the movie remake, he knew the character so intimately that he performs your words as though he wrote them himself. Seriously, how is it possible that you are considered among the greatest English writers when your first language is Russian? And you even discovered a new species of butterfly! How's the borsch, by the way?

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Thomas Pynchon: I gotta be honest, Tom, I'm surprised you showed up. But I'm honored you did. Inherent Vice is absolutely wonderful and threw me for a loop! I've become accustomed to your serpentine and massive narratives. Those are marvelous puzzles to unlock. But this foray into pop noir is not only accessible for those who might be frightened by your longer works, the narration makes it even more worthwhile. Ron McLarty captures the voice in your head—he even sounds like you, in that video promo you did for the book—his voice a bit wizened, but easy-going. You know what I mean, man? It's got that sixties feel, man. Kinda laid back, kinda flowing from a mind that's been blown by too much psychedelia. Anyway, just wanted to congratulate you on another great work....

Thomas Pynchon: I gotta be honest, Tom, I'm surprised you showed up. But I'm honored you did. Inherent Vice is absolutely wonderful and threw me for a loop! I've become accustomed to your serpentine and massive narratives. Those are marvelous puzzles to unlock. But this foray into pop noir is not only accessible for those who might be frightened by your longer works, the narration makes it even more worthwhile. Ron McLarty captures the voice in your head—he even sounds like you, in that video promo you did for the book—his voice a bit wizened, but easy-going. You know what I mean, man? It's got that sixties feel, man. Kinda laid back, kinda flowing from a mind that's been blown by too much psychedelia. Anyway, just wanted to congratulate you on another great work. When are you gonna win the Nobel Prize?! I'd have given it to you years ago. You want another organic ear of corn?

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Margaret Macmillan: It's always illuminating to learn about the events that shaped human history; however, it is especially revealing to learn about one event that had such enormous influence that its impact has been felt ever since. You make a convincing argument in identifying one of these moments in your brilliant lecture, Professor Macmillan. You pinpoint the events of that time and explain them so clearly that I felt as though I'd taken an entire semester's worth of 20th century history in one sitting. For those looking for more insight, I'm recommending our listeners also try your multiple award-winning Paris 1919.

Robert Evans: Two loves govern my life: listening to audiobooks (or reading) and watching movies. Listening to this audiobook kind of allowed me to do both. I admit I've never seen the movie upon which your book is based, Bob, but I gave the audiobook a shot because of Leonard Maltin, the film critic, who said that your book was a lot of fun to listen to. And is it ever! You deliver the dish on a galaxy of film stars, a host of great movies that you produced, and you deliver it all in a kind of noir, Mr. Cool style. The bit about the manipulation of Warren Beatty's, uh, person, on a film poster, is uproarious.

John Cheever: I've been a city boy all my life, but reading your domestic dramas, has given me a desire to move to Westchester County, New York, and start downing bourbon old-fashioneds. And I mean that as a compliment. The first short story I read by you was The Swimmer. (How many times have you heard that?) I wish my high school had required us to read your entire short-story collection, not just that one, albeit marvellous and surreal, story. I've often told my fellow bibliophiles that there's no better place to fish than in your prose. Structure, economy, precision—you've mastered them all. Imagine my joy when I learned that we were producing your novels for Audible Modern Vanguard. Jay Snyder delivers a great performance in Falconer, don't you think; his har...

John Cheever: I've been a city boy all my life, but reading your domestic dramas, has given me a desire to move to Westchester County, New York, and start downing bourbon old-fashioneds. And I mean that as a compliment. The first short story I read by you was The Swimmer. (How many times have you heard that?) I wish my high school had required us to read your entire short-story collection, not just that one, albeit marvellous and surreal, story. I've often told my fellow bibliophiles that there's no better place to fish than in your prose. Structure, economy, precision—you've mastered them all. Imagine my joy when I learned that we were producing your novels for Audible Modern Vanguard. Jay Snyder delivers a great performance in Falconer, don't you think; his hard-edged delivery of dialogue and prose perfectly modulated? "A page of good prose remains invincible," you once said. You've given us many, my friend. Drink up.

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