• The Shipping News

  • By: Annie Proulx
  • Narrated by: Robert Joy
  • Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (249 ratings)

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The Shipping News  By  cover art

The Shipping News

By: Annie Proulx
Narrated by: Robert Joy
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Publisher's summary

A vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary American family, The Shipping News shows why E. Annie Proulx is recognized as one of the most gifted and original writers in America today. When Quoyle, a 36-year-old, third rate newspaperman, learns that his two-timing wife has abandoned him and their two daughters, he returns to his ancestral home on the Newfoundland coast, where amongst locals and three generations of his family, he begins to rebuild his life. Newfoundland is a dreary rock in the north Atlantic beset by lousy weather. Proulx recreates this barren location in her vivid, distinctive prose and populates it with a cast of amusing, richly human characters. The transformation each of the characters undergoes following the move is profound. And Proulx creates a simple and compelling tale of Quoyle's psychological and spiritual growth as he confronts his private demons. Along the way, we catch a glimpse of the maritime beauty of what is probably a fading existence.
©1995 E. Annie Proulx, All Rights Reserved (P)1995 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved

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What listeners say about The Shipping News

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Anna

From the description I thought this book would be good, but sadly I was disappointed. In the book, the author portrays Newfoundland as an awful, desolate place. The story was dreary, bleak and depressing. I am usually not this critical but felt compelled to leave a comment.

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

Brutally abridged.

This is one of my favourite novels. But this audio version has been brutally truncated. All the poetic beauty has been stripped away and although the plot is great it is the lyrical nature of Proulx's writing that is so spectacular. This extraordinary work has been made ordinary by the editing.

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

Hmmm

Well - I guess this just wasn’t for me. It was beautiful writing with lovely characters, but it felt very slow moving without much happening. Let’s just say not every book is for everyone.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

A Colossal Bore

All of the Pulitzer Prizes in the world (yes, this book won in 1994) can’t save “The Shipping News” from terminal boredom. Proulx belongs to a segment of the modern school which deemphasizes plot, which might work if the characters and their inner thoughts were fascinating. But this essentially plotless novel is populated by some very dull individuals. It’s one thing to write well, which Proulx does, but it’s another thing to have something to write about. If your want to read a book which celebrates ordinariness, this slight tale might be for you, but don’t be surprised if you, too, end up as bored as I was.

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4 people found this helpful