The Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Novel
Buy for $20.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Alexander Adams
About this listen
In this riveting, ambitious novel from James A. Michener, the renowned chronicler of epic history turns his extraordinary imagination to a world he knew better than anyone: the world of books.
Lukas Yoder, a novelist who has enjoyed a long, successful career, has finished what he believes to be his final work. Then a tragedy strikes in his community, and he becomes obsessed with writing about it.
Meanwhile, Yoder's editor fights to preserve her integrity - and her author - as her firm becomes the target of a corporate takeover; a local critic who teaches literature struggles with his ambitions and with his feelings about Yoder's success; and a devoted reader holds the key to solving the mystery that haunts Yoder's hometown.
©1991 James A. Michener (P)2015 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Caravans
- A Novel of Afghanistan
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 510
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 448
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 448
First published in 1963, James A. Michener's gripping chronicle of the social and political landscape of Afghanistan is more relevant now than ever. Combining fact with riveting adventure and intrigue, Michener follows a military man tasked, in the years after World War II, with a dangerous assignment: finding and returning a young American woman living in Afghanistan to her distraught family after she suddenly and mysteriously disappears.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible narration
- By timothy on 08-13-15
-
Space
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 37 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 339
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 311
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 305
James A. Michener tackles the most ambitious subject of his career: space, the last great frontier. This astounding novel brings to life the dreams and daring of countless men and women - people like Stanley Mott, the engineer whose irrepressible drive for knowledge places him at the center of the American exploration effort, and Norman Grant, the war hero and US senator who takes his personal battle not only to a nation but to the heavens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good book but the audiobook needs revision
- By Paladan on 10-03-15
-
Journey
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 187
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 154
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 154
Gold fever swept the world in 1897. The chance for untold riches sent thousands of dreamers on a perilous trek toward their fortunes, failures, or deaths. Follow four English aristocrats and their Irish servant as they misguidedly haul their dreams across cruel Canadian terrain toward the Klondike gold fields.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Robotic narration
- By Lor on 01-11-19
-
The Fires of Spring
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 24 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 87
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 74
David Harper is an orphan, seemingly doomed to loneliness and poverty. As an adolescent con artist and petty thief, David spends his days grifting at an amusement park, the place where he first learns about women and the mysteries of love. Soon he discovers that his longing to embrace the world is stronger than the harsh realities that constrain him. Featuring autobiographical touches from Michener's own life story, The Fires of Spring is more than a novel: it's a rich slice of American life, brimming with wisdom, longing, and compassion.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not Your Typical Michener Story
- By Jay on 08-06-16
-
Alaska
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 57 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,666
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,468
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,473
The high points in the story of Alaska since the American acquisition are brought vividly to life through more than 100 characters, real and fictional.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I KNOW ALASKA LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 08-19-15
-
Poland
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 30 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 706
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 627
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 625
In this sweeping novel, James A. Michener chronicles eight tumultuous centuries as three Polish families live out their destinies. With an inspiring tradition of resistance to brutal invaders, from the barbarians to the Nazis, and a heritage of pride that burns through eras of romantic passion and courageous solidarity, their common story reaches a breathtaking culmination in the historic showdown between the ruthless Communists and rebellious farmers of the modern age.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible narration
- By Hack on 01-27-17
-
Caravans
- A Novel of Afghanistan
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 510
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 448
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 448
First published in 1963, James A. Michener's gripping chronicle of the social and political landscape of Afghanistan is more relevant now than ever. Combining fact with riveting adventure and intrigue, Michener follows a military man tasked, in the years after World War II, with a dangerous assignment: finding and returning a young American woman living in Afghanistan to her distraught family after she suddenly and mysteriously disappears.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible narration
- By timothy on 08-13-15
-
Space
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 37 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 339
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 311
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 305
James A. Michener tackles the most ambitious subject of his career: space, the last great frontier. This astounding novel brings to life the dreams and daring of countless men and women - people like Stanley Mott, the engineer whose irrepressible drive for knowledge places him at the center of the American exploration effort, and Norman Grant, the war hero and US senator who takes his personal battle not only to a nation but to the heavens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good book but the audiobook needs revision
- By Paladan on 10-03-15
-
Journey
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 187
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 154
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 154
Gold fever swept the world in 1897. The chance for untold riches sent thousands of dreamers on a perilous trek toward their fortunes, failures, or deaths. Follow four English aristocrats and their Irish servant as they misguidedly haul their dreams across cruel Canadian terrain toward the Klondike gold fields.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Robotic narration
- By Lor on 01-11-19
-
The Fires of Spring
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 24 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 87
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 74
David Harper is an orphan, seemingly doomed to loneliness and poverty. As an adolescent con artist and petty thief, David spends his days grifting at an amusement park, the place where he first learns about women and the mysteries of love. Soon he discovers that his longing to embrace the world is stronger than the harsh realities that constrain him. Featuring autobiographical touches from Michener's own life story, The Fires of Spring is more than a novel: it's a rich slice of American life, brimming with wisdom, longing, and compassion.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not Your Typical Michener Story
- By Jay on 08-06-16
-
Alaska
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 57 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,666
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,468
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,473
The high points in the story of Alaska since the American acquisition are brought vividly to life through more than 100 characters, real and fictional.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I KNOW ALASKA LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 08-19-15
-
Poland
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 30 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 706
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 627
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 625
In this sweeping novel, James A. Michener chronicles eight tumultuous centuries as three Polish families live out their destinies. With an inspiring tradition of resistance to brutal invaders, from the barbarians to the Nazis, and a heritage of pride that burns through eras of romantic passion and courageous solidarity, their common story reaches a breathtaking culmination in the historic showdown between the ruthless Communists and rebellious farmers of the modern age.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Horrible narration
- By Hack on 01-27-17
-
The Covenant
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 58 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 488
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 434
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 432
James A. Michener's masterly chronicle of South Africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents, who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness. From the Java-born Van Doorn family tree springs two great branches: one nurtures lush vineyards, the other settles the interior to become the first Trekboers and Afrikaners.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Defense of the narrator
- By william smith on 06-07-17
-
Caribbean
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 32 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 617
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 548
Caribbean packs 700 dramatic years into a tale teeming with revolution and romance, authentic characters and thunderous destinies. Through absorbing, magnificent prose, Michener captures the essence of the islands in all of their awe-inspiring scope and wonder.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The last paragraph!
- By Tim Wilson on 01-21-17
-
Return to Paradise
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
James A. Michener, the master of historical fiction, revisits the scenes of his first great work, Tales of the South Pacific: the Pulitzer Prize winner that brought him international acclaim. In this sequel collection, Michener once again evokes the magic of the extraordinary isles in the Pacific - from Fiji and Guadalcanal to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea - through stories that burst with adventure, charm, and local color.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not what I expected
- By Mark B. on 09-28-17
-
Mexico
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 394
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 348
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 344
Pulitzer Prize-winning author James A. Michener, whose novels hurtle from the far reaches of history to the dark corners of the world, paints an intoxicating portrait of a land whose past and present are as turbulent, fascinating, and colorful as any other on Earth. When an American journalist travels to report on the upcoming duel between two great matadors, he is ultimately swept up in the dramatic story of his own Mexican ancestry.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I wanted to learn more about Mexican history and culture...
- By Peace on 01-06-16
-
The World Is My Home
- A Memoir
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 21 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 74
Literary legend James A. Michener was "a Renaissance man, adventurous, inquisitive, unpretentious and unassuming, with an encyclopedic mind and a generous heart" ( The New York Times Book Review). In this exceptional memoir, the man himself tells the story of his remarkable life and describes the people, events, and ideas that shaped it.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
If you're not a huge fan, don't bother
- By Karin Bergsten-Buret on 06-23-19
-
Chesapeake
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 50 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,105
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 978
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 979
The central scene of Michener's historical novel is that section of Maryland's Eastern shore, hardly more than 10 miles square. To this point come the founders of families that will dominate the story.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Soooo worth my time... and a rant at the end
- By Jan on 08-29-15
-
Hawaii
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener, Steve Berry - introduction
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever, Fred Sanders - introduction
- Length: 51 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,034
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,780
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,774
The saga of a land from the time when the volcanic islands rose out of the sea to the decade in which they become the 50th state. Michener uses individuals' experiences to symbolize the struggle of the various races to establish themselves in the islands.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Much to My Surprise, I Really Liked It
- By Donna L. Leary on 05-16-18
By: James A. Michener, and others
-
The Source
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 54 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,794
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,566
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,566
In the grand storytelling style that is his signature, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the very beginnings of the Jewish faith, thousands of years ago. Through the predecessors of four modern men and women, we experience the entire colorful history of the Jews, including the life of the early Hebrews and their persecutions, the impact of Christianity, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition, all the way to the founding of present-day Israel and the Middle East conflict.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Unlistenable
- By GGS Engineering on 09-11-15
-
Centennial
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 50 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,463
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,266
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,263
Written to commemorate the Bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener's magnificent saga of the West is an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America's past, the story of Colorado - the Centennial State - is manifested through its people: Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain and warrior, and his Comanche and Pawnee enemies; Levi Zendt, fleeing with his child bride from the Amish country; and the cowboy, Jim Lloyd, who falls in love with a wealthy and cultured Englishwoman, Charlotte Seccombe.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One Credit, 14 Great Books
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 08-19-16
-
Texas
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 64 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 777
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 677
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 670
Texas: a land of sprawling diversity and unparalleled richness; a dazzling chapter in the history of our nation; a place like no other on Earth. Through the remarkable lives of four families, this epic saga spans four centuries and two continents and charts the dramatic formation of several great dynasties from the age of the conquistadors to the present day. A richly compelling novel of a proud people eager to meet the challenge of the land, Texas is James Michener's most magnificent achievement.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Story...but then there was the narration
- By Jim on 03-03-16
-
Recessional
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 23 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 102
As the new, young director of the Palms, Andy Zorn suffers no shortage of loving support and wise advice from his "elders", a group of five passionate, outspoken residents who refuse to accept the passive roles that both society and family have handed them. Yet past scandal has driven Zorn to despondency - until he meets an extraordinary young woman in the rehab wing who has been forced to rebuild her life in the face of crippling injuries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Text book of life comes too late
- By R. Hart Miller on 08-08-15
-
The Bridge at Andau
- The Compelling True Story of a Brave, Embattled People
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
For five brief, glorious days in the autumn of 1956, the Hungarian revolution gave its people a glimpse at a different kind of future - until, at four o’clock in the morning on a Sunday in November, the citizens of Budapest awoke to the shattering sound of Russian tanks ravaging their streets. The revolution was over. But freedom beckoned in the form of a small footbridge at Andau, on the Austrian border. By an accident of history, it became, for a few harrowing weeks, one of the most important crossings in the world, as the soul of a nation fled across its unsteady planks.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Every American should read this book.
- By Ivie D. on 07-26-20
Critic reviews
Related to this topic
-
Ayn Rand and the World She Made
- By: Anne C. Heller
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 339
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 203
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 209
Ayn Rand is the author of two phenomenally best-selling ideological novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, which have sold over 12 million copies in the United States alone. Through them, she built a right-wing cult following in the late 1950s and became the guiding light of Libertarianism and of White House economic policy in the 1960s and '70s. Her defenses of radical individualism and of selfishness as a "capitalist virtue" have permanently altered the American cultural landscape.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great history of both Rand and her era
- By Mark on 08-07-10
By: Anne C. Heller
-
My Life with Bob
- Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues
- By: Pamela Paul
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens, Pamela Paul
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
Pamela Paul has kept a single book by her side for 28 years - carried throughout high school and college, hauled from Paris to London to Thailand, from job to job, safely packed away and then carefully removed from apartment to house to its current perch on a shelf over her desk - reliable if frayed, anonymous-looking yet deeply personal. This book has a name: Bob. Bob is Paul's Book of Books, a journal that records every book she's ever read.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An uncanny mirror and a celebration of book love
- By Cherilyn Parsons on 07-28-19
By: Pamela Paul
-
Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story
- A Life of David Foster Wallace
- By: D. T. Max
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 384
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 342
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 341
David Foster Wallace was the leading literary light of his generation, a man who not only captivated readers with his prose but also mesmerized them with his brilliant mind. In this, the first biography of the writer, D. T. Max sets out to chart Wallace’s tormented, anguished, and often triumphant battle to succeed as a novelist as he fights off depression and addiction to emerge with his masterpiece, Infinite Jest.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Max avoids hagiography or a sycophant's biography
- By Darwin8u on 06-11-13
By: D. T. Max
-
The Last Love Song
- A Biography of Joan Didion
- By: Tracy Daugherty
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 26 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 69
Joan Didion lived a life in the public and private eye with her late husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, whom she met while the two were working in New York City, when Didion was at Vogue and Dunne was writing for Time. They became wildly successful writing partners when they moved to Los Angeles and cowrote screenplays and adaptations together. Didion is well known for her literary journalistic style in both fiction and nonfiction.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Riveted for 1591 miles
- By Kaysi12 on 04-11-16
By: Tracy Daugherty
-
So We Read On
- How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures
- By: Maureen Corrigan
- Narrated by: Maureen Corrigan
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 240
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 200
Conceived nearly a century ago by a man who died believing himself a failure, it's now a revered classic and a rite of passage in the reading lives of millions. But how well do we really know The Great Gatsby? As Maureen Corrigan, Gatsby lover extraordinaire, points out, while Fitzgerald's masterpiece may be one of the most popular novels in America, many of us first read it when we were too young to fully comprehend its power.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Reading Gatsby as an adult reveals its greatness!
- By Mark on 10-06-14
By: Maureen Corrigan
-
Mark Twain: Man in White
- The Grand Adventure of His Final Years
- By: Michael Shelden
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
Pulitzer Prize finalist Michael Shelden illuminates Mark Twain’s twilight years in this brilliant account of the legendary author’s life. Drawing heavily on Twain’s own letters and journals, Mark Twain: Man in White recounts both Twain’s private family experiences and his larger-than-life public image.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic book
- By Tad Davis on 08-23-10
By: Michael Shelden
-
Ayn Rand and the World She Made
- By: Anne C. Heller
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 339
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 203
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 209
Ayn Rand is the author of two phenomenally best-selling ideological novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, which have sold over 12 million copies in the United States alone. Through them, she built a right-wing cult following in the late 1950s and became the guiding light of Libertarianism and of White House economic policy in the 1960s and '70s. Her defenses of radical individualism and of selfishness as a "capitalist virtue" have permanently altered the American cultural landscape.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great history of both Rand and her era
- By Mark on 08-07-10
By: Anne C. Heller
-
My Life with Bob
- Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues
- By: Pamela Paul
- Narrated by: Eileen Stevens, Pamela Paul
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
Pamela Paul has kept a single book by her side for 28 years - carried throughout high school and college, hauled from Paris to London to Thailand, from job to job, safely packed away and then carefully removed from apartment to house to its current perch on a shelf over her desk - reliable if frayed, anonymous-looking yet deeply personal. This book has a name: Bob. Bob is Paul's Book of Books, a journal that records every book she's ever read.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An uncanny mirror and a celebration of book love
- By Cherilyn Parsons on 07-28-19
By: Pamela Paul
-
Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story
- A Life of David Foster Wallace
- By: D. T. Max
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 384
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 342
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 341
David Foster Wallace was the leading literary light of his generation, a man who not only captivated readers with his prose but also mesmerized them with his brilliant mind. In this, the first biography of the writer, D. T. Max sets out to chart Wallace’s tormented, anguished, and often triumphant battle to succeed as a novelist as he fights off depression and addiction to emerge with his masterpiece, Infinite Jest.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Max avoids hagiography or a sycophant's biography
- By Darwin8u on 06-11-13
By: D. T. Max
-
The Last Love Song
- A Biography of Joan Didion
- By: Tracy Daugherty
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 26 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 83
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 69
Joan Didion lived a life in the public and private eye with her late husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, whom she met while the two were working in New York City, when Didion was at Vogue and Dunne was writing for Time. They became wildly successful writing partners when they moved to Los Angeles and cowrote screenplays and adaptations together. Didion is well known for her literary journalistic style in both fiction and nonfiction.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Riveted for 1591 miles
- By Kaysi12 on 04-11-16
By: Tracy Daugherty
-
So We Read On
- How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures
- By: Maureen Corrigan
- Narrated by: Maureen Corrigan
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 240
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 200
Conceived nearly a century ago by a man who died believing himself a failure, it's now a revered classic and a rite of passage in the reading lives of millions. But how well do we really know The Great Gatsby? As Maureen Corrigan, Gatsby lover extraordinaire, points out, while Fitzgerald's masterpiece may be one of the most popular novels in America, many of us first read it when we were too young to fully comprehend its power.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Reading Gatsby as an adult reveals its greatness!
- By Mark on 10-06-14
By: Maureen Corrigan
-
Mark Twain: Man in White
- The Grand Adventure of His Final Years
- By: Michael Shelden
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
Pulitzer Prize finalist Michael Shelden illuminates Mark Twain’s twilight years in this brilliant account of the legendary author’s life. Drawing heavily on Twain’s own letters and journals, Mark Twain: Man in White recounts both Twain’s private family experiences and his larger-than-life public image.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic book
- By Tad Davis on 08-23-10
By: Michael Shelden
-
Empire of Self
- A Life of Gore Vidal
- By: Jay Parini
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 91
The product of 30 years of friendship and conversation, Jay Parini's Empire of Self probes behind the glittering surface of Gore Vidal's colorful life to reveal the complex emotional and sexual truth underlying his celebrity-strewn life. But there is plenty of glittering surface as well - a virtual who's who of the American Century, from Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart through the Kennedys, Princess Margaret, and the creme de la creme of Hollywood.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well done!
- By Christopher on 03-22-16
By: Jay Parini
-
Salinger
- By: David Shields, Shane Salerno
- Narrated by: Peter Friedman, January LaVoy, Robert Petkoff, and others
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 123
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 121
Shields and Salerno illuminate most brightly the last 56 years of Salinger’s life: a period that, until now, had remained completely dark to biographers. Provided unprecedented access to diaries, letters, legal records, and secret documents, listeners will feel they have, for the first time, gotten beyond Salinger’s meticulously built-up wall. The result is the definitive portrait of one of the most fascinating figures of the 20th century.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ingenious novel or biography? Hard to tell....
- By Melinda on 09-05-13
By: David Shields, and others
-
Reading My Father
- A Memoir
- By: Alexandra Styron
- Narrated by: Alexandra Styron
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 39
Alexandra Styron's parents—the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sophie’s Choice and his political activist wife, Rose—were, for half a century, leading players on the world’s cultural stage. Alexandra was raised under both the halo of her father’s brilliance and the long shadow of his troubled mind. Reading My Father portrays the epic sweep of an American artist’s life. It is also a tale of filial love, beautifully written with humor, compassion, and grace.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
William Styron Ranks...
- By Douglas on 12-22-13
By: Alexandra Styron
-
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Ann Patchett
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,705
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,524
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,507
Blending literature and memoir, Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder and Bel Canto examines her deepest commitments: to writing, family, friends, dogs, books, and her husband in This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. Together, these essays, previously published in The Atlantic, Harper, Vogue, and The Washington Post, form a resonant portrait of a life lived with loyalty and with love.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining, engrossing, and elucidative essays
- By Bonny on 01-07-14
By: Ann Patchett
-
Draft No. 4
- On the Writing Process
- By: John McPhee
- Narrated by: John McPhee
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 248
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 208
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 209
Draft No. 4 is an elucidation of the writer's craft by a master practitioner. In a series of playful but expertly wrought essays, John McPhee shares insights he's gathered over his career and refined during his long-running course at Princeton University, where he has launched some of the most esteemed writers of several generations. McPhee offers a definitive guide to the crucial decisions regarding structure, diction, and tone that shape nonfiction pieces and presents extracts from some of his best-loved work, subjecting them to wry scrutiny.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
McPhee is the Craft
- By Darwin8u on 09-19-17
By: John McPhee
-
Mark Twain
- A Life
- By: Ron Powers
- Narrated by: Ron Powers
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 121
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 76
Mark Twain founded the American voice. His works are a living national treasury: taught, quoted, and reprinted more than those of any writer except Shakespeare. His awestruck contemporaries saw him as the representative figure of his times, and his influence has deeply flavored the 20th and 21st centuries.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Buy the Book
- By W.Denis on 10-22-05
By: Ron Powers
-
City Boy
- My Life in New York During the 1960s and '70s
- By: Edmund White
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 75
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 69
In the New York of the 1970s, in the wake of Stonewall and in the midst of economic collapse, you might find the likes of Jasper Johns and William Burroughs at the next cocktail party, and you were as likely to be caught arguing Marx at the New York City Ballet as cruising for sex in the warehouses and parked trucks along the Hudson. This is the New York that Edmund White portrays in City Boy: a place of enormous intrigue and artistic tumult.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Pretense upon pretense.
- By Shalin Desai on 06-01-15
By: Edmund White
-
Butterfly in the Typewriter
- The Tragic Life of John Kennedy Toole and the Remarkable Story of a Confederacy of Dunces
- By: Cory MacLauchlin
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
The saga of John Kennedy Toole is one of the greatest stories of American literary history. In Butterfly in the Typewriter, Cory MacLauchlin draws on scores of new interviews with friends, family, and colleagues as well as full access to the extensive Toole archive at Tulane University, capturing his upbringing in New Orleans, his years in New York City, his frenzy of writing in Puerto Rico, his return to his beloved city, and his descent into paranoia and depression.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Worth it! Good biography. Informative.
- By French Quarter on 07-09-13
By: Cory MacLauchlin
-
Daring
- My Passages - A Memoir
- By: Gail Sheehy
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
Candid, insightful, and powerful, Daring: My Passages is the story of the unconventional life of a writer who dared - to walk New York City streets with hookers and pimps to expose violent prostitution; to march with civil rights protesters in Northern Ireland as British paratroopers opened fire; to seek out Egypt's president Anwar Sadat when he was targeted for death after making peace with Israel.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyed unexpectedly
- By Corinne O'Rourke on 09-06-23
By: Gail Sheehy
-
And After the Fire
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Belfer
- Narrated by: Xe Sands, Simon Vance
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 187
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 164
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 162
In the ruins of Germany in 1945, at the end of World War II, American soldier Henry Sachs takes a souvenir, an old music manuscript, from a seemingly deserted mansion and mistakenly kills the girl who tries to stop him. In America in 2010, Henry's niece, Susanna Kessler, struggles to rebuild her life after she experiences a devastating act of violence on the streets of New York City. When Henry dies soon after, she uncovers the long-hidden music manuscript.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Very disappointing
- By Margalarg on 06-28-19
By: Lauren Belfer
-
Harry, a History
- The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon
- By: Melissa Anelli
- Narrated by: Renée Raudman
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 294
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 202
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 202
With remembrances from J. K. Rowling's editors, agents, publicists, fans, and Rowling herself, Melissa Anelli takes us on a personal journey through every aspect of the Harry Potter phenomenon - from his very first spell to his lasting impact on the way we live and dream.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Relive the magic!
- By Heather on 03-19-09
By: Melissa Anelli
-
The Voice is All
- The Lonely Victory of Jack Kerouac
- By: Joyce Johnson
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie
- Length: 16 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 24
In The Voice Is All, Joyce Johnson - coauthor of the classic memoir Door Wide Open, about her relationship with Jack Kerouac - brilliantly peels away layers of the Kerouac legend to show how, caught between two cultures and two languages, he forged a voice to contain his dualities. Looking more deeply than previous biographers into how Kerouac's French Canadian background enriched his prose and gave him a unique outsider's vision of America, she tracks his development from boyhood through the phenomenal breakthroughs of 1951 that resulted in the composition of On the Road.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Kerouac's Voice
- By Robert L. Stofel on 09-26-12
By: Joyce Johnson
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Drifters
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 35 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 260
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 233
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 230
In this triumphant best seller, renowned novelist James A. Michener unfolds a powerful and poignant drama of disenchanted youth during the Vietnam era. Against exotic backdrops, including Spain, Morocco, and Mozambique, he weaves together the heady dreams, shocking tribulations, and heartwarming bonds of six young runaways cast adrift in the world - as well as the hedonistic pursuit of drugs and pleasure that collapses all around them.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Robotic narration sucks out the life
- By Deb Mone on 10-08-15
-
The Covenant
- A Novel
- By: James A. Michener
- Narrated by: Larry McKeever
- Length: 58 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 488
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 434
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 432
James A. Michener's masterly chronicle of South Africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents, who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness. From the Java-born Van Doorn family tree springs two great branches: one nurtures lush vineyards, the other settles the interior to become the first Trekboers and Afrikaners.