Heather, the Totality

By: Matthew Weiner

Narrated by: Matthew Weiner

Length: 2 hrs

Publisher's summary

A collision course between a privileged family and a dangerous young man, Heather, the Totality is a chilling debut novel by the creator of Mad Men, Matthew Weiner.

©2017 Matthew Weiner (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"I cringed and shuddered my way through this short, daring novel to its terrible inevitable end. Each neat, measured paragraph carpaccios its characters to get to the book's heart - one of Boschian self-cannibalizing isolation. A stunning novel. Heather, The Totality blew me away." (Nick Cave)

" Heather, the Totality gripped me at once and had me spellbound. It was partly the absolute certainty of the world he was describing, the sense that beyond these brilliantly chosen details there was a wealth of similarly truthful social and psychological perception unstated. And partly the slightly fastidious form, the sound of a voice a hair's breadth away from affectation, but so firmly where it was that there was no question of turning away and not hearing what was going to come next. Then there was the ice-cold mercilessness, of a kind that reminded me (oddly, I suppose, but there it was) of Evelyn Waugh." (Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials)

zippy, fast moving story

Quick read. unusually short novel at at 144 pages I believe. The plot moves quickly and one gets a true understanding of the characters despite the novels brief length. I would have liked more, which I suppose is a good thing. The ending works quite well but it felt just a bit rushed or that we should stay with the characters longer. It isn't surprising that the writer writes for television as that comes through in the pacing. While the author is not the absolute best voice I've heard on audible, he was very giid. Overall, a very satisfying read.

Captivating from beginning to end

While this story is brief, the character development is incredibly robust and captivating. The writing reminds me of Murakami - the method of story telling is both intense and unique. Throughout the book, you are acquainted with characters in such an intimate way that the novel seems to bring new insight to human behavior. The story itself is completely immersive and really terrifying at times. I would recommend this to anyone who is drawn to character driven stories and appreciates wonderful writing.

A true legend is born!

Could have written by one of Weiner's heroes. It just that good! ❤️ Legendary stuff already.

Short but intense and entertaining,

What did you like best about this story?

I love and hate that it was so short. But many times we read books that are too long and too wordy. This book was entertaining from beginning to end and doesn't waste time on pointless tangents.

What about Matthew Weiner’s performance did you like?

I love when an author narrates their books because it really gets the point across. Not all authors can bring their story to life but this one hits the mark!

Wish he’d do a short story collection

I adored Mad Men and would read anything Matthew Weiner wrote. This is nothing like Mad Men, but much like an episode of Mad Men, it’s a compact and compelling story well told. Maybe better suited to a short story collection, but I’ll take whatever I can get. Though I’d have been happy to spend more time with the characters, I value economy in storytelling.

A voice actor might’ve given a “better” performance, but I appreciate the intimacy of an author narrating his/her own work. In this case, being such a fan, it felt like a private reading.

Great story

Very absorbing. Definitely listen to this book. Characters are great. Ending is surprising but inevitable.Love it.

Engaging but undeveloped and abrupt

An engaging short story that seems to end just as the characters are being developed and are becoming interesting. Disappointed.

A movie treatment, not a novel

A very short novel, more like a novella, that reads as a movie treatment - plot points and descriptions of the characters' states of mind and personalities - that could be a compelling movie if fleshed out by good acting and directing. Very disappointing.

Disturbing

What disappointed you about Heather, the Totality?

It was disturbing. The characters made all of the wrong decisions.

What could Matthew Weiner have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

1. He could have read the book in a less monotone voice. 2. Never written it in the first place.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Monotone

What character would you cut from Heather, the Totality?

There weren't enough characters to cut anyone.

Any additional comments?

This was disturbing and unsettling. The ending was awful. Two people stuck together with murder as the glue.