The Beginner's Goodbye

By: Anne Tyler

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Anne Tyler gives us a wise, haunting, and deeply moving new novel in which she explores how a middle-aged man, torn apart by the death of his wife, is gradually restored by her frequent appearances: in their house, on the roadway, in the market.

Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron spent his childhood fending off a sister who wants to manage him. So when he meets Dorothy, a plain, outspoken, self-dependent young woman, she is like a breath of fresh air. Unhesitatingly he marries her, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage. But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy's unexpected appearances from the dead help him to live in the moment and to find some peace.

Gradually he discovers, as he works in the family's vanity-publishing business, turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trials of life, that maybe for this beginner there is a way of saying goodbye.

A beautiful, subtle exploration of loss and recovery, pierced throughout with Anne Tyler's humor, wisdom, and always-penetrating look at human foibles.

©2012 Random House Audio (P)2012 Anne Tyler

Waiting for the Next Great Novel

What did you like best about The Beginner's Goodbye? What did you like least?

I liked the accessibility of the main character, and the references to the city of Baltimore where I used to live.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have added more scenes of the couple intereacting. The finale seemed random without that.

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

He shapes my impression of the main character. The reading was well-done.

Did The Beginner's Goodbye inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

I'm always waiting for the next great Anne Tyler book.

not her best work

Anne Tyler is a wonderful storyteller. And this is a good story, But it's not her best work. It drags a little and the protagonist is something of a whiner

Unravel the complicated knot!

Sometimes when two people tie the knot, they overdo it and the knot gets awfully complicated. Then a freak accident occurs, and one person is left behind to unravel the mess they made together. So it goes for Aaron and Dorothy, a couple whose marriage was built on misconceptions. Despite these misconceptions, they manage to piece together a life slathered with the glue of commitment and love. Lucky couples get a whole lifetime to fix what is wrong in their marriage. But when a tree falls onto their house and Dorothy is abruptly killed, Aaron is left to sort out the reality of what they had.

Anne Tyler has a written a beautiful book about a broken marriage. The language is simple and clean. In scenes with dialogue between Aaron and Dorothy, Tyler captures the reality of marital angst and, if we’re honest, even reminds us of our own marriages. Along with this reminder comes a poignant question: if your marriage ended tomorrow, would you be comfortable with where it stands? If the answer is “no,” Tyler quietly urges us to do the work now to fix it, before it’s too late.

Narrator Kirby Heyborne breathes life into Tyler’s narrative. He allows us to feel all the tension and bliss that married life can bring. At times the narration feels dated, thus surprising the reader when modern conveniences like the Apple store are mentioned. I’m not sure if this is a result of Heyborne’s narration or Tyler’s writing. Luckily, it is only a slight distraction from an otherwise flawless performance.

If you are married now, or once were, or ever hope to be, you must read The Beginner’s Goodbye. This intimate portrayal of one couple will give you perspective on what is really important in life.

Good read

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

Yes. It's a gentle book, accepting of all its characters' quirks and gently read. I was sorry it ended.

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

no

Fan of Anne

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It was a disappointment...it seems to drone on...perhaps it is the fact that the narrator in the book is somewhat of a whiner and loser...and it difficult to listen to.

Would you be willing to try another book from Anne Tyler? Why or why not?

I read all her books. Absolutely.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No....too sad.

Introspective While Enjoyable

Any additional comments?

This is just a wonderful story about couples and family. While telling ourselves that we treat them fairly with kindness and thoughtfulness we learn lessons along the way that we were not nearly as kind to them as we were ourselves.

This is a well written story about human nature. I enjoyed it a great deal, while complipating the story long after the final words in the book. It would be lovely if we could all see the bigger picture like many of the characters in this book fortunately got to see.

Life Goes On

A good (and short) book by Anne Tyler about a widower dealing with the ghost of his wife - She's dealt with this topic before to greater success, but her characters are always so vivid and interesting, it's difficult to not like an Anne Tyler novel.

Wonderful as ever but too short

Where does The Beginner's Goodbye rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

Any book by Anne Tyler is worth the ride. Her books are unfailingly warm, funny and insightful. That said, I must add that this one is not my favorite. I prefer Noah's Compass as well as several of her earlier works to this one.

Which character ??? as performed by Kirby Heyborne ??? was your favorite?

I especially liked the contractor who ended up marrying the quirky sister. He alone showed the sort of sweet, flawed humanity that her other books have in more abundance.

If you could take any character from The Beginner's Goodbye out to dinner, who would it be and why?

That would be the character I just mentioned, although I cannot recall his name.

Any additional comments?

Please try other books by Anne Tyler such as Ladder of Years, Saint Maybe, Accidental Tourist and Patchwork Planet. I love them all and have returned to them many times.

A man deals with his wife's death.

This is a moving story of a man coming to terms with his wife’s sudden death in the prime of their lives. Not only must he deal with his grief, but he must deal with his own remembering of their time together, and his conclusion that they really did not have a happy marriage. In the meantime, his sister, who has never married, meets someone and falls in love. A very sensitive portrayal of a man who has great difficulty letting his feelings be known, or in feeling those feelings himself. I highly recommend this book.

A Great Story that will Surprise!

I had no idea what this book was. . . bought it on sale on a whim. . . and it turned out to be quite a nice experience. The story line draws you in quickly and because it is a short listen, a book you'll want to finish in one sitting if you can. No complaints here on the performance; but full disclosure is merited: after the first 30 minutes, I used Audible's 1.5 speed -- the narration was just as good a little faster in my view.