The Tender Bar

A Memoir

By: J.R. Moehringer

Narrated by: J.R. Moehringer

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

J.R. Moehringer grew up captivated by a voice. It was the voice of his father, a New York City disc jockey who vanished before J.R. spoke his first word. Sitting on the stoop, pressing an ear to the radio, J.R. would strain to hear in that plumy baritone the secrets of masculinity and identity. Though J.R.'s mother was his world, his rock, he craved something more, something faintly and hauntingly audible only in The Voice.

At eight years old, suddenly unable to find The Voice on the radio, J.R. turned in desperation to the bar on the corner, where he found a rousing chorus of new voices. Cops, bookies, soldiers, and stumblebums, all sorts of men gathered in the bar to tell their stories and forget their cares. The alphas along the bar, including J.R.'s uncle Charlie, a Humphrey Bogart look-alike; Colt, a Yogi Bear sound-alike and Joey D, a soft-hearted brawler, took J.R. to the beach, to ballgames, and ultimately into their circle. They taught J.R., tended him, and provided a kind of fatherhood-by-committee.

Torn between the stirring example of his mother and the lurid romance of the bar, J.R. tried to forge a self somewhere in the center. But when it was time for J.R. to leave home, the bar became an increasingly seductive sanctuary, a place to return and regroup during his picaresque journeys. Time and again, the bar offered shelter from failure, rejection, heartbreak, and eventually from reality.

In the grand tradition of landmark memoirs, The Tender Bar is suspenseful, wrenching, and achingly funny. A classic American story of self-invention and escape, of the fierce love between a single mother and an only son, it's also a moving portrait of one boy's struggle to become a man, and an unforgettable depiction of how men remain, at heart, lost boys.

©2005 J.R. Moehringer (P)2005 Hyperion

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Winner, Narration by the Author
• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Biography/Memoir

"Funny, honest, and insightful." (Booklist)
"[Moehringer's] the best memoirist of his kind since Mary Karr wrote The Liars' Club." (The New York Times)
"In his gimlet-eyed memoir, The Tender Bar, J.R. Moehringer lovingly and affectingly toasts a boyhood spent on a barstool." (Vanity Fair)
"The Tender Bar will make you thirsty for that life: its camaraderie, its hilarity, its seductive, dangerous wisdom." (Richard Russo)

A Great Memoir

Would you consider the audio edition of The Tender Bar to be better than the print version?

Great Recommendation

Which character – as performed by J.R. Moehringer – was your favorite?

Uncle Eddie

Any additional comments?

This book was recommended to me by and friend and Im glad he did. A very well written and narrated book that was simple but compelling. I was really bummed when it was over. What was really interesting was all of the people that came into JR's life that seemed to pave the way to his path to becoming a terrific writer.

This was outstanding, a treasure.

My only complaint was that it was abridged. One has to wonder about what was omitted. I will probably read the unabridged book, having enjoyed this listen very much.

Just a Good Story

This was very different from what I like to read/listen to - Mysteries and Thrillers - but I enjoy the story of a boy becoming a man. If anyone can recommend anything else like it let me know.

Poignant and compelling

An incredibly poignant and naked memoir that touched me deeply.... I recommend highly for anyone who lives great story telling, great character narratives, and sap-free introspection.

Warm, beautiful story of becoming a man

I am very rigid about books I read for pleasure. I believe life is too short to reread a book. Until this. I read it three years ago and loved it. When I saw that the author read it himself, I had to hear him say his words aloud. It was even better than the print version. After finishing, I let it linger in my ears like a fine Merlot on the tongue, I sampled some other books, including Moehringer's Sutton for my next listen. Then I opened up the library and decided to listen again right away. Stunning writing, and his reading lets you peer even deeper. If I could give it 10 stars, I would.

Simply brilliant, purely enjoyable

I have no idea how this audiobook ended up in my queue. I’m quite sure now it was an act of God - a very generous, loving and attentive God who knows me well. The story touched me personally but that is not why I loved it so well. I loved The Tender Bar because it’s the best memoir I’ve ever read, and it was masterfully written. The audiobook was narrated perfectly. I want more from this author. I think you will, too. I recommend you start with The Tender Bar, if you haven’t already discovered J.R. Moehringer.

By the way, what does the “J.R.” stand for? Read the book to find out.

Mostly intriguing

Interesting memoir of a man and his bar. Moehringer shares his upbringing and the influence of the local bar on his life, the examples (both positive and negative) that were offered there, the encouragement and discouragement he received, and his longing for belonging. It certainly offered an interesting social commentary about the sense of belonging in our society and it encourages me to think about where we might find that outside of a bar.

Loved This Sweet Story

This one felt like a poem to me. A sweet little gem. I loved the tone and the feel of the story. It really transported me. And the use of the background music really added to the overall experience. Kudos to Mr. Moehringer as both the author and narrator of this terrific book.

great storyline! enjoyed the little details.

Loved the storyline and little details that come to life. it shows how somebody that longed for a father figure found it in so many different and unlikely candidates. personal struggles and self doubts are revealed throughout this book that many of us can identify with.

A very fine memoir. I never, never tired of listening. I hung on every word.

Buy it! You will love the characters you meet, and you’ll love the heart of his story.