The Museum of Extraordinary Things

A Novel

De: Alice Hoffman

Narrado por: Judith Light, Grace Gummer, Zach Appelman

Duración: 12 h y 18 m

Resumen del Editor

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

Captivating historical fiction+Hoffman interview!

Alice Hoffman was my first author crush. The woman who turned me on to Hoffman's novels owned a funky eclectic bookstore where I'd have coffee and book chat whenever I could. With bated breath we'd wait for each new Alice Hoffman book, each one a gem.

Hoffman's world is a dreamy, swim through enchanting, eerie and magical adventures with female and male underdogs conquering all obstacles in life and love. The Museum of Extraordinary Things, once you dive in, holds you as a willing captive, swimming effortlessly through the story, in which you learn, in the most intimate way, about two, otherwise obscure, events in NYC history, through the eyes of the victims and their families. Hoffman is an excellent and thorough researcher, and blends the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and Dreamland fires of 1911 seamlessly into her always mesmerizing plots and characters. Her ventures into historical fiction, totally impress me, and this is her very best effort in this genre.

Vividly brought to life are the workers' struggles of the 1900's, and mistreatment and arbitrary abuse to women, minorities and immigrants. Sadly, it all echoes many of the same problems with which we struggle today.

Well done Alice Hoffman! A loyal fan I remain. Thus, so delighted was I to surprisingly find a fascinating conversation between Alice Hoffman and narrator Judith Light come on following the completion of The Museum of Extraordinary Things. Such a wonderful cure for that odd, black hole in which one finds oneself after finishing a long, really good book. The two discussed the novel, their lives, their passions, their methods, and so much more. Very, very satisfying, particularly after such an excellent read!

Great History

Excellent history-based fiction about New York City, Coney Island, and how terrible women and children were treated in the early 1900s. Alice Hoffman does an outstanding job of bringing multiple characters to life. My grandmother and mother worked for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) in the 1950-60's, so the references to working conditions fifty years earlier was extremely interesting and horrifying.

Fabulous

Fabulous . Learned some history of NYC From 1911 in a fascinating story. Different from any others I have read.

Extraordinary!

It has history, intrigue, mystery, romance, magic and a wonderful way of telling stories. The way it's told is what I enjoyed the most two protagonists and one narrator that keeps things moving along. If you enjoy or are in the mood for something really different, pick up this listen.

Nice Listen

I loved the history in this novel. The story was entertaining and definitely evoked my emotions. It was not, however, one of those "just can't stop listening" audiobooks.

Interesting story, horrible performance

What did you love best about The Museum of Extraordinary Things?

I loved that the author was able to delve into the personal and intimate stories of charcters living through two actual historical events. Ms. Hoffman's writing urged the reader to continue following the path of the story as she unveiled it bit by bit.

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

It reminded me a bit of Water for Elephants

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

No. Judith Light, while a wonderful actress, was a horrible narrator! I was excited to see that it was her narrating when I purchased the book, but my excitement quickly faded. Many of the passages were read so quickly that I had to rewind and listen again to understand the words she was saying. Additionally, when she read quotations from characters,mher voice became incredibly robotic in a very strange way.

This book was a beautiful experience

This book was chosen by my book club as our read for the month. With a full calendar, I decided to "read" this book in audio as a way to squeeze it into my hectic schedule. I was very nearly dissuaded by negative reviews of Judith Light's performance. I am so glad I shrugged my shoulders and went for it. The writing is beautiful - this is my first experience with Alice Hoffman, but it will not be my last. I don't know what the negative reviewers were talking about with Ms. Light's performance. I thought her voice and intonation was perfect for the story. Loved everything about this audio book from beginning to end.

Really interesting ideas!

The premise for this book is fascinating -- great time period and setting. The characters are mysterious and interesting, but the story arc is ultimately little disappointing, and things end a little too quickly and a little too neatly for the richness of the first 3/4 of the book.

great history and characters.

The readers were wonderful and kept pace. I enjoyed the complexity and historical relationships or relevance. Alice Hoffman talked at the end with one of the actresses.

I loved the three reader presentation!

They served the story - the pain, confusion, fear, hope - well. It's not my favorite Hoffman novel, but it is deeply felt and compelling.