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)

Slow but worth the wait

A friend recommended this book (to read) so I was reluctant to listen; however, though slow to start, this book really picked up in the middle and was worth the time it took to get into it. By the end, I was a bit sad to finish. The final scene was very touching. I especially liked the narrators.

Beautiful writing beautiful narration

I was overwhelmed by the beautiful writing in this very unusual story. Moving,funny, sad,...everything you could want in a book. George Guidall is amazing and brings Leo to life. There are no phony accents or simpering female voices by a male reader. I highly recommend this engaging book.

History of Love and G. Guidall: The Perfect Match

Not a book to read when you are down, The History of Love explores the ups, the downs, and the challenges of growing old, with a sideshow of serendipity thrown in. I can not say enough about George Guidall. A true master of narration, Guidall brings Krauss's protagonist to life, and stands him in front of us, holding a mirror to our face so we can clearly see what the future holds for all of us... if we are lucky enough to get that far. Read it. On a good day.

Not chick lit

I hate chick lit. So, with a title like the History of Love, you might expect chick lit. Not so. Does this mean dudes will like it? Probably not, but it's not that ridiculous self-obsessed Sex in the City crap. This is a very touching book about love and a book about love. (You read that right.)

I was charmed by both Leo and Alma. I was convinced of their ages and emotional states as much by the writing as the excellent narration. Alma's list-making was a particularly inventive way to tell her parts of the tale.

Although, it seems a small part of the story, the book within a book also has some imaginative prose/ideas.

I thought the author particularly bold in one instance to suggest that an obituary Leo has written is a superior and inspired piece of writing. We accept this as fact, forgetting that its author is not the fictional Leo, but Ms. Krauss. Suffice it to say, she is a talent.

So, if you appreciate a creative yarn that's well written with quirky characters and NOT chick lit, this is a good option.

Love . . . Longing . . . Laughter

Like poetry for the mind is this narration of The History of Love, a walk through pre-WWII Poland when two children were carefree, discovering themselves and each other, pledging a lifetime of love for one another . . . and a girl named Alma that a ten year boy, Leo, loved so much that he wrote down his love for her, in a book, and in letters, that survived the Holocaust, a journey to America, The History of Love, buried and rediscovered, loved by another, translated, yet still Leo's book . . . Growing so old . . . Leo wonders, will today be the day that I die? . . . yet he still remembers his Alma . . . he's outlived them all . . . a blessing or a curse? . . . and another Alma, a young Alma, on a parallel journey, has lost her father, how is she connected to Leo's Alma? Only Love knows . . .

The the writing was lyrical...

... and the telling of each characters journey was creative and nuanced. The story sometimes feels very long, because often we are hearing very mundane things about the character leading the story at any given point in the book; also, the reader doesn't necessarily know who the character is until later in a chapter—however, the last five minutes is worth the journey. This book is a page turner, even when you already know what the protagonist will find at the end of the long search. It's really like a book of synchronicity. Full of personal meaning for each character, as well as each reader.

exceptional.

a masterpiece. i could talk about how great this story was but its at its best when you go right into it blindly.. moving.. in fact this most definitley needs a movie.

Unsure

Really not sure how I feel about this book. Almost gave up halfway through. Ending was disappointing, I like when things are wrapped up at the end, this left way too much hanging. Did enjoy the in depth character development, that's something I really appreciate. I guess my conclusion is that it was thought provoking but didn't wow me.

The History of Love

When I first started reading this book for my book club I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to finish it as it wasn't grabbing me like I had hoped. I then decided to purchase the audible version as means of getting through it and I was so glad I did. What a great book, so many voices so much interesting commentary plus it reads a bit like a who done it novel with characters who have so much depth. Certainly one of my favorite book club books to date!

Lots of feelings and a great read

The narrator was great, just the voice I imagined for the words being read. I was looking for something to keep my attention that wasn't mushy but made my feelings tingle and this was just that. A soup of emotions as I reached the ending and waited for more and then found out that was the end.