Being There

By: Jerzy Kosinski

Narrated by: Dustin Hoffman

Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Audie Award Nominee, Best Solo Narration, 2013

Jerzy Kosinski’s clever parable of a naive man thrust into the modern world is more pointed now than ever. Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man, The Graduate), perhaps best known for his portrayals of vulnerable characters and antiheroes, gives an understated and exemplary performance of this satiric look at the unreality of American media culture.

Chance, the enigmatic gardener, becomes Chauncey Gardiner after getting hit by a limo belonging to a Wall Street tycoon. The whirlwind that follows brings Chance to his new status of political policy advisor and possible vice presidential candidate. His garden-variety political responses, inspired by television, become heralded as visionary, and he is soon a media icon due to his unknown background and vague, yet appealing, conversational nature. Being There was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, starring Peter Sellers as Chance, in 1979.

Explore more titles performed by some of the most celebrated actors in the business in Audible’s Star-Powered Listens collection.

©1971 Jerzy Kosinski (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Dustin Hoffman's performance of this spare and provocative novel is a revelation. The story is surreal (though certainly not difficult and certainly highly amusing); to deliver it, what is needed is not pacing or vocal pyrotechnics but a thorough, thoughtful understanding of the text and the restraint to perform only exactly what is there." (AudioFile)

A Simple Man In A Complex World

This is the story of how Chance, a simple person who just wants to tend his garden, becomes viewed very differently by many people. Once the media became involved, Chance is viewed as a sex symbol, a scholar of Russian literature, a brave person who admits he doesn't read the NY Times or any other paper, and a financier. This has all transpired just because Chance is bring himself: a gardener who hasn't left home before now and who cannot read and write; his view of the outside world comes from what he sees on TV.

I would have liked more about his back story; although you can guess as to who his father is, it is never actually stated. I liked the ending; to me, it showed that no matter what happened around him, Chance is still himself: the man who finds peace in his garden.

Not as good as the movie

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

Maybe to a fan of Dustin Hoffman, or of the movie.

Any additional comments?

Sometimes I think it's sacrilege to suggest to literary types that a book is inferior to the movie adaptation, but every now and then it's true. It's true here.

Perfect

Dustin Hoffman is a great choice to read this charming novel, and he brings a subtle grace to the task. Easily the best audiobook I've ever lite listened to.

Strange and interesting story. I liked it!

If you could sum up Being There in three words, what would they be?

Missing the obvious!

What about Dustin Hoffman’s performance did you like?

He did a good job of representing the main character. You could envision the character's physical look based on the voice Hoffman used.

If you could rename Being There, what would you call it?

News media and elected officials, a partnership that deserves each other.

Doesn't get any better...

Loved the old movie with Peter O'Toole. Very quirky and original. Of course, the book is even better and to be read by Dustin Hoffman? Sublime!

Don't Listen While Driving

My title for the review is a bit of a joke and probably applies only to me. I found this listen very good for dozing off.

Like almost everyone else, I adore and respect the actor Dustin Hoffman. Here, though, he (or the director) made what seemed to me an odd choice. He read the entire book as one would a gentle fairytale. I understand the choice for this particular tale, but I don't agree with it. In an adult book of this length with mature scenes, it didn't work. I wished for variation in the tone.

It's not a particularly gripping story anyway, and my mind wandered. Hoffman's beautiful voice remained soothing and gentle throughout, no matter the scene.

Very very relaxing, perfect for a bedtime story.

Pretty amazing short story.

I'd seen this movie quite a long time ago and loved Peter Sellers performance. I took a chance on listening to this sort story that the movie was based on and was very pleased with the story. Dustin Hoffman's performance was excellent and kept me entertained throughout the story.

Quite a Performance

Quite a performance delivered by both the Author and by Mr Hoffman. Most of us have been witness to the sensational rendering of Peter Sellers, but I would invite all to judge whether the original writing may even surpass. Highly recommend.

Darkly witty

Thoughtful and witty, but also dark. Although this was written in the early 1970's, it felt quite timely. Dustin Hoffman was a perfect narrator. I actually liked his interpretation of Chance more than Peter Sellers' in the movie version.

Timeless!

The movie was so good I'd never considered reading this until Audible offered it as a promo. It's well worth a credit or buying.
The writing is rich and honed and Hoffman's restrained yet emotive voice is perfect for the narration.
The book is so much better than the film adaptation (I know this is usually the case, but it was a great movie). I highly recommend BEING THERE and have already re-listened to it and will continue to do so for the writing and carefully observed story.