Libra

By: Don DeLillo

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

In this powerful, eerily convincing fictional speculation on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Don DeLillo chronicles Lee Harvey Oswald’s odyssey from troubled teenager to a man of precarious stability who imagines himself an agent of history. When “history” presents itself in the form of two disgruntled CIA operatives who decide that an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the president will galvanize the nation against communism, the scales are irrevocably tipped.

A gripping, masterful blend of fact and fiction, alive with meticulously portrayed characters both real and created, Libra is a grave, haunting, and brilliant examination of an event that has become an indelible part of the American psyche.

Engaging story

Great story/writing. Lived up to my expectations. Narration was a bit stale in my opinion

Interesting Take on Oswald

He was a lot more like us than we'd like to think... at least I think that's what the book is trying to say. An engaging story that adds some humanity to the rote retelling of American mythology.

Well researched and imagined

As the book that inspired James Ellroy to write American Tabloid, Libra also serves as an excellent companion to that novel. While many of the events from Libra are well researched, DeLillo imaginatively fills in the gaps to create a seemingly plausible conspiracy behind the JFK assassination. Some reviewers have complained about Michael Pritchard's narration (too monotone) but I feel it goes perfectly with the novel's staccato style of sentence structure which at times also seems similar to Ellroy's, albeit with deeper observations of human interactions. The entire read was enjoyable.

michael pritchard rocks

I really like Michael Pritchard’s voice. The book is also a great approach to the subject matter and beautifully written

Fascinating story, annoying voice

The Walter Cronkite sounding voice is terrible, although I understand the reasoning and motif being created. Was really annoying to listen to after a while despite being an enthralling story by one of my favorite authors.

alternative, speculative fiction

Libra by Don DeLillo is a work of speculative fiction, or alternative history, which tells the story of the assassination of President Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald. Sort of. This is book that is based on the premise that Oswald was part of a conspiracy with the CIA, and was hired to kill the president. DeLillo wrote a convincing story that could easily convince a reader to believe in conspiracy theories. This one talks about the Bay of Pigs and surrounding anti-Cuban sentiments, the U2 spy missions, and loads of espionage. This book is filled with actual history intertwined seamlessly with the speculative history created by the author. It all fits so well together that I found myself turning to Google often.

Intense imagination created for the minds of the characters.

Don deLillo book Libra manages to write with acute insights into the possible thought and emotions of the characters and of the country that is the USA.
An impressive and emotional read.
I got to understand facets of L H Oswald and what he believed in. This is a second read and I’m still able to feel the madness of an assassination of a president.
Thank you writing the book and Thankyou to audible for adding another layer to listening while reading. ☮️☮️❤️🗽

Delillo. All one needs to know

Breathtaking character development. Delillo breathes life into those we thought we knew through history. Brilliant.

Very enthralling

DeLillo again weaves his magic word spell, through his Faulkner-esque use of repetition and terse phrasing, cultivating a narrative that feels all-too-plausible in its imagination.

I'm not sure what compelled him to write this, but it is very captivating and compelling, if not somewhat familiar by now. I enjoyed it, but it felt a bit too subdued in its aspirations, even if that was part of the goal of the work, to keep it grounded in the realms of realism.

Narrator's Monotonous Tone Ruined Book

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A different narrator. It sounded as if Joe Friday from Dragnet was reading the book.

Would you recommend Libra to your friends? Why or why not?

No. The narrator ruined the book for me.

How could the performance have been better?

It sounded like he was reading the phone book. There was no modulation between characters. It made listening an unpleasant chore.

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

I might read it one day. I think I would have liked it much better.