Heft

By: Liz Moore

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne, Keith Szarabajka

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Literary Fiction, 2013

A heartwarming novel about larger-than-life characters and second chances....

Former academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn’t left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career - if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel’s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur’s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene’s unexpected phone call to Arthur - a plea for help - that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel’s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives. Like Elizabeth McCracken’s The Giant’s House, Heft is a novel about love and family found in the most unexpected places.

©2012 Liz Moore (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A suspenseful, restorative novel from one of our fine young voices.” (Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author)

“In Heft, Liz Moore creates a cast of vulnerable, lonely misfits that will break your heart and then make it soar. What a terrific novel!” (Ann Hood, best-selling author of The Red Thread)

“This is the real deal, Liz Moore is the real deal - she’s written a novel that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.” (Russell Banks, Pulitzer Prize finalist)

Awesome, until it just ended

Would you consider the audio edition of Heft to be better than the print version?

I wouldn't know. I have kids so I can't remember the last time I was able to read something without being interrupted.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Heft?

Wow, so many. I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone.

Which character – as performed by Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka – was your favorite?

They were both so good. I think because both narrators were probably the best I've heard. They breathed life into their characters. So amazing. Pauses at the right time. No silly voices for other characters. I can't tell you how enjoyable this book was.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not heft. Maybe something along the line that life is hard, you will make stupid decisions, but that does not define you.

Any additional comments?

Yes, why did it end like that. I needed a few more chapters.

What an amazing book!

What made the experience of listening to Heft the most enjoyable?

Having two different narrators was great- they both made listening enjoyable and portrayed their main characters well.

What other book might you compare Heft to and why?

It made me think of The Glass Castle- how choices of our parents impact our lives beyond childhood.

Have you listened to any of Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I really enjoyed both readers performances and would definitely listen to other books they read.

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

I didn't have an extreme reaction, but did re-listen to several sections by Arthur .

Any additional comments?

This book makes me realize that a day spent feeling sorry for yourself is certainly a wasted day. Such a good story- I will definitely re-listen soon.

Nice Narration, interesting plot

What did you love best about Heft?

Rank it solidly in good novels

Who was your favorite character and why?

Arthur Oh
The professor who is a recluse and morbidly obese and his latina housekeeper

Any additional comments?

really liked the relationship between Arthur and Yolanda

Interesting story with great narration, but...

The good: The characters are well developed and very interesting, and the writing is thoughtful and evocative. I was especially drawn into Arthur's story, and Keith Szarabajka's narration is incredible-he IS Arthur in tone, inflection, and attitude. While I didn't find Kel quite as compelling as Arthur, I was still interested in his story line, and Kirby Heyborne (one of my personal favorite narrators) also provides a spot-on performance. I really enjoy novels that examine the intersections of characters' lives, and the connections between Arthur, Kel, and Charlene create a real depth to the two narratives.

The caution: There are a lot of different opinions about how much resolution a novel should have. Personally, I don't mind some things being left open (art imitates life, after all), I was disappointed in the book's conclusion. Much of the latter part of the novel seemed to be building to a specific event (sorry for the vagueness, but I hate spoilers) that doesn't actually happen in the book. I personally was disappointed and felt that the novel needed to give us a little more.

Great Book

What did you love best about Heft?

Loved the story but was so disappointed with the ending. How can an author leave a reader hanging like that?

Fantastic characters

I love how well we get to know the characters, and so much their inner dialog rings true. This is just a great story. I gave the performance only 4 stars because you can tell when Kel's narrator starts "fresh" and it's a little jolting.. it didn't diminish the story in any way but it's probably something one shouldn't be noticing.

Performance was as good as the book itself!

This is a very different book than I expected - instead of the author describing or explaining anything, the actual thoughts reveal all we need to know. The insight into the mindset of the morbidly obese man causes me to question why there isn't more compassion and tolerance for people suffering from obesity.
This level of honest insight should be better understood - such a sad, sad lifestyle.

BEAUTIFUL

So many discussion points in such a simple book. Self image, loneliness, love, friendship, parenthood, personal growth and more. For me, only one word: beautiful !

Completely engaging

I loved this book. The characters were well developed and felt like real people, complex and realistically dealing with their wounding.
At times I stopped listening as it was hard to feel their pain, but the compelling nature of the story always brought me back.
I was sad when it ended as I wanted to keep following their lives.

A moving, character driven, masterpiece

I don't even remember why I chose to buy this one. A Goodreads recommendation perhaps, regardless I am so happy that I got the audible version. This was lovely. The two narrators did a splendid job of bringing this story to life. The emotion was made raw and tangible. The characters leapt into my ears and my heart. An absolute must.