The Novel

By: James A. Michener

Narrated by: Alexander Adams

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

In this riveting, ambitious novel from James A. Michener, the renowned chronicler of epic history turns his extraordinary imagination to a world he knew better than anyone: the world of books.

Lukas Yoder, a novelist who has enjoyed a long, successful career, has finished what he believes to be his final work. Then a tragedy strikes in his community, and he becomes obsessed with writing about it.

Meanwhile, Yoder's editor fights to preserve her integrity - and her author - as her firm becomes the target of a corporate takeover; a local critic who teaches literature struggles with his ambitions and with his feelings about Yoder's success; and a devoted reader holds the key to solving the mystery that haunts Yoder's hometown.

©1991 James A. Michener (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Michener explores some of the deepest issues raised by narrative literature." ( The New York Times)

"A good, old-fashioned, sink-your-teeth-into-it story.... The Novel lets us see an unfamiliar side of the author, at the same time portraying the...complex relationship among editors, agents and writers." ( The Philadelphia Inquirer)

"Michener loves literature, and his information about some of his favorite reading is almost as alluring as his explanation of how to handle a manuscript." ( Associated Press)

Great Book

I was pleasantly surprised to find Audible now has James Mitchener novels available. I read The Novel many years ago and it's a book I would recommend to friends. I enjoyed listening to it and still recommend to all my friends. Audible Rocks!

Great Michener style.

Loved the book and reader was very good. He flavored it very well with tone and inflections.

One of his best .

English professor and novelist merge seamlessly to tell an entertaining and thought provoking story. I will think about the books I read in a new way in the future.

uneven but good

"The Critic" section was a bit weak, IMO, but the others were great and well done both from the writing and voice acting side of things. I really enjoyed this overall, even if there was a bit too much cerebrum occupying the narrative.

Note on the audio: Chapters are not broken up well/accurate to the book sections.

insiders look at the world of publishing

James A. Michener was always a favorite author. I discovered three of his works I had not read.I started with The Novel. The book does not have the hundred pages of setting the scene but draws it for you throughout while uncovering the characters, writer, editor, agent, critic, mentors, students and the readers. The essence of each flows in first person narrative filled with human traits of ambition, fear, secrets, hardship, jealousy, love, and greed. The characters live as in all Michner novels.

Not what I was expecting

Described to sound like a story of an author who, in trying to write his next book, learns of a local murder, tjis sounded very much like my kind of book. My books of choice a crime, psychothrillers, legal, medical mystery. this very slow moving storyline, however has much more to do with the writing, editing, rewriting and Amish population/history of the Pennsylvania countryside. Don't be fooled by the description! I listened to the entire painstaking story based on reviews and the constant hope at some point it was going to get interesting. The performance is well done, however.

Pretty disappointing

Could not get into this book, the story, the readers voice, pretty much everything. By chapter 3, I thought, ok Ive tried, time to let go and move on.