• Lit

  • A Memoir
  • By: Mary Karr
  • Narrated by: Mary Karr
  • Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (983 ratings)

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Lit  By  cover art

Lit

By: Mary Karr
Narrated by: Mary Karr
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Editorial reviews

Mary Karr’s courageous, enthralling memoir Lit chronicles in unsparing detail her struggle to accept her addiction to alcohol and her truly inspiring resurrection. But like her other best-selling memoir, The Liar’s Club, Karr expertly avoids treading into maudlin, movie-of-the-week territory. That’s because of her keen eye for detail, sharp wit, and expertly-written sentences - all of which sparkle like diamonds in Karr’s no-nonsense performance of her own carefully-chosen words.

Hearing an author read her work always adds a special thrill to the book, especially in this case. Karr is not just writing about a crucial time in her life, a time when she found her voice as a writer, got married, started a family, and everything seemed to be going her way…until her life unraveled. In Lit, Karr confides her inner-most thoughts and fears about actions and events most people would probably never confess to their parish priest. That might explain why her voice sometimes sounds annoyed or irritated. It’s like she can’t believe she actually did the things she did, looking back now as someone sober and stable.

Credit Karr for also dispelling the myth perpetuated by many mainstream movies (sorry, Crazy Heart) that most addicts magically achieve sobriety and never look back. Karr recounts with rigorous honesty one relapse after another and her serious suicidal thoughts after being sober for months and winning a prestigious literary prize. It sounds illogical, but, as Karr explains, “If you live in the dark a long time and the sun comes out, you do not cross into it whistling.” Reading lines like this, Karr reveals a sweet, tender side, often concealed beneath her brassy, Texas twang.

But no matter the tone, Karr’s pitch-perfect choice of words and her sharpshooter’s eye for detail will dazzle anyone who appreciates the fine art of outstanding writing. Karr’s sure-handed voice both literally and figuratively enables Lit to transcend the factual boundaries of confessional memoirs and enter the pantheon of first-class literature. Thank you, Mary Karr, for having the courage and the craft to share with us your truly inspiring story, one spectacular sentence at a time. Ken Ross

Publisher's summary

Lit follows Mary Karr's descent into the inferno of alcoholism and madness - and her astonishing resurrection. Karr's longing for a solid family seems secure when her marriage to a handsome, Shakespeare-quoting poet produces a son they adore. But she can't outrun her apocalyptic past. She drinks herself into the same numbness that nearly devoured her charismatic but troubled mother, reaching the brink of suicide. A hair-raising stint in "The Mental Marriott" awakens her to the possibility of joy, and leads her to an unlikely faith.

Lit is about getting drunk and getting sober; becoming a mother by letting go of a mother; learning to write by learning to live. It is a truly electrifying story of how to grow up - as only Mary Karr can tell it.

©2009 Mary Karr (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Astonishing....One of the most dazzling and moving memoirs to come along in years." (Michiko Kakutani, New York Times)

What listeners say about Lit

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A woman's journey into sobriety

As a recovering alcoholic I truly enjoyed every minute, every word, everything about this amazing book. I liked it so much I'm ordering a hard copy for my own library.
Thanks Mary Karr and bless you.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Book!!

Excellent book!!! Listening to Mary Karr read her story was awesome! I listened to it twice, back to back.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Deep, Funny, Sad, Relatable, Wonderful

Mary Karr is an incredible soul. Her words made me cry, laugh, and weigh my own belief in a higher power. (By the way - the jury is still out, but by the end of this story I found myself praying.) A perfectly-executed follow up to “The Liars Club”, I couldn’t stop listening to “Lit”, and dub this audio version especially special having heard the story read in Mary’s own voice. Thank you, Mary.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

More than just an alcoholic tale

I loved Mary Karr's other two memoirs (which I read in print)and was so excited to see this one out and in her own voice. She explores this time using small moments which she captures so well- Her prose are poetically descriptive. She is brutally honest about her alcoholism without dwelling so much on the gore of her drinking. I found myself identifying with her as a modern mother and wife but you don't have to either to appreciate this story. She does talk about finding god which I thought would be annoying but really wasn't.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very True Thoughts in the Life of Addiction

Would you consider the audio edition of Lit to be better than the print version?

I enjoyed the audible version

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mary Karrs Mother, She was eccentric and had the biology to make an eccentric child

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried

Any additional comments?

Beginning was a little slow, the end was marvelous

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

AWESOME! top book to date..audio junkie since '04

Where does Lit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top BOOK

What other book might you compare Lit to and why?

very poetic in a modest down to earth way

Any additional comments?

I will buy all her books!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Good writing, not good content.

I enjoyed her writing style, not necessarily the content. Too brash and choppy for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Unbelievablely moving

Listening to this, I came to live in the author's struggles and triumphs. It had me in tears at the end. I wanted it to go on and on. I recommend it in the strongest terms possible.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Loved the book

I really enjoyed this book. Mary is a good narrator and her story is worth listening to. It was sad at times, but a very good book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I want to read it all over again.

Poetic. Moving. Funny. So terrific a read,
I want to read it all over again.

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