House of Prayer No. 2

A Writer’s Journey Home

By: Mark Richard

Narrated by: Mark Richard

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning author Mark Richard delivers a fascinating and unique memoir. Born in the South with deformed hips, Richard was tagged a “special” child. Nothing was expected of him. But as a young man, he decided to strike out and experience as much of our strange world as he possibly could.

©2011 Mark Richard (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“No one writes like him. His prose style is both hammerblow and shrapnel. He has written the book of his life.” (Pat Conroy)

“Deploying the second person in a memoir, as Mark Richard does in the entrancing House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer’s Journey Home, is like dropping an atomic bomb. Richard’s prose is gorgeous - and hits with a force that sometimes stuns.... His propulsive prose makes House of Prayer No. 2 a surprising page turner.... Where other memoirists - evangelical and/or literary - just bluff and brag, he makes art.” ( The Christian Science Monitor)

Author-Read Not Always Best Choice

Usually an audiobook read by the author adds extra authenticity and intensity to the audio experience. For this book, however, the unabridged reading by Mark Richard (which was generally in a monotone and flat voice) left me conflicted. I was alternately intrigued by the memoir despite Richard's reading style and distracted by his lack of inflection. The writing itself is good, to the point, and hits you over the head with its directness. Richard's life is fascinating and inspiring and his attitude in the face of such adversity is unapologetic and admirable. At times I longed for further development of concepts and events but was left only with sparse prose. I was also caught off guard to some extent by the use of second person narration which seems particularly strange given that the audiobook was being read by the author. It just seemed an odd choice and it stripped away some of the emotional connection to the author which may have been exactly what Mark Richard was hoping to achieve.

Conflicted Listen

Usually an audiobook read by the author adds extra authenticity and intensity to the audio experience. For this book, however, the unabridged reading by Mark Richard (which was generally in a monotone and flat voice) left me conflicted. I was alternately intrigued by the memoir despite Richard's reading style and distracted by his lack of inflection. The writing itself is good, to the point, and hits you over the head with its directness. Richard's life is fascinating and inspiring and his attitude in the face of such adversity is unapologetic and admirable. At times I longed for further development of concepts and events but was left only with sparse prose. I was also caught off guard to some extent by the use of second person narration which seems particularly strange given that the audiobook was being read by the author. It just seemed an odd choice and it stripped away some of the emotional connection to the author which may have been exactly what Mark Richard was hoping to achieve.

Portrait of a Virginian Artist

I had no idea where this book was going. Then the ending...Do yourself a favor and read this book. Such an authentic and honest author. Really refreshing.