The Autobiography of Matthew Scudder

By: Lawrence Block

Narrated by: Lawrence Block, Peter Berkrot, Romy Nordlinger

Since the 1970s, Lawrence Block has been writing award-winning novels and short fiction featuring Matthew Scudder. Now, with both himself and his detective half a century older, the author found himself charged with writing a book about his protagonist.

And he decided he wasn’t the right person for the job.

Lawrence Block: “What was Matt’s family like? How did he spend his childhood? What steered him toward the NYPD, and how did he get all the way from the Police Academy to a detective’s gold shield? Who were the influences and what were the experiences that made him the man we’ve come to know? These were important questions. There were certainly stories to be told, but that didn’t mean I was the person to tell them. If Matt Scudder was to have a memoir, he ought to write it himself.”

So Block passed on the assignment to his most enduring fictional character, and the result—The Autobiography of Matthew Scudder—is a remarkable document, at once a convincing bildungsroman and the indispensable capstone of an outstanding series. Since his 1976 debut in The Sins of the Fathers, Matthew Scudder has aged in real time, so, too, remarkably enough, has his creator.

Lawrence Block turned 84 on June 24, 2022, while Mr. Scudder reached that same milestone on September 7. The Autobiography of Matthew Scudder demonstrates clearly—and irresistibly—that neither one of them has lost a step.

©2023 Lawrence Block (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Critic reviews

"This audiobook is an exciting, well-crafted fictional autobiography of Matthew Scudder, one of Lawrence Block’s most memorable characters. [...] listeners can savor Scudder’s successes while also discovering some new personalities and their roles in the books of a master storyteller."—Audiofile Magazine

Great story

Great story…
Extremely well written and performed. Lawrence Blocks best novel since SmallTown and Hit Man.

It's an Underwhelming Conclusion.

I've been a Matt Scudder and Lawrence Block fan for 25 years. I think I've read all of the Scudder series and many of Block's other books, like Evan Tanner and Bernie Rhodenbar. He's one of my favorites.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this -- which Block has said will be his final book -- was a bit disappointing. It takes you back to Matt's childhood and a little about his parents. The vast majority of the book is spent on his first few years out of the NYPD Academy and his years with Vince Mahaffey, who was only an historic character in the other Scudder novels. You find how Matt met his first wife, Anita, their courtship and how they started their family in Wysockett. There's a few lines of how the the sons, Michael and Andy turn out.

There is very little treatment of people like the Armstrong brothers or Mick Ballew. They are mentioned briefly. Matt's final compatriot in the latter novels, young CJ, is only mentioned in the final few pages where we find he's now married and lives in the suburbs.

All of that said, Lawrence Block is a wonderful writer. Now in his latter 80's he has said he has retired from writing. I hope he enjoys the final phase of his life. Mine is left poorer with the knowledge that there will be no more Block books to read!

Always wondered

This was an answer to questions about a favorite character. The author's voice is perfect.

Great conclusion to a wonderful series

I'll miss Matthew Scutter. I've listen to all the audiobooks available here and will go back to read the ones I've missed. This particular book pulls plot points and characters together and uses a very clever literary device to do it.

Reflective Memoir

Grittiness, well drawn and unexpected characters. Police life explored. Too much discussion of alcoholism tboigh