Sideways

By: Rex Pickett

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Sideways is the story of two friends, Miles and Jack, going away together for the last time to steep themselves in everything that makes it good to be young and single: pinot, putting, and prowling bars. In the week before Jack plans to marry, the pair heads out from Los Angeles to the Santa Ynez wine country. For Jack, the tasting tour is Seven Days to D-Day, his final stretch of freedom. For Miles, who has divorced his wife, is facing an uncertain career, and has lost his passion for living, the trip is a week-long opportunity to evaluate his past, his future, and himself.

A raucous and surprising novel filled with wonderful details about wine, Sideways is also a thought-provoking and funny book about men, women, and human relationships.

©2004 Rex Pickett (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Pickett takes his readers on a jolly ride." (Publishers Weekly)

Complex, inebriating and surprising as wine itself

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

Sideways ranks far better than average. For a book that focuses on such wanton abandon, it is remarkably thought provoking. I found myself regularly pausing to meditate on the characters and their moral quagmires.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I was most interested in the unshakeable bond of friendship between Jack and Miles. Whenever I would begin to think that one was just using the other, some jaw-dropping act of kinship would pass between them. I was also intrigued by Miles' need to self-destruct whenever he felt he was becoming too amoral. I could have passed on all the wine-tasting jargon, but it was a great vehicle for the story. What better metaphor for the book than raising the enjoyment of intoxication to an art form?

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He breathes real life into Jack and Miles making their desperation palpable.

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

I really can't explain why I bought the book, since I did not like the movie. However, I'm glad I did listen to it. I found the character development and ending supremely satisfying. I ended up really loving these louts. Not to mention how crazy funny they are.

Love, Love this story!!!

I saw the movie first but this book was very good. Rex Pickett is so good at writing about transitions in life. This book makes you relatable to Miles (provided ur going through a MLC). I love this story because its raw not sugar coated with “think positive.” Lets be honest, at some point in our lives we have a down point and had to find a way out. That was Miles. Great story and I jotted down every winery and Im off to try them!

Tough but Worth It

Jack & Miles are terrible people but at least Miles evolves. I was going to rate it 3 stars but Miles post-festival antics were so powerfully written that I felt his pain and sorrow as my own. Well written.

Biggest Suprise of My Life

Absolutely enthralling. Manages to tow the line between slapstick comedy and weighty drama. In any other hands, this would have been a tonal nightmare, but Rex Pickett walks that line with ease.

Jack is one of my favorite literary characters. Morally repugnant yet impossible not to like - which is the point.

Outstanding

A great funny story about two real guys and some great wines. I saw the movie AFTER reading the book and highly recommend that if you haven't yet seen it, avoid the movie. The book has depth and hope and salvation plus a great boar hunt. Not offensive to women as some suggest but realistic and unapologetic aobut both men a women. Oh, and the wine, the sweet, sweet wine.

Great audiobook!

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

Great voice, easy to follow between characters. 1,000,000 times better than the movie, which was fantastic!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sideways?

i don't know

Which scene was your favorite?

i don't know

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

Great story, well written, and very well done in this audiobook.

Any additional comments?

If you loved the movie, well, this is many times better.

Deeper, Darker, & Funnier than the Film

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

My 3 words would be: hilarious, bleak, and inebriated...with cynical, narcissistic, verbose,and brilliant not far behind.

What did you like best about this story?

I like cynical people that use humor as a vehicle to negotiate through the daily grind. Miles is an overachiever in this department and I can't stop listening.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Outstanding reader...nails both Miles and Jack to a tee. Couldn't be a better reader for these two characters with the exceptions of the actors themselves.

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

There is already a brilliant movie...I don't think I could improve on anything they've done.

Any additional comments?

I'm about to listen to this book for the 3rd time in a month. It's the only book that I've made my wife and friends listen to over drinks socially on more than one occasion. Absolutely brilliant, hilarious, and sad all at once...for me it's perfection. I keep checking back to see if there will be a reading of "Vertical" the authors follow-up and continued story of the characters. Please have Scott Brick read it!!

Great companion to the film.

This was a great book and I look forward to re reading and re listening to this story. Miles and Jack play off each other perfectly, between their two personalities. It was interesting to see the debauchery play out between the two of them. For Jack, trying to live out every moment of his bachelor party before he is locked down in marriage, how much trouble could he get himself in and then out of. For Miles, trying to get over his divorce and depression, how low will he get before he can enjoy his week and realize he has beautiful woman that wants to communicate with him and maybe something more. Book and film are slightly different, I think of them as interpretations of each other. Same things happen but in different ways and different context. I think if you enjoyed film you will enjoy book and vice versa.

Nothing like the movie

Nothing like the movie, but still a good book. I would definitely recommend it as a light read.

Wish I could of joined Miles and Jack

Wish I could have joined Miles and Jack on the outrageous tour of the California wine country. One hell of a buddy trip!

Scott Brick's narration is spot on great!