Chronicles

Volume One

By: Bob Dylan

Narrated by: Sean Penn

Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Bob Dylan's Chronicles: Volume One explores the critical junctions in his life and career. Through Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities: smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times.

Revealing, poetical, passionate and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan's thoughts and influences. Dylan's voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful, and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art.

©2004 Bob Dylan (P)2004 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Biography/Memoir, 2005
• 2005 Quill Award Nominee
• Grammy Award Nominee, Best Spoken Word Album, 2005

"Volume 1 of Dylan's memoirs was pretty cool to begin with. But to have it read by Sean Penn on audio takes it to a new level: the most talented songwriter of all time as performed by the most talented actor of his generation. Mr. Penn clearly has a blast inhabiting the role and navigating Dylan's jagged, impressionistic prose." (The New York Times)

Beautiful to read

I think Sean Penn is doing a vague Dylan impression throughout and it isn't perfect but sounds awesome.

The language itself is extremely satisfying. it's really like reading a book version of one of Dylan's albums.

From Master Minstrel of our Time

Narrated by Sean Penn, who might be Mr. Dylan's alter ego, so burningly subtly passionate, he weaves a story that is engaging and historical, sharing anecdotes and tidbits that afford insight into the man, his roots, his mind and spirit. Pictures of vivid textures capture moments in time in the formation and creative process of pivotal music that turned the industry and the listeners onto fresh directions and influenced a planet and generations, imbuing healing and entertainment, deep meaning and intimate personal enjoyment. It jumps around a bit, Part One promises that future installments will be worthwhile and tasty, earthy and gritty good.

Loved It

I am a mild Dylan-obsessive. I love listening to Chronicles. Sean Penn, much to my surprise, was a GREAT reader. No schtick, no nonsense. He read the book really well. All I heard was Dylan.

Brilliant

After Dylon got the Nobel Prize I was always wondering what his writing look like. That's how I got to Chronicles. Have completely new understanding of Bob's creativity. The performance was the best I've ever heard!

The GOAT

Praying for volume II Dylan is the Master...and serves some deep insights into his craft!

If you enjoy Dylan, You'll love Chronicles

I first saw Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival in the summer of 1963 and have followed his songs and career with great interest. May be hard to believe but the book is easy listening and superbly read by Sean Penn. You begin to understand the many levels of music, both creating and performing, and the man behind it.

I can?t wait until we get ?Volume Two?.

very Dylanesque

If you want to know Bob Dylan, if you've seen Don't Look Back but felt that it scratched the surface and you wanted more, if you want to see how Mr. Dylan saw his relationship to the folk scene, his roots, the milieu that the artist tapped into for creative inspiration and how he responded to it, check out Chronicles Volume 1. It's at one time, a fluid, lucid account, written in as imaginative a style as his most dreamlike work, which may not appeal to some, and at the same time, a disparate journey through the mind of the artist. Almost as much can be learned about him by how he says it, as by what he says. A candid account that strikes a questioning note when you think about the paths he took to get where he wanted to go, and the alternate routes he needed to take to avoid those paths that others wanted him to take and be who others wanted him to be. Do Moon River and polkas really provide the inspiration he says? Or is he still creating that alternate Him, still hiding out? A Dylanesque look into the source of his imagery, fortitude, passion. While I'm not clamoring for the Old Him, I happen to be one of those fans that never made the transition to Mr. Dylan's later works, post John Wesley Harding, but when Volume 2 comes out, it will be high on my list.

BRILLIANT, intimate, spellbinding

So good. And so good to finally have the curtains pulled back by the Great Enigma himself. CAVEAT: I was bummed to hear during the end credits that this version is abridged… Why oh why? A criminal offense!

Leaves You Wanting More

Really enjoyed Volume One. Looking forward to Volume Two. Sean Penn does a great job of narration. Dylan's descriptions of his early days in New York City are enlightening as are the insights into the national treasure himself.

Super surprised

This auto biography of bob Dylan surprised me. i throughly enjoy being constantly surprised. thanks Bob!