Cold Mountain

By: Charles Frazier

Narrated by: Charles Frazier

Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain is a masterpiece that is at once an enthralling adventure, a stirring love story, and a luminous evocation of a vanished American in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor. Sorely wounded and fatally disillusioned in the fighting at Petersburg, Inman, a Confederate soldier, decides to walk back to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and to Ada, the woman he loved there years before. His trek across the disintegrating South brings him into intimate and sometimes lethal converse with slaves and marauders, bounty hunters and witches, both helpful and malign. At the same time, Ada is trying to revive her father's derelict farm and learn to survive in a world where the old certainties have been swept away. As it interweaves their stories, Cold Mountain asserts itself as an authentic American Odyssey--hugely powerful, majestically lovely, and keenly moving.

©1997 Charles Frazier (P)1998 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Charles Frazier delivers a soulful reading of his novel....His writing reveals the fluidity of a storyteller, and the audiobook becomes a natural extension of his skill." (AudioFile)
"Charles Frazier has taken on a daunting task, and has done extraordinarily well by it....A Whitmanesque foray into America; into its hugeness, its freshness, its scope and its soul. Such a memorable book." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A rare and extraordinary book....Heart-stopping....Spellbinding." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Novelists are never in short supply. Natural-born storytellers come along only rarely. Charles Frazier joins the ranks of that elite cadre on the first page of his astonishing debut." (Newsweek)

Pretty good but a bit of a snooze

I forced myself to finish this one. It was good enough but slow, so very slow.

A Book that stays with me always

Frazier is a master storyteller, beautifully written and soul-wrenching. This book is a portal to the bleak and confusing times, that were the Civil War. By the time Inman deserts the Confederate Army the south is fighting a losing battle, and the reasons for fighting were no longer clear. Frazier gives a wonderful profile of the harsh times suffered by those living in the South during those terrible days.

This book is an Odyssey that profiles the people of Appalachia. This paints them in a more accurate light and is more truthful than the usual ideas about them. This book let's you feel the times, the places, the weather. You can feel yourself looking up at the quiet, ancient, hazy mountains of the Appalachians. These characters are so depressing, yet so full of hope. They are broken people, and their broken souls can only be mended by one-another.

Frazier is truly gifted as a writer, and I envy his capabilities. I've read Cold Mountain and his other works several times, including his newest Varina. This book is read by Frazier and in his North Carolina accent it fits perfectly. This book is highly recommended!!

Time Travel to the 19th century and American Civil War

I loved this book when it came out more than 20 years ago. Probably one of the best stories I have read on life through a harsh and brutal time in this country’s history. Now I just listened to the author read it. I highly recommend this version. It’s an elegant and beautifully told story enhanced by the voice of the author. His easy, soft and gentle voice makes the story a meditation on the many vivid images and ideas in this story.

I found the story teller hard to listen to

This was a hard listen at times. I found myself going back to connect storyline.

Epic, beautifully written, flat narration.

Reminded me a lot Steinbeck. Not enough poetic justice for my liking. Reflects the realities of life with its tragic twists.

prose perfection

some of the finest prose ever written. Some of these passages are so vividly described, I get emotional on recollection.

All-time Favorite!

Love this Civil War era love story, beautifully read by it's author Charles Frazier! My personal favorite❤️

Stunning

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is one of the most gorgeously written books I've ever read. Frazier has the most remarkable ability to evoke a picture with his brilliant turn of phrase.

Amazing Story, Bland Narration

I am glad I listened to Thirteen Moons first, which is a masterpiece. I want to hear this book by professional narrator who can inhabit the characters. Sorry to say, I found the author's narration bland / monotonous. Had to return this. Hope they re-do with more compelling narrator.

Painfully slow narration hard to take

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator....his voice IS beautiful, but he

Would you be willing to try another one of Charles Frazier???s performances?

NO!

Could you see Cold Mountain being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe after I listen to it again I will be better able to answer this question.

Any additional comments?

I actually read all of the comments before purchasing this audio book so I