Wise Blood

By: Flannery O’Connor

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Flannery O’Connor’s astonishing and haunting first novel is a classic of 20th-century literature. It is the story of Hazel Motes, a 22-year-old caught in an unending struggle against his innate, desperate faith. He falls under the spell of a “blind” street preacher named Asa Hawks and his degenerate 15-year-old daughter.

In an ironic, malicious gesture of his own non-faith, and to prove himself a greater cynic than Hawks, Hazel founds The Church of God Without Christ but is still thwarted in his efforts to lose God. He meets Enoch Emery, a young man with “wise blood,” who leads him to a mummified holy child and whose crazy maneuvers are a manifestation of Hazel’s existential struggles.

This tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, and wisdom gives us one of the most riveting characters in American fiction.

©1990 The Estate of Mary Flannery O’Connor (P)2010 Blackstone Audio

Critic reviews

“No other major American writer of our century has constructed a fictional world so energetically and forthrightly charged by religious investigation.” ( The New Yorker)

“There is in Flannery O’Connor a fierceness of literary gesture, an angriness of observation, a facility for catching, as an animal eye in the wilderness, cunningly and at one sharp glance, the shape and detail and animal intention of enemy and foe.” ( The New York Times Book Review)

Overall, Quite Good.

I agree that Mr. Pinchot's narration is a bit more spirited than some readers would likely prefer. But I think he actually does a decent job, and the story itself is excellent. Classic Southern Gothic, from a brilliant author.

First experience with Flannery

Enjoyed this book a great deal... one of the great Catholic writers in the South...

perfect

reader is awesome!!! excellent presentation! rich story of reality and personhood and God and resisting.

Southern Gothic rubbish

This novel like the authors' others is so negative. There's a point where the ugly characters in a story make it hard to finish a book. That's the case with this wise blood. The characters are so confrontational and stereotypical you can almost hear the banjo music in the background.

Thanks Audible...

Bronson Pinchot does an excellent job of bringing this wonderful classic to life. I think Flannery O'conner would be proud of this reading. Thanks Audible. I hope you bring us more from this author.

We are all going to hell for laughing at this

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would, if they like Flannery O'Connor or Southern Gothic literature. The performance is fantastic but the story is definitely strange.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the ending because it's really dark. I enjoyed O'Connor's dark sense of humor and her ability to describe really grotesque scenes with aplomb.

What about Bronson Pinchot’s performance did you like?

He brought out every comedic line to its full potential.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh out loud more than once!

Strangely wonderful

This is my first experience of Flannery O’Connor. Although I’ve never found myself in a world of characters and situations as raw as this story, it was all so intimately real. I kept wanting to call out to Hazel or the others and tell them their choices don’t have to be filled with so much hurt and anger and loneliness. The characterization was intriguing and brought everything to life. I was impressed by how seamlessly the reading moved from character to character to narration, voices easily distinguished and activity or conflict conveyed with just the right pitch. I must admit I’m not sure how I enjoyed this story as much as I did. I’ll have to think on that a bit longer to form a true answer. The truth. Always looking for the truth. The fact that this story drew me in like it did is my testimony to my rating. This is a bittersweet tale of a man trying to discern what’s true. My answer to him is none of the versions presented to him are not true at all. He was right to discard them. But making up your own truth will simply create another lie. Did he finally let go of all the lies and find truth?

Great story.

Great story and very well read. voices are done well which makes the story even more interesting.

Excellent performance by Bronson Pinchot

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, it's an excellent first novel by a remarkable American author. The short novel lends itself to the engaging performance by Mr Pinchot

What did you like best about this story?
I thought Bronson Pinchot brought this novel to life.It's like listening to a stage production done by one man. All the characters are vividly rendered.

Which scene was your favorite?
All the scenes between Hazel and Sabbath

Strange Interesting Tale

I found the characters bizarre but fascinating. The story itself captivating. I want to read it more closely to see what different thoughts I can dig out of it. The narrator did an excellent job.