The History of Love

By: Nicole Krauss

Narrated by: George Guidall, Barbara Caruso, Julia Gibson, Andy Paris

Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Nicole Krauss' first novel, Man Walks Into a Room, was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Award and her short fiction has been collected in Best American Short Stories. Now The History of Love proves Krauss is among our finest and freshest literary voices.

It has been decades since Leo Gursky first surrendered his heart, then wrote a book about it, at the tender age of 10, and he's been in love with the same person ever since. Leo believes his book is lost to time, but what he doesn't know is, not only has it survived 60 years without him, it has also been an inspiration to others. Fourteen-year-old Alma was even named for a character from the book. When she realizes how deeply the story touched her lonely mother, she embarks on a search for answers.

The History of Love is an imaginative tale of love and loss that is at once funny, mysterious, and deeply passionate.

Don't miss Nicole Krauss and Salman Rushdie at The New Yorker Festival.

©2005 Nicole Krauss (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"An intriguing books-within-a-book narrative....Venturing into Paul Auster territory in her graceful inquiry into the interplay between life and literature, Krauss is winsome, funny, and affecting." (Booklist)
"Writing with tenderness about eccentric characters, [Krauss] uses earthy humor to mask pain and to question the universe. Her distinctive voice is both plangent and wry, and her imagination encompasses many worlds." (Publishers Weekly)
"If for no other reason than the range of voices she has persuasively created, Ms. Krauss would stand out as a prodigious talent....Ms. Krauss's work is illuminated by the warmth and delicacy of her prose." (The New York Times)

beautiful story, I didn't want it to end!

I read this book many years ago and got the audible version on sale. I absolutely love the cast of narrators! the story is so good, I didn't want it to end. You get attached to all the characters. highly recommend this audible book!

Sweet, Romantic Read

Gave me the same feelings that I had after watching the Notebook! It can be a little confusing at the beginning, but it all ties together at the end.

Beautifully written and narrated

This story is one of the most tender love stories I’ve ever read. Sometimes I laughed out loud. Other times I cried tears of sadness. I couldn’t wait to hear more but knew also that more meant getting closer and closer to the end. Such a joy.

It can't be over

Every once in a while a book is so powerful that you never want it to end. I will miss all the Alma's and Leo. What happened to Bruno? Was he real, or a figment of Leo's imagination? I sat transfixed in my car wondering how they could be gone. The connections were rich, amazing how in a city the size of New York--Germany, South American it might be possible for those connections. Those of us in small towns are never surprised by knowing everyone, but secretly hope that in large cities there may be anonymity. Every voice, every turn of events, was so well crafted by this author, (and the readers) that I was sad it had ended and have engineered my own hopes for the characters.

Unique and Beautiful Writing

What an interesting story written in such a lovely way. This book is different and the unusual cast of characters (voices) keeps the story moving (although you are kept wondering about the connections sometimes--but it's supposed to be like that, right?). To define love in such beautiful terms is refreshing and not the usual "sappy" romance. Both genders would like this book and I thoroughly enjoyed her lovely writing. Worth a listen!

Such an enjoyable read!

What a good book! I'd been wondering how it would work to have multiple narrators--and it was great. The narrators were all wonderful, and the story was so engaging and moving. Leo's "and yet..." resonates with me still. Highly recommended!

Absolutely lovely

So many wonderful characters! Wonderful narration. And the ending was sublime. Looking forward to more from this author.

Perfect aloud and incredibly engaging!

I first heard a clip on the BBC, which got my attention. However, the Audible version is amazingly narrated, as one might expect with George Guidall (I would listen to him read the phone book). This book was much easier aloud, as it was simpler to keep the characters "in personality." You miss a few of the ideosyncracies of the written form, but not enough to make this the lesser version. The story was far more engaging than expected -- tender, heartbreaking, and with the power of hope. Read it!

I almost gave up!

I knew I'd chosen this book because of the rave reviews but once I started listening I couldn't understand why so many people had loved it. I listened, I re played, listened again and just could not get it. I went back to the reviews and found there had been quite a few like me. I continued listening and at chapter 5 was pulled in and enjoyed every last word, it was beautiful after all. I'm not sure why the first few chapters are so labored and uninviting, they're disjointed and seem random. In the end all is revealed.

A great listen

Usually I prefer one narrator as opposed to several, but this book was done well and I enjoyed the narration.
A great story, one of the few audibles that will receive a second listen