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)

George Guidall is Leo Gursky

This is one of my most favorite books! The opening sentence with Leo running through his overly “stuffed” apartment to reach his front door was classic! It is a story of old age & loss with Joy & Laughter along the way! I can’t hear the name Alma or the word “Elbow” without having this Book come to mind.
I enjoyed all the narrators—-George Guidall is my all time favorite & Leo Gursky was made for George! “Once there was a boy who loved a girl & her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.” This book touched me in soooo many ways—I laughed & cried & I have relistened many, many times!

This book was really fun! Totally unexpected.

What other book might you compare The History of Love to and why?

There have been a lot of stories written about this subject. Nazi Germany, Jewish prison camp, but I still find it fascinating because this is something we should never forget lest it happens again. But I digress this is not what this book is about ultimately it is about the History of Love.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Leo, poor Leo, unrequited love.

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

Yes I was very delighted by it. You might think is is a sad story but still delightful. How can that be? I guess you will have to read it.

Mesmerizing!!!

I will not spoil the plot of the book...but from the very beginning you will be enthralled! I loved loved LOVED this book and heated for it to end!!!

Listen to the Love

I read this book and discussed it with a club before listening to this version. Loved the read; and this is an instance where the audio is even better!

The story is moving and beautifully written. Keeping track of the several voices is one of the challenges to complete enjoyment of the read, so using several different narrators to convey this story in audio form was a genius idea!

Result: a fine book made even better!

A little difficult to follow

I gave this audiobook 3 stars, though I'd probably have given 4 stars except that the plot was difficult to follow in audio form. The narrators were very good, the pacing at times slow, but I cared about the characters and found the humor, especially Alma's, kept me hanging in there despite losing the plot occasionally.

One of my all time favorites

What did you love best about The History of Love?

I loved this book when i read it a couple years ago. It's a nontraditional love story through the lives of many.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bird for making the ending happen.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I like that more than one voice was used.

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

It made me both laugh and cry and want to read it yet again.

Krauss is a Genius

If you mixed the writing DNA of Isaac Bashevis Singer and Stephen Millhauser, you would produce Nicole Krauss.

This book is an amalgamation of brilliant writing and plot. The characters have life and dimension.

The story involves the life of an old man -- a writer who doesn't know to what extent his writing has affected many people beyond him because of his lifelong love of a particular woman. This is the story of his journey, one that he really may not know is a journey.... It also tells about a young girl and her view of the relationship of her parents which was cut short... and her brother who sees the world through mystical eyes. The characters are all connected in strange and wonderful ways.The blend is captivating.

The narration, by several voices is spot-on. It is also very cinematically written, I could visualize the movie...oddly enough, maybe directed by Woody Allen, although this book is not a comedy. It just seems he could handle the viewpoints and the oblique way the reality unfolds in several times and places, along with the Jewishness of the older man, Leopold, an immigrant from Poland.

I really loved this book. It has humanity and depth.

Excelente book

It is a moving story with a perfect ending.Love the book and the way is was narrated.

I am in love.

Ms Krauss has created a character so real that I wanted to go to the library to find his books and read them. I've listened to this book more times than I can tell. I also had to have it in paperback to read along with the narration. Leo is wonderful and beautifully vulnerable. I am in love.

Unexpected Laughter - well written

Loved every minute. The writing styles. The voices. The pieces of the puzzle coming together. Thank you.