The Lincoln Highway

A Read with Jenna Pick (A Novel)

De: Amor Towles

Narrado por: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

More than ONE MILLION copies sold

A TODAY Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick

A New York Times Notable Book, and Chosen by Oprah Daily, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Bill Gates and Barack Obama as a Best Book of the Year

“Wise and wildly entertaining . . . permeated with light, wit, youth.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A classic that we will read for years to come.”—Jenna Bush Hager, Read with Jenna book club

“Fantastic. Set in 1954, Towles uses the story of two brothers to show that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as we might hope.”—Bill Gates

“A real joyride . . . elegantly constructed and compulsively readable.”—NPR

The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America

In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction—to the City of New York.

Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles's third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes. “Once again, I was wowed by Towles’s writing—especially because The Lincoln Highway is so different from A Gentleman in Moscow in terms of setting, plot, and themes. Towles is not a one-trick pony. Like all the best storytellers, he has range. He takes inspiration from famous hero’s journeys, including The Iliad, The Odyssey, Hamlet, Huckleberry Finn, and Of Mice and Men. He seems to be saying that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as an interstate highway. But, he suggests, when something (or someone) tries to steer us off course, it is possible to take the wheel.”–Bill Gates

©2021 Amor Towles (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“[A] mischievous, wise and wildly entertaining novel . . . Towles goes all in on the kind of episodic, exuberant narrative haywire found in myth or Homeric epic . . . Each [character], Towles implies, is the central protagonist of an ongoing adventure that is both unique and universal . . . remarkably buoyant . . . permeated with light, wit, youth . . . Towles has snipped off a minuscule strand of existence—10 wayward days—and when we look through his lens we see that this brief interstice teems with stories, grand as legends.”—Chris Batcheldor, New York Times Book Review

“Not only is it one of the most beautifully written books I have ever picked up, it’s a story about hope, friendship and companionship in a time when we need it so much . . . Towles brilliantly captures the inner reality of each [character] with profound and poetic prose. All eight of them are incredible forces in literature . . . Amor Towles is one of those authors that I think will become a Steinbeck of our generation and [...] I think The Lincoln Highway will be a classic that we will read for years to come.”—Jenna Bush Hager, Read With Jenna book club

“Once again, I was wowed by Towles’s writing—especially because The Lincoln Highway is so different from A Gentleman in Moscow in terms of setting, plot, and themes. Towles is not a one-trick pony. Like all the best storytellers, he has range. He takes inspiration from famous hero’s journeys, including The Iliad, The Odyssey, Hamlet, Huckleberry Finn, and Of Mice and Men. He seems to be saying that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as an interstate highway. But, he suggests, when something (or someone) tries to steer us off course, it is possible to take the wheel.”—Bill Gates

Fantastic novel

I nearly skipped this read based on the many grumpy reviews, but I’m so glad my curiosity won out.
A story about flawed and fascinating humans, well narrated.

One reviewer complained about one of the boys being too well spoken to be illiterate - this reviewer lacks imagination and real life experience with kids who have had to raise themselves.

I’d rather not spoil any of the plot twists and turns, I’ll simply say that I very much enjoyed the story, even the ending which some readers may find challenging.

Thoroughly captivated!

I can’t understand the reviewers who found this book boring, for I was captivated from the beginning. I love Mr. Towles writing style and the manner in which he presents his characters. I love the subtlety by which he doesn’t spell out everything but gives the reader credit for having the ability to figure things out. Some reviewers were unhappy with the ending, but I found that it seemed satisfyingly appropriate in every respect.
I enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow, but I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Remarkable

One of the more remarkable books filled with great characters that i have enjoyed in a long time

Adore!

I adored this book so much I feel I lost something special when it was over!

Wonderful Discovery

First novel by Amor Towles I’ve read. Extraordinary story interwoven through multiple first person accounts. Comparisons to a modern Fitzgerald spot on. I’ve already started reading a print copy of his first, Rules of Civility and hope Mr. Towles will keep writing in his unique prose.

Wonderful picture of America in the 1950s

I’ve read Gentleman in Moscow and found it a great piece of literature. While this is a very different piece, it is equally great!

Great story, needs voice actor consistency.

I really enjoyed the story, voice acting was good, but the characters should have been consistently read by their own voice actors. when the narration would change, it pulled me out of the story line.

Takes a while to get into

This story really does have a slow start. When it finally gets going it becomes very engaging. However, I’m not sure why the narrator chose to make Emmett sound dull and hesitant since the story indicates that he is decisive. Billie sounds foolish when the character is wise beyond his years. And Dutchess sounds like Edward G. Robinson (more so as the story progresses) instead of a teenager. The voice of Sally is the only good reading.

Great Storytelling!

A fabulous story with rich characters. Great presentation by the readers. I'll definitely listen to this again!

mesmerizing

Towle is a masterful storyteller with engaging characters. He pulls you in making you care about them and wanting more.