The Night of the Gun

A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life - His Own

By: David Carr

Narrated by: Charles Leggett

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Do we remember only the stories we can live with? The ones that make us look good in the rearview mirror? In The Night of the Gun, David Carr redefines memoir with the revelatory story of his years as an addict and chronicles his journey from crack-house regular to regular columnist for The New York Times.

Built on 60 videotaped interviews, legal and medical records, and three years of reporting, The Night of the Gun is a ferocious tale that uses the tools of journalism to fact-check the past. Carr's investigation of his own history reveals that his odyssey through addiction, recovery, cancer, and life as a single parent was far more harrowing - and, in the end, more miraculous - than he allowed himself to remember. Over the course of the book, he digs his way through a past that continues to evolve as he reports it.

That long-ago night when he was so out of his mind that his best friend had to pull a gun on him to make him go away? A visit to the friend 20 years later reveals that Carr was pointing the gun.

His lucrative side business as a cocaine dealer? Not all that lucrative, as it turned out, and filled with peril.

His belief that after his twins were born, he quickly sobered up to become a parent? Nice story, if he could prove it.

The notion that he was an easy choice as a custodial parent once he finally was sober? His lawyer pulls out the old file and gently explains it was a little more complicated than that.

In one sense, the story of The Night of the Gun is a common one: a white-boy misdemeanant lands in a ditch and is restored to sanity through the love of his family, a God of his understanding, and a support group that will go unnamed. But when the whole truth is told, it does not end there.

Ferocious and eloquent, courageous and bitingly funny, The Night of the Gun unravels the ways memory helps us not only create our lives, but survive them.

©2008 David Carr (P)2008 Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Whoa: a breathtakingly candid, laugh-out-loud funny, heroically rigorous, consistently riveting, and deeply moving account of a nightmarish descent and amazing redemption." (Kurt Andersen)
"David Carr's The Night of the Gun reinvents the memoir genre by applying a dose of journalistic integrity. Carr's style is as elegant as his saga is gritty, and the story of his life is simply extraordinary. " (Jeffrey Toobin)

Inspirational for writer neophytes, but hold onto your butts

I listened to “Night of the Gun” while vacationing in Costa Rica. The contrast of Carr’s life, and my charmed one, kept me in balance as someone who has ventured into the dark side, a time or two. His bountiful supply of adjectives, and gobsmacking verbosity prompted me to open a dictionary and put down the remote. What a staggering, and ultimately triumphant trudge through humanity of the beasts. Our paths crossed, no doubt due to our professions, the “80’s lifestyle,” and frankly, being residents of South Mpls. Wish he was still around to tell more stories.

Night of the Gun

Great story about a Reporter, (David Carr) who interviews friends and associates in an attempt to recall past experiences and events of his life when he was in the life (drugs, alcohol etc.) The narrator gives riveting descriptions and accounts of some of his trips to crack houses and his many attempts at rehab. A story not for the weak at heart, but a brave one in deed and told well.

Gritty & Gripping

David certainly knows his way around a metaphor - a well written, harrowing account of his life, more than just as he remembered it, enhanced by the gravely voice of the narrator.

Speaker needs big help!

Many names and places aroundminneapolis were Mispronounced. Poor job by the narrator. Come on, do your basic homework and get local names accurately pronounced. Good story by Carr, bad job by novice narrator!

Amazing book. But it's not a nice story.

Amazing book. But it's not a nice story. If you want a nice story please look elsewhere. He is not a nice man. He admits that, which is much more than most people are willing to do about themselves. He was, at time the book came out, also very lucky to be alive. And he really appreciated that. It's an incredibly valuable book for combing research with a harrowing personal tale and in the process raising big questions about what is memory and who are any of us. David Carr thanks for this book. I hope it was, at least to some degree, worth your trouble.
John

RIP David Carr

I'm sorry I hadn't heard about this memoir before this remarkable man passed away. I knew of his excellent work for the New York Times but not the backstory. This memoir keeps your interest both for the content and the structure, which is thematic rather than a strictly
linear.

jesus people... did you do any research?

i love how just about all of the negative reviews have so little to do with the actual work itself! we get it, you don't like to hear/read about he subject matter in which you paid to hear/read about with this one! again, did any of you do the damn research.... or atleast simply look at the illicitly suggestive cover art? yes, it did drag on in parts... but subject matter is something you all were aware of before you started your endeavors here. how can you bitch and complain that writing about such matter was the wrong thing for Carr to do? if you feel so f*ing strongly about the subject matter, then reading it was the wrong thing for YOU to do. that's your fault. fools.

Buckle Up!

Gifted storyteller, great thinker, elegant writer... The narrative (and the narrator) were absolutely engaging from start to finish. Thanks for sharing, Carr!

A gift

This book was riveting from start to finish. I loved the investigative journalistic approach and thoroughly enjoyed the read.

One of best books I have ever listen to

I love how Charles Leggett read the story and his voice made me want to listen to more and more. The book and the reading made me feel like I was there listening to a amazing personal story.