Angle of Repose

By: Wallace Stegner

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize when it was first published in 1971, Angle of Repose has also been selected by the editorial board of the Modern Library as one of the hundred best novels of the 20th century.

Wallace Stegner's uniquely American classic centers on Lyman Ward, a noted historian who relates a fictionalized biography of his pioneer grandparents at a time when he has become estranged from his own family. Through a combination of research, memory, and exaggeration, Ward voices ideas concerning the relationship between history and the present, art and life, parents and children, and husbands and wives. Like other great quests in literature, Lyman Ward's investigation leads him deep into the dark shadows of his own life. The result is a deeply moving novel that, through the prism of one family, illuminates the American present against the fascinating background of its past.

Set in many parts of the West, Angle of Repose is a story of discovery - personal, historical, and geographical - that endures as Wallace Stegner's masterwork: an illumination of yesterday's reality that speaks to today's.

©1971 Wallace Stegner (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brilliant....Two stories, past and present, merge to produce what important fiction must: a sense of the enhancement of life." ( Los Angeles Times)
"Masterful...Reading it is an experience to be treasured." ( Boston Globe)

About as good an audiobook you can listen to

Well, Stegner is famous for his writing and listening to it is every bit as satisfying as reading it. This is a great story I would stop and go back a minute just to re listen to some of the turns of phrase Has This brilliant author used this is a classic book and it's every bit as good in audio form as it is in written. I can't recommend it enough. Read it and enjoy

Two stories in one

Moving. Truthful. The reader was exceptional.
The story followed two story lines which intertwine throughout the book..

Didn't Want It to End!!

This book is outstanding! So very sorry I did not read it before this, but so glad I found it. It is so well written and such a compelling story that I didn't want it to end. I know there was controversy about Stegner's use of the letters of Mary Hallock Foote, but the story he wove around those letters is remarkable.

As a result of reading this I just purchased Crossing to Safety, another book by Wallace Stegner, and A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West: The Reminiscences of Mary Hallock Foote. Can't wait to read them!!

great narration

the story is quite good and the narrating of it is great! I highly recommend this version

Incredible

Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read (listened to). Wonderfully written (and read).

Still Beautiful but a Bit Dated

My memory of reading this book decades ago was that I absolutely loved it. Stegner created such a detailed and loving portrait of his grandparents and their life in the West in the late nineteenth century. As a Westerner and a "child of the sixties," this novel resonated with me on many levels. The story is still a good one, and Stegner is a remarkable writer. The narrator did a good job of capturing multiple characters' voices.

Brilliant. Heartbreaking

This was harder to live through than I expected. But worth it. Narrator is extraordinary.

Excellent listen

Intriguing prose, loosely based on a historical figure; written in 1971, but still relevant; amazing voice performance.

Spectacular

A breathtaking interweaving of two complex stories and lives. A book worthy of several readings.

Story line

Loved the story! Admired the 2 main characters & loved the narrator’s voice. Title is perfect for the plot!