The Moviegoer

By: Walker Percy

Narrated by: Christopher Hurt

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

A winner of the National Book Award, The Moviegoer established Walker Percy as an insightful and grimly humorous storyteller. It is the tale of Binx Bolling, a small-time stockbroker who lives quietly in suburban New Orleans, pursuing an interest in the movies, affairs with his secretaries, and living out his days. But soon he finds himself on a "search" for something more important, some spiritual truth to anchor him.

Binx's life floats casually along until one fateful Mardi Gras week, when a bizarre series of events leads him to his unlikely salvation. In his half-brother Lonnie, who is confined to a wheelchair and soon to die, and his stepcousin Kate, whose predicament is even more ominous, Binx begins to find the sort of "certified reality" that had eluded him everywhere but at the movies.

©1961 Walker Percy (P)1992 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In a gentle Southern accent narrator Christopher Hurt delivers the story with a slow, lazy lilt which suits the text and evokes a pervading spiritual emptiness." ( AudioFile)
"Clothed in originality, intelligence, and a fierce regard for man's fate....Percy has a rare talent for making his people look and sound as though they were being seen and heard for the first time by anyone." ( Time)

We’d love it if you pronounced our words CORRECTLY

Please come to New Orleans and experience the world that Walker Percy so perfectly recreates. But when you come, do not use this narrator as an example of how to pronounce ANY of our streets, bayous, and towns. It’s just lazy that in this day and age you can’t google the right way to pronounce our words. I’m halfway through and my eyes are sore from all the rolling. Bless his heart.

I am not sure what even happened... but I liked it

what a journey.... sort of from nowhere and to nowhere.... but I don't know ... an excellent visit to a different time and place ... not so different but different enough. I also think I learned a few things. I wonder if it would be interesting to know these people. I do wish there was a way to keep knowing them. Creative writing ... for its own sake. I do want to read the book now too... I think that will be a uniquely different experience. I think I will listen to parts of this book over and over again.

A lot of existentialism and less narrative

If you're looking for "a good story" this probably isn't for you. Thought provoking and well written but can be confusing and a chore to read.

Nice but not Essential

Nice but not Essential

I have never heard of this book but found it on several best of lists. The writing is excellent and perhaps at the time (1961) was a bit groundbreaking as a mild southern poetic exploration of existentialist ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but given much existentialist water under the bridge, I did not find it the essential read I hope for.

It is short, with little action and little character evolution, the writing is light, slow, and poetic.
If you are not at all familiar with existentialist angst this is among the easiest of light introductions.

The narration was perfect, clear and engaging with excellent slow, repressed emotionality.

A Defining Without Explaining

This Moviegoer's lack of plot and its minimally affected narration style are deliberate. The reader is to be left with a gnawing (un)feeling, by contact exposure, that burdens the main character.

Time to record this book again!

The movie cover is a masterpiece. It’s time to record it again with a less dated reader. He’s very good but he reads as if he’s in a movie from the 40s and it’s quite distracting.

Deep and intelligent

The thing that struct me most of all in this book is that the the author has managed the rare feat of creating a truly intelligent and aware character. Somehow, I almost always get the feeling that writers hold something back from the knowledge or understanding of their characters; the character is never smart enough to see the parallels and symbolism that we, as readers, are expected to follow. And "The Moviegoer" is not like this, which makes it a moving and meaningful book.

Other than that, I found the plot, the ideas and the writing beautiful. In fact, after finishing the book I realized it reminded me of another literary/philosophical masterpiece, "The Nausea" by Jean Paul Sartre. And sure enough, a quick google search showed me that many critics have written about this.

As for the narration: I'm no expert on New Orleans accents, but I thought the reading was very well done, and it was close enough for my ears.

In short: not a book for everyone's taste, but if you like this sort of thing this is a book that will keep you thinking for a long time.

Strange

I don't know how to describe this book or how a book of this kind held my attention. I was there with Jack. I enjoyed his company. I was interested in what he had to say. His thoughts, uncomplicated and honest, had an unexpected depth in their simplicity. I was sad when the book ended and I couldn't find out how his life continued. Strange.

Brilliant Novel with a Horrid Narrator

The novel is a classic. It is brilliantly written.
The narrator was absolute garbage. It is evident Christopher Hurt did not take the time to research proper pronunciation of New Orleans and Louisiana names. This egregious performance ruined the audio book experience for me.
I love the book. Buy the book in print or e-book and hard pass on the audio book.

Touching - immense depth but not esoteric

I would not have picked this book up on my own; I had to read it for a Christian literature class. But, just having finished it, Percy and The Moviegoer are in my top five.

Relatable characters who are symbolic but human

Spiritual themes without heavy-handed religious overtones

A meaningful story for a person searching for truth and guidance on how to live in the world