The Museum of Extraordinary Things

A Novel

By: Alice Hoffman

Narrated by: Judith Light, Grace Gummer, Zach Appelman

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

From the beloved, best-selling author of The Dovekeepers, a mesmerizing new novel about the electric and impassioned love between two vastly different souls in New York during the volatile first decades of the 20th century.

Coney Island: Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a boardwalk freak show that amazes and stimulates the crowds. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father's "museum", alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl, and a 100-year-old turtle. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man photographing moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River.

The dashing photographer is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his father's Lower East Side Orthodox community and his job as an apprentice tailor. When Eddie captures with his camera the devastation on the streets of New York following the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman's disappearance.

New York itself becomes a riveting character as Hoffman weaves her magic, romance, and masterful storytelling to unite Coralie and Eddie in a sizzling, tender, and moving story of young love in tumultuous times. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is Hoffman at her most spellbinding.

©2014 Alice Hoffman (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio

Exquisite. I savored each chapter.

Loved it. Thank you to the author for creating this work of art.
Enjoy the journey.

OUTSTANDING IN EVERY WAY

Would you listen to The Museum of Extraordinary Things again? Why?

I have cried only one other time while listening to a book and this one made it the second time. It is one of the most beautifully written novels I have ever read and has become one of my top 5 all time favorites so far. I was fully invested in each and every character and felt each joy and heartache.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Judith Light's narration was one of the most mesmerizing I have ever heard, her passion for every single word she spoke drew me in and I felt as if I was standing in the shadows and could see/hear/smell every detail. This is truly one of the most enjoyable, albeit heartbreaking, books I've experienced on audible.com thus far.

Had to keep listening

I listened long after I should have gone to bed. It's one of those. :-)

More than just a novel

This work by Alice Hoffman does not disappoint. Bringing together several events of 1911 that take place in New York City, this novel delves deep into the motivations and truths of new immigrants, blue collar workers, and the underbelly of Coney Island. The book is narrated in 3 voices that bring the story to life.

Fascinating !!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Museum of Extraordinary Things to be better than the print version?

Always

What other book might you compare The Museum of Extraordinary Things to and why?

Divisadero

Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrators?

except for Grace Gummer...her voice was not one I wanted for Coralee..too bland

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO

Any additional comments?

A wonderful mix of history I only knew peripherally, and brilliant characters.

History and imagination

I loved that this was historically based. I looked up several of the events and was fascinated. It was well written and narrated; and easy to immerse oneself in the characters. I highly recommend this book, and will look into listening to the author's other books as well.

5-stars a round!

From the characters to the narration to the story itself . . . riveting, fascinating, heartbreaking and heartwarming . . . I couldn't wait to get to the end but, as I neared it, realized how much I would miss it. It's the first book I've read by Alice Hoffman but will be on the hunt for other titles of hers. As well as anything narrated by Judith Light - who was fabulous!

Good story, disappointing performance

Would you try another book from Alice Hoffman and/or the narrators?

The story was compelling - a romance with a lot of historical accuracy about New York City in the early 1900s. The female narrators were both quite poor - one lowered her voice at the end of each sentence, so much so that I suspect anyone with some hearing loss would miss quite a bit. The other female narrator made all the voices she did sound like automatons. Bizarre.

Would you be willing to try another one of the narrators’s performances?

Perhaps the male. Not the females.

Was The Museum of Extraordinary Things worth the listening time?

Definitely. The story was engaging and interesting enough to keep me wanting to hear more, even with flawed narration.

Novel with a historic touch

Great narration. Readers will be able to make a personal connection with the characters. Ideal book for book clubs.

Alice Hoffman does it again

Alice Hoffman doesn’t just write novels. She creates worlds. As is true so often in her work, the world of The Museum of Extraordinary Things is set against a time and place that existed in our world, in days past. This is a novel about time and about that which is timeless, about trauma and healing, about lies and truth and the role love—and the absence of it—plays in our ability see and understand the world and our place in it. The characters and their stories are memorable and complex. The imagery is haunting: brilliant yet familiar, like something that’s appeared in one’s own dreams. This book only reinforces my resolve to read everything Alice Hoffman has written. The production is beautiful, too. All the readers are outstanding, especially Judith Light.