Lie with Me

A Novel

By: Philippe Besson, Molly Ringwald - translator

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

The Advocate’s Best Gay Novel of 2019

A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice

O, The Oprah Magazine’s Best LGBTQ Books That'll Change the Literary Landscape in 2019

The Wall Street Journal’s 10 Books You’ll Want to Read this Spring

Out's Best Queer Books of April 2019

TheSkimm’s LGBTQ+ books to celebrate Pride

“Stunning and heart-gripping.” (André Aciman, author of Call Me by Your Name)

The award-winning, best-selling French novel by Philippe Besson - “the French Brokeback Mountain” (Elle) - about an affair between two teenage boys in 1984 France, translated with subtle beauty and haunting lyricism by the iconic and internationally acclaimed actress/writer Molly Ringwald.

We drive at high speed along back roads, through woods, vineyards, and oat fields. The bike smells like gasoline and makes a lot of noise, and sometimes I’m frightened when the wheels slip on the gravel on the dirt road, but the only thing that matters is that I’m holding on to him, that I’m holding on to him outside.

Just outside a hotel in Bordeaux, Philippe chances upon a young man who bears a striking resemblance to his first love. What follows is a look back at the relationship he’s never forgotten, a hidden affair with a gorgeous boy named Thomas during their last year of high school. Without ever acknowledging they know each other in the halls, they steal time to meet in secret, carrying on a passionate, world-altering affair.

Dazzlingly rendered in English by Ringwald in her first-ever translation, Besson’s powerfully moving coming-of-age story captures the eroticism and tenderness of first love - and the heartbreaking passage of time.

©2019 Philippe Besson (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Great Sadness

It was awfully sad ! I wanted a happily gay ending :/ Daymn! But in all, I highly recommend this beautiful novel and the audio book is well performed

Deserving of the Plaudits

Passion...heart...well placed. It's been a while since I read (listened to) a book and wanted more in the end. Great job by the author.

Unsatisfying Ultimately

I regret that the author didn’t flesh out Lucas’ character more. The book, while eminently readable, seemed too self-centered to me. It could have been much more compelling.

Poetic story

This was a very well written and narrated book. Almost like a poem in its flow and emotion. I plan to listen to it again and marvel in its construction.

Really pulls on my heart

Loved most of the book, just not the ending. There were certain sentiments that I could identify with from the previous book I read like being in the house and the bedroom and his mother, so crazy.

a wonderful love 💘 story

This was one of the best lgbtq love stories that I have read in a very long time. a fantastic read.

Strongly dislike voice performance

The performer reads the narrative with such a studies glibness that it smothers the potential intimacy of the skillfully crafted first-person narrative “voice” in the piece. It ruins the literary delicacy of the story. Anyone involved in casting this is lost and needs awaking. Sad!

Why I am not joining audible

The book was great, however, I was greatly disappointed at also not being able to "read" the book.
Hopefully, my attempt at canceling my free-trail and not moving forward with a membership - is that although I can listen to the book, there seems to be no way of actually "read" the book if I so wished. For the price of 14.95/month we should be able to not only listen to the book we should have the right to also "read" the book.

Great book

Very real and entertaining with a dash of sexiness and a hint of love and youth

Beautiful story. Weird performance.

This is a beautiful heartbreaking story. So glad it was translated.
The choice of performers is odd. There is almost no emotion shown.