The Drifters

By: James A. Michener

Narrated by: Larry McKeever

Length: 35 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this triumphant best seller, renowned novelist James A. Michener unfolds a powerful and poignant drama of disenchanted youth during the Vietnam era. Against exotic backdrops, including Spain, Morocco, and Mozambique, he weaves together the heady dreams, shocking tribulations, and heartwarming bonds of six young runaways cast adrift in the world - as well as the hedonistic pursuit of drugs and pleasure that collapses all around them. With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the private world of these unforgettable characters, exposing their innermost desires with remarkable candor and infinite compassion.

©1971, 2014 James A. Michener (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"A blockbuster of a book... full of surprise, drama, and fascination." ( Philadelphia Bulletin)
"Rings with authentic detail and clearly descriptive sights and smells... The Drifters is to the generation gap what The Source was to Israel." ( Publishers Weekly)
"[The Drifters] conveys a sense of a new time, a new generation." ( Chicago Sun-Times)

Robotic narration sucks out the life

What disappointed you about The Drifters?

The robotic narrator somehow managed to suck all the life and romance out of this Michener masterpiece. If there is any literary justice in this world, somebody at Audible will junk this recording and record it all again with a new narrator.

How could the performance have been better?

Any other narrator would have done a better job. This guy is terrible. At times I'm not sure whether the narrator is a human or a computer. And he reads too slow. I tried speeding up the playback, but that just made his robotic intonations sound worse.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment that after waiting so long for Michener to be available, the performance could be so bad.

Any additional comments?

Please, please, please junk this recording and produce a new recording with a new narrator.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Narrator like a robot

What did you like best about The Drifters? What did you like least?

Interesting but not Michener's best.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Narrator slow, toneless, like a robot. Didn't make it interesting.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Drifters

Great story. As per most Michener books a great historical novel of tragic era of losses to war, drugs and sadness.
The reader is very poor. Got better as the story matured. I almost gave up on the beginning due to choppy word pronunciation almost as bad as computer reading. Liked the book. Never want to hear that reader again.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

My Least Favorite Michener Book.

What disappointed you about The Drifters?

The story line and characters.

What was most disappointing about James A. Michener’s story?

Uninteresting

Have you listened to any of Larry McKeever’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have no problem whatsoever with Larry's performance. He is NOT the problem

What character would you cut from The Drifters?

All of them

Any additional comments?

If this had been my first Michener book, it would have been my last.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great story and we'll written

I loved the story as well as the narration. I believe most people will find the story excellent and enjoyable to follow.

I originally read this book when I was 16

I originally read this book when I was 16 years old and dreamed of traveling as they did. I never got to do much traveling and now at age 59 it's too late and too expensive so I do my traveling in my, and Mr Michener makes it so easy to do with his words

I love Michener

So happy these are now on audible
I will listen to all of them!! Hoorays

Stands the test of time

I recently listened to this book which impressed me over 40 years ago when I first read it. It's surprising how much Michener got right in his predictions about the future of our society. Also surprising, was how I responded to the more politically incorrect word use found in sections of the book. Culture does shape us.

Narrator Ruins Great Story

I love this book and story and have read it myself a couple of times. But it hurts me to hear this stiff, stilted and altogether uninteresting rendition of it by this narrator. Please hire someone else to deliver this wonder story.

Interesting reflections on a turbulent time.

This was a look at an eclectic group of travelers experiencing Europe and Africa in the early 70's. Half of the group were privileged trust fund young adults, with back stories that reflected the angst of the generation, including two who were running away from the Vietnam war draft. These characters were determined to not live like their parents as they rebelled by embracing the free love and drug culture. The central narrator was an established older gentleman who connected with each person through past and current roles in their lives. Several spiraled into emotional and physical peril, while others learned what they needed to thrive.