Foy

On the Road to Lost

By: Gordon Atkinson

Narrated by: Karl Miller

Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Foy is a minister who can no longer make sense of the religious world into which he was born. A strange bus journey to the heart of New Orleans marks his exit from a familiar life and a rebirth into a new reality. But the secular world is a strange and lonely place for Foy. His identity as a clergyman is more deeply embedded in his soul than he thought.

The same impulse that guides Hester Prynne to shape her future in The Scarlet Letter guides Atkinson's Foy. Foy is determined to chart his own course rather than allowing others to define who he is. A series of flashbacks to his childhood and his time as an unorthodox minister give us clues to the forces that shaped this man and a glimpse at what may be in store for him.

This may contain language that is objectionable to some.

©2017 Material Media (P)2017 Material Media

A Brilliant Literary Tale

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

If you enjoy great writing, Foy should be in your audiobook collection. Karl Miller does an excellent job giving Foy a voice.

What did you like best about this story?

It's a series of short stories woven together to present a fascinating picture of a complicated man.

Any additional comments?

The language reflects the way people speak in real life - sometimes crude. But to paraphrase the author of Inherit the Wind; there are damn few enough words in the English language without being able to use the bad ones.

Makes you think...

I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All in all this was a pretty good read. It jumps around a lot making it a little confusing but also really makes the reader think about things. I would recommend giving it a listen.

Did Not Understand

I got this ARC via audiobook boom. This look into the life of Foy is presented. It goes from chapter to chapter and relates the life of a preacher who lost his way. it tells glimpse of that life. I did not really relate to any of them. Perhaps I missed some points that would have helped me understand the book. But the more I listened the less I understood.

Interesting and Different kind of Story

Where does Foy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have literally listened to THOUSANDS...lol...so, it would definitely not be in my top 100, but somewhere probably within the 600-700 range

What other book might you compare Foy to and why?

This was a new one for me, and I haven't read or listened to another one like it. So, it stands alone as far as I can see so far because it is quite unique.

Which character – as performed by Karl Miller – was your favorite?

Foy

If you could take any character from Foy out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Foy--because I am certain we would have interesting and thought-provoking conversation.

Any additional comments?

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A breath of fresh air On the Road to Lost

I have to admit that I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I started this book, but what a pleasant surprise. It certainly is not your tradition modern fiction novel as it is a series of individual stories along the timeline of a minister's (Foy) life. The essence of the work is ones struglle from a life dedicated to God, to unbelief, and possibly back again. I say possibly back again because the bigger story is still a work in progress according to the author. That being said, this book can, and does, stand on its own as all the pieces fit together in describing a life wrought with questions and searching.

I wouldn't say this is an uplifting listen, nor is it a discouraging, but rather very realistic in a heartening way. As a Christian, I found this to be an especially compelling listen as I could identify with the premise of the struggle the minister faced as well as those individuals he interacted with. An earlier reviewer mentioned the foul language; yes there are a few F-bombs and even a taking of God's name in vain. However, I did not find it offensive as it simply fit with the realism of the life situations being described. It was not swearing for the sake of it, but rather to make a point in the story. I was never even close to finding it offensive. It is also a rather minute portion of the overall listen.

Given the description, and the author being a former minister, it should come as no surprise that there is a predominantly Christian theme; it runs the gauntlet from Baptist, to Catholic, to Evangelical, to agnostic. Still, this does not come across as a "preachy" type of work. If anything, it opens the door to the question of faith.

As an added bonus, there are two short essays by the author that I found as being the highlight of the listen. Do yourself a favor and do not skip by them!!!

Overall I found this to be a great listen, with Karl Miller doing a superb job in a nice smooth narration. In fact, I listened to it almost straight through with only a minor interruption to eat dinner. I would highly recommend this book to those looking for a unique listen. It is clearly fiction, but could just as easily have been a memoir. Well worth the price of a credit and I am looking forward to the upcoming release of Foy's continuing journey On the Road to Lost.

A review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in return for this unbiased review. My hope is that this review helps in your decision to obtain this book.

A different type of book

If you could sum up Foy in three words, what would they be?

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
The story is definitely a different one from what I usually listen to. We can follow the interior struggles the main character is facing from his childhood, but are those same struggles that allow us to "like" him. He's a man of the cloth that has the courage to question its meaning and explore his doubts. At the end his decision to become the man he was always meant to be, shows that courage. If you are looking for something different, then this book is for you.

What other book might you compare Foy to and why?

As I mentioned before, I cannot compare it to any other book I have read so far.

What three words best describe Karl Miller’s voice?

Soothing
Clear
Emphatic

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, just made me think

Any additional comments?

Why not give it a try and see what you think?

A book that leaves you scratching your head.

If you could sum up Foy in three words, what would they be?

I received a copy of this audiobook from the producer in exchange for an objective review. I started listening to it and was a bit perplexed as to the nature of the story, so I did a very quick perusal of some of the reviews already posted. While I didn't read them carefully, my overall impression was that many people weren't in love with it. I kept listening, and by about 1/2 - 2/3 of the way through, I was so very, very happy I had chosen to keep with it. I found the voice (i.e. the protagonist's voice) refreshing and honest, and I could relate on a personal level to many of the thoughts expressed in the text. But then I got to the end of the "book," and I was a little put off by the change of course, as the last chapter deviated drastically from what had come before. And then there were two additional pieces that followed, that were not part of the "book," but were part of what the author wanted to share with the reader/listener. These, too, were very different from the part of the book I had found so touching. The end of the production included a promise that a second volume of the book would be out soon, but I am a bit wary as to which part of the "book" that refers to. What I enjoyed and could relate to was the story of a minister at a turning point in his career. He was raised in the church and his path in life seemed preordained (pardon the pun). However, he comes to doubt and then refute so much of the pablum that had been fed to him since birth, and he leaves the ministry and attempts to build a life for himself in the real world. All of that part of the story came across as sincere, heartbreaking, and wise. Then there's a redemptive (?) chapter at the end that is out of the time sequence and left me confused and a bit miffed. The author apparently has had an active online following for years and (I believe, as I have not checked) is still a Christian minister. He was and is a stranger to me, though, and given my mixed reaction to the book, will probably stay that way. But I did find large parts of the book to be both touching and intellectually stimulating, so for that alone I'd recommend it to anyone with an open mind.

I was very disappointed...

What disappointed you about Foy?

the crude language

What about Karl Miller’s performance did you like?

Karl Miller did a great job narrating, he has a very pleasant voice that makes you want to listen.

Any additional comments?

I thought this was going to be an interesting listen, however I wasn’t expecting crude language since there were no warnings about it where I requested the book. I only listened to part of the first chapter, I just couldn’t continue to put the garbage of filthy language in my mind. Please give warnings next time.

I received this audio-book free for an honest review by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Not an Uplifting book

Would you try another book from Gordon Atkinson and/or Karl Miller?

If you are looking for an uplifting christian book this is not it. Very depressing. Karl Miller narrates well enough but needs some production skills. It sounds as though he uses a noise gate that is not set right and his breaths pop out from under it so his breaths sound very soft then suddenly pop to extremely loud and are very distracting.

Would you ever listen to anything by Gordon Atkinson again?

No. If this is the way he writes, and according to the end of the book, it is. Then Unless I wanted to become a drug dependent depressed person, I would not read another one.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Karl Miller?

I would have listened to the tracks and not accepted them until they were corrected. His tone interpretation of the script etc. was good. Production was bad

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No.

Any additional comments?

I do not recommend this book. In this book God is powerless, preachers don't believe in God and gloom is always present. The opportunity to show how God can even lead someone who is unsure of him was not taken. At one point the realization came to Foy that his wife who needs interaction was starving because he was not spending time with her., Because as he rejuvenates in private, she rejuvenates around people. he takes 2 weeks to make a card to give to her, and when finally presented, she says that she decided to let go of the relationship 2 weeks ago. So he was given what he needed to save his relationship with his wife in time to save the marriage, but this was never brought out and Foy never gets it. He still never understands that God was speaking to him and trying to help him.