Double Fault

By: Lionel Shriver

Narrated by: Renée Raudman

Tennis has been Willy Novinsky's one love ever since she first picked up a racquet at the age of four. A middle-ranked pro at 23, she's met her match in Eric Oberdorf, a low-ranked, untested Princeton grad who also intends to make his mark on the international tennis circuit. Eric becomes Willy's first passion off the court, and eventually they marry.

But while wedded life begins well, full-tilt competition soon puts a strain on their relationship - and an unexpected accident sends driven and gifted Willy sliding irrevocably toward resentment, tragedy, and despair.

From acclaimed author Lionel Shriver comes a brilliant and unflinching novel about the devastating cost of prizing achievement over love.

©2009 Lionel Shriver (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Lionel Shriver has something new..Whether you go for tennis or not, the furious back-and-forth of the game in Double Fault can hypnotize you..Shriver brings an insider's knowledge and a truly athletic prose to her descriptions of what happens on the court." (New York Newsday)
"A brilliant tale of doomed love..This is not a novel about tennis or rivalry; it's about love, marriage and the balance of power in relationships....Double Fault is a compelling and playfully ironic take on the sex wars, blistering with.brilliant writing and caustic language." (The Observer, London)

"The narration by soap-opera actress Renée Raudman brings an air of theatricality.... Fans of the genre will be giddy with delight." (Publishers Weekly)

Nine hours of arguing

If you like listening to people fight, then this one's for you. I've liked exactly two of the books I've read by Lionel Shriver - We Need To Do Something About Kevin" and "So Much For That". The others? Not so much. What's wrong with this writer, how can the quality of writing and storytelling vary so much?

This book is a nearly-constant battle between the two principal characters. If you like the animosity and negative energy released in an argument, you will enjoy this. Otherwise, give it a pass, or a score of "love" - not.

Audio Appalling

We tried to listen to this book my on a long road journey (having just completed another Audible book). We were unable to listen to the book because the voice performance was so indistinct that we were missing words from sentences and some sentences. The accent trailed away on the final syllables of words. A most frustrating and irritating experience and a total waste of money
Cheryl Carter