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)

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.

A classic

Teeth, tears and resolution not found in the film.

Notes of Fitzgerald and love, in beautiful contrast.

Thoroughly enjoyable and sweet

I really enjoyed the writing, and was surprised by it's depth . I wasn't expecting it, I think I was expecting a tale about two guys drinking and screwing their brains off, and the story really turned out to be much more than that. I thought the narration was excellent. I couldn't have enjoyed it more

This book made me surprisingly angry.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the movie, but something about the way the characters were written and read made them terribly unlikeable. I finished the book, it was well written. I just didn't like any of the people in it!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Scott Brick?

Probably. I am not sure his style was idea for this book.

Did Sideways inspire you to do anything?

no...

Engaging Rendition

wonderfully read, engaging throughout. only annoyance is how quick the chapters bled into each other. felt like before the last sentence finished the next chapter was starting so no time to let it linger. still I love this book and movie and this was done right.

A wine stained look at men's relationships.

Enjoyed the story of two semi-damaged men week long adventure in California wine country. Narration done perfectly 👍. A buddy story that explores men's complex relationships with women in the present and past; and a whole lot of wine tasting.