-
Fishbowl
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Anxious People
- A Novel
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything.
-
-
Read. This. Now.
- By DIY Sammy on 09-09-20
By: Fredrik Backman
-
A Nearly Normal Family
- By: M. T. Edvardsson, Rachel Wilson-Broyles - translator
- Narrated by: Emily Watson, Georgia Maguire, Richard Armitage
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost 15 years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?
-
-
Interesting storytelling
- By Jenn on 07-02-19
By: M. T. Edvardsson, and others
-
All Creatures Great and Small
- The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor
- By: James Herriot
- Narrated by: Christopher Timothy
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this first volume of his memoirs, then-newly-qualified vet James Herriot arrives in the small Yorkshire village of Darrowby, and he has no idea what to expect. How will he get on with his new boss? The local farmers? And what will the animals think? This program is filled with hilarious and touching tales of the unpredictable Siegfried Farnon, his charming student brother Tristan, and Herriot's first encounters with a beautiful girl named Helen.
-
-
A Wonderful Listen--Stories That Never Get Old
- By Sara on 09-10-14
By: James Herriot
-
The Night Watchman
- By: Louise Erdrich
- Narrated by: Louise Erdrich
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Melanie on 03-09-20
By: Louise Erdrich
-
An American Bride in Kabul
- By: Phyllis Chesler PhD
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few westerners will ever be able to understand Muslim or Afghan society unless they are part of a Muslim family. Twenty years old and in love, Phyllis Chesler, a Jewish-American girl from Brooklyn, embarked on an adventure that has lasted for more than a half-century. Drawing upon her personal diaries, Chesler recounts her ordeal, the nature of gender apartheid - and her longing to explore this beautiful, ancient, and exotic country and culture.
-
-
An Exceptional Book
- By Elaine Fresco on 04-16-19
-
Five Feet Apart
- By: Rachael Lippincott
- Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Corey Brill
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stella Grant likes to be in control - even though her totally out-of-control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions. The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from.
-
-
Love the Story. Hate the Narration.
- By Toree Friedrich on 04-15-19
-
Anxious People
- A Novel
- By: Fredrik Backman
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything.
-
-
Read. This. Now.
- By DIY Sammy on 09-09-20
By: Fredrik Backman
-
A Nearly Normal Family
- By: M. T. Edvardsson, Rachel Wilson-Broyles - translator
- Narrated by: Emily Watson, Georgia Maguire, Richard Armitage
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost 15 years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him?
-
-
Interesting storytelling
- By Jenn on 07-02-19
By: M. T. Edvardsson, and others
-
All Creatures Great and Small
- The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor
- By: James Herriot
- Narrated by: Christopher Timothy
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this first volume of his memoirs, then-newly-qualified vet James Herriot arrives in the small Yorkshire village of Darrowby, and he has no idea what to expect. How will he get on with his new boss? The local farmers? And what will the animals think? This program is filled with hilarious and touching tales of the unpredictable Siegfried Farnon, his charming student brother Tristan, and Herriot's first encounters with a beautiful girl named Helen.
-
-
A Wonderful Listen--Stories That Never Get Old
- By Sara on 09-10-14
By: James Herriot
-
The Night Watchman
- By: Louise Erdrich
- Narrated by: Louise Erdrich
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Melanie on 03-09-20
By: Louise Erdrich
-
An American Bride in Kabul
- By: Phyllis Chesler PhD
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few westerners will ever be able to understand Muslim or Afghan society unless they are part of a Muslim family. Twenty years old and in love, Phyllis Chesler, a Jewish-American girl from Brooklyn, embarked on an adventure that has lasted for more than a half-century. Drawing upon her personal diaries, Chesler recounts her ordeal, the nature of gender apartheid - and her longing to explore this beautiful, ancient, and exotic country and culture.
-
-
An Exceptional Book
- By Elaine Fresco on 04-16-19
-
Five Feet Apart
- By: Rachael Lippincott
- Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Corey Brill
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stella Grant likes to be in control - even though her totally out-of-control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions. The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from.
-
-
Love the Story. Hate the Narration.
- By Toree Friedrich on 04-15-19
Publisher's Summary
A goldfish named Ian is falling from the 27th-floor balcony on which his fishbowl sits. He's longed for adventure, so when the opportunity arises, he escapes from his bowl, clears the balcony railing and finds himself airborne. Plummeting toward the street below, Ian witnesses the lives of the Seville on Roxy residents. There's the handsome grad student, his girlfriend, and the other woman; the construction worker who feels trapped by a secret; the building's super who feels invisible and alone; the pregnant woman on bed rest who craves a forbidden ice cream sandwich; the shut-in for whom dirty talk, and quiche, are a way of life; and home-schooled Herman, a boy who thinks he can travel through time.
Though they share time and space, they have something even more important in common: each faces a decision that will affect the course of their lives. Within the walls of the Seville are stories of love, new life, and death, of facing the ugly truth of who one has been and the beautiful truth of who one can become. Sometimes taking a risk is the only way to move forward with our lives. As Ian the goldfish knows, "An entire life devoted to a fishbowl will make one die an old fish with not one adventure had." Bradley Somer's Fishbowl is at turns funny and heartbreaking and you will, no doubt, fall in love with his unforgettable characters.
What listeners say about Fishbowl
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Elizabeth
- 12-05-16
What a Nice Surprise
Lovely book about multiple people living in an apartment building - each with their own stories. So glad I didn't let it pass me by. About life.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pete
- 02-28-16
STELLAR PERFORMANCE + MAGICAL TALE = VIRTUAL JOY!
If you could sum up Fishbowl in three words, what would they be?
LYRICAL
LIFE-AFFIRMING (counts as one)
JOYOUS
What did you like best about this story?
In some way it is reminiscent of Salmon Rushdie's "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" only the magic comes from the simplest everyday things. I think the format itself creates that magic, the wildly imaginative notion of an entire book taking place in the span of time it takes for a goldfish to fall from the 27th floor of a building to the ground below.
This book reads like a slice of life but because of all the lives that intertwine, it's more like the whole pie. I don't want to give anything away but real time is repeated over and over from a variety of perspectives. This works on many levels and allows the narrator to remain somewhat omniscient and yet able telescope in almost on the cellular level when called for.
The narrator is brilliant at this. Spinning a yarn from a great distance and yet walking, crawling and gliding alongside the people we meet, he's like a friendly presence throughout. The result is the feeling that the story is being told to the listener in an intimate setting, as if anyone else who wants to hear the story would have to wait in line.
Have you listened to any of Peter Berkrot’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. Quite a lot of them actually. He's seems to be an especially gifted actor because he gets inside the minds of the characters' and breathes individual and specific life into each of them. He can be very funny and very chilling. In this book he uncovers all the clues provided by a wonderful writer to take us on a fairy tale kind of journey and make us feel like we are right there with him.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
YES! Without giving too much away, there is a wonderful scene in which someone is giving birth and the exchange between the characters is priceless. The way the scene culminates is quite moving.
Any additional comments?
I think I've said enough. : ) MORE BY THIS AUTHOR AND NARRATOR PLEASE. : )))
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sharey
- 11-26-16
Excellent. Loved it!
I loved everything about this well-written book and the narration was an ideal match. If you are searching for a creative, intelligent, enjoyable read, this is it. The first and last chapters were particularly exquisite--excepting the classics, rare is the modern novel that exhibits writing in such fine form. THIS is storytelling and narration at their best. Kudos to the author and narrator!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fabrikator
- 07-26-16
Book so good, it'll make you want to slap yo momma
Wow..this book? THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE..this is THE book. If I was stuck on a desert island... why is it always a desert island anyways?, why not a tropical island?. Does a desert island even exist? I digress, this book would be my Wilson, after I was done reading it (errr.. listening to it) I would talk to it, play chess against it, caress it close on those long island nights, make sweet love to it. The author seems like the kinda guy who would be awesome to hang out with and have a beer, or maybe watch a mad max flick and eat nachos. The narration, while not Wil Wheaton, was still very good, but I do think Wil Wheaton would have done a better job. I can't wait for a movie to come out based on this book and all I can hope for is Samuel L. Jackson as the fish. "I'm Fallin Mutha$#©k@!!"
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chwisty Bawwett
- 12-16-16
Cute and awkward
This wasn't for me. The telling and reselling from different perspectives got old, in my opinion. I understand the premise, and I appreciate the way the story was told, but it got tiresome. A good story with an abundantly wide variety of EXTREME characters. The fish was the best part... he and his 4 second descent.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marta
- 12-07-16
What a fun story about life
I loved this book. Took me a few minutes to get it and what's happening but ended up listening to it start to finish in 2 days, even while shopping. The entangled life stories of the characters was so neat and well described. And all with the fish too! I loved it!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lori
- 11-29-16
Almost perfect!
How could I not listen to a book about a fish falling from the 27th floor of an apartment building?? The chapters each start out with the Pooh-style, "In which (something happens)". I loved that. And oh - some of the little observances about Ian being a fish and finding himself in the predicament of no longer being in water! They made me laugh. The stories of the inhabitants in the building were "unputdownable" or in this case, I couldn't stop listening! It made a grueling day sitting in immigration be almost enjoyable, as I had nothing else to do, so no distractions from this unique story. Of course, all along, I'm wondering what's going to happen to Ian the fish, but also, in such a short time, I was all wrapped up in all of the characters and their sad, funny, poignant, hopeful stories. There was some unnecessary repetition in hearing the stories from two points of view at times, but it worked. And as for Ian...well, it was totally worth the ending, even if I hadn't liked all the in-between. But I did, so all around a fun listen!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Not so hip Hoppers
- 09-13-17
Ugh!
I hate to write a negative review, but this book calls for it. Perhaps it's just a matter of taste anyway. This book and the performance were an endurance challenge for me. The characters are shallow and the timeline took half the book to become comprehensible. I kept thinking I was supposed to find these characters quirky and compelling, but I found them boring. I'd rather revisit any number of genuinely good books in my library.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Charles
- 12-19-16
Excellent! Excellent! Excelent!
A very deep look into the human experience! A thinking persons book for sure. Well written, fast moving, and entertaining. I love it and hope that we get
to read more about Ian's future experiences.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- staci
- 12-06-16
Funny, witty, and all-in-all great
Story was different then any other type of book I have read. Throughly enjoyed the story of all the characters.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- ANIL JOSHI
- 07-27-20
Very Quirky
This book came recommended. and fullfiled all expectations and more. I would recommend it .
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr. Lm De Assumpcao
- 12-22-15
A web of ordinary yet unique stories
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Definitely recomment it. Easy read, funny, real, well written
Any additional comments?
Ordianry characters that transform the mere ordinary life into something unique, worth living and taking each experience as a pinnacle, a new starting point. 10/10
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jess
- 09-09-16
didnt enjoy it much, stuggled
the story was to fragmented, if you like stories with multiple perspectives then this is a perfect book for you.