Where'd You Go, Bernadette

A Novel

By: Maria Semple

Narrated by: Kathleen Wilhoite

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle - and people in general - has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence - creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

©2012 Maria Semple (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Enjoyed the story but performance was too animated

Story kept me entertained throughout.
The narrator was good at voices but her inflection was too stressed throughout and her volume varied too much. I had too turn it down very low.

Don’t bother

A friend of mine recommended it and loved it.
I don’t get it. Not really clever, not really funny, and the narrator was annoying. I stuck with it solely on the basis of my friend’s recommendation, thinking it had to get better. It did, about 3 hours before the end, but the last chapter was anticlimactic and back to its full standard.

A good story, well told.

Would you listen to Where'd You Go, Bernadette again? Why?

I would listen to this story again. There are characters that are at first unlikable. No, better yet, unliked by the main characters. As we get to know them better, they become more sympathetic. I would enjoy listening to these characters as they are introduced to the story again, so that I could hear them them in this new light.
I also enjoyed this narrator in particular. I would seek her out, it I didn't have a book in mind. She does a great job with a wide range of voices, including a overwrought teenager and a pushy neighbor.

What other book might you compare Where'd You Go, Bernadette to and why?

This is hard to say. It's such a refreshing story. About, Mothers, daughters. Empty nests and so much more I am finding hard to compare to another book that would still maintain it's funny light touch on some heavy topics.

Which scene was your favorite?

The description of the icebergs.

If you could rename Where'd You Go, Bernadette, what would you call it?

I wouldn't. It's perfect.

Any additional comments?

I truly enjoyed this book on every level.

What a joy !

I just finished listening to this book and it was completely entertaining!! The story was well written and the narration was incredible.. Kathleen Wilhoite is now a favorite narrator and I will seek any other books read by her. The story was light, moved at a good pace but well researched and actually taught me things. High praise for this book.

Joyful Mysterious Romp

Kathleen Wilhoite could not have done a better job with this book--she is delightful, and brings every character to life. Part mystery, part comedy, all fun. It took a little while to get into the format, which switches back and forth between letters, e-mails, and narration, but it is so worth the trip, and so fun. Well done on all fronts!

Silly, Smart and Sweet

If you've already read the Publisher's Summary, you should have a pretty good idea what this book is about. The plot is highly character driven, and while the main characters felt a little caricature-ized at times, overall I found them to be realistically flawed and wonderfully likeable. The story itself is touching, funny, absurd, and clever. Without giving anything away, trust me when I say that the billboard incident alone makes this an enjoyable listen.

Like some of the other reviewers, I initially struggled to like this narrator, who seemed to add an exclamation mark to the end of each sentence. Ultimately, though, I think her earnest, over-the-top exuberance captured the spirit of this book perfectly. Highly recommend. [Insert enthusiastic exclamation mark here.]

SO DIFFERENT !!

This is such an unusual book (at least for me ) that 2 hours in I wasn't sure I was going to continue but I did, and I'm glad. It waa weird, energetic, very twisty, and last but not least... cute

Good but not great

It was a good book and all but the story got kinda blah toward the end. The story became outlandish as we finally discover where Bernadette has actually gone. It wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it be and the excitement I usually feel as a story reached its peak felt unwarranted after all. I don’t get the big hype. Narrator was good and I don’t necessarily regret spending my credit on this one but it didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Fun Read! May not be for men.

Where does Where'd You Go, Bernadette rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Loved this book! It was very different then most books i read but thought it was really interesting and fun.

One of the best narrators I've heard on Audible!

Clever and interesting plot with some unpredictable twists and turns. I adore the character of Bee. This book should be listened to; from the voicing of the characters to the singing it is one of the best books narration-wise I've listened to recently.