Run

By: Ann Patchett

Narrated by: Peter Francis James

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

It's a winter evening in Boston and the temperature has drastically dropped as a blizzard approaches the city. On this fateful night, Bernard Doyle plans to meet his two adopted sons, Tip the older, and more serious and Teddy, the affectionate dreamer, at a Harvard auditorium to hear a speech given by Jesse Jackson. Doyle, an Irish Catholic and former Boston mayor, has done his best to keep his two sons interested in politics, from the day he and his now deceased wife became their parents, through their childhoods, and now in their lives as college students. Though the two boys are African-American, the bonds of the family's love have never been tested. But as the snow begins to fall, an accident triggers into motion a series of events that will forever change their lives.

Run is at its very center, is a novel about what truly defines family and the lengths we will go to protect our children. As she did in her best-selling novel Bel Canto, Patchett beautifully weaves together seemingly disparate lives to show how intimately humans can connect. Stunning and powerful, Run is sure to engage any Patchett fan and bring her even more admirers.

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©2007 Ann Patchett (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

" Run is a book that sets out inventively to contend with the temper of our times, and by the end we feel we really know the Doyle family in all its intensity and with all its surprises." ( Publishers Weekly)

Surprisingly good

What made the experience of listening to Run the most enjoyable?

I needed to read this for a book discussion at work. I really didn't expect to like it, because it's not the kind of book I usually enjoy. However, it turned out to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characterizations are excellent, both in the writing and in the performance. The story is enjoyable and memorable. I've got plenty of ideas for our book discussion, and a book I'll enjoy listening to more than once.

What about Peter Francis James’s performance did you like?

Mr. James' voice characterizations were excellent. I was able to easily distinguish between characters.

Couldn’t stop listening to Run

It was a moving store of acceptance and family. So we’ll written and impossible to stop listening

Novel is a six - “music” is a minus zero!

This ranks right up with BEL CANTO as one of Ann Patchett’s finest novels. It’s a thought provoking page turner. The narrator is excellent. The music at the conclusion of chapters is not. I found the insertion of the music very annoying—jarring in fact.

Interesting story, short read

I enjoyed this book but I feel like it was not finished. The narration was good. No real take-aways from my perspective. Almost seemed like an exercise in writing.

Robotic reading sucks

Do not like the robotic reading. Get real people to read. It makes the book very cold and mechanical.

Family and Politics with Heart and Values

My husband and I love to listen to Ann Patchett together. Not many books get both of us hooked, but A.P. catches us both with her character development, good sense of story and style of expression. Her use of language is simply beautiful. Run's narration threw me in the first few minutes but very quickly I realized the narrator allows the written word to carry itself until his flair is called for - and then he is brilliant again. I love it that Patchett is both a realist and someone who refuses to allow despair a permanent place. Her sense of family is whole and imperfect and hopeful. Her conveyance of politics is that it must be values based to be helpful. Somehow she conveys all this with everyday words in graceful arrangements.

A Favorite

One of my favorite audio books. Now I want to read it. Fascinating story, intriguing detail. Audio book was performed perfectly.

Top of my Ann Patchett List

Of the five books I've listened to or read by Ann Patchett, this is at the top of the list along with The Dutch House. Bel Canto and The Patron Saint of Liars are close behind. I love Ann Patchett's beautiful writing and how she develops her many different characters into a wonderful story filled with surprises. For this book, I must give Peter Francis James five stars for his narration. He gave all the characters their own voices and was so easy to listen to. He is the best of the Ann Patchett narrators.

What is family?

To me this book was about the extended family but the author said it was about politics. In any case, it is a great story written by a great author. I rate it as 5 stars. Read it!

Torn

I really enjoyed parts of this, I really disliked parts of this. But I'm mostly writing to say how horrible the inserted music was in between parts of the book. It was jarring, annoying, and complete distracting and unnecessary. Take it out if this production!