To Sail Beyond the Sunset

The Life and Loves of Maureen Johnson (Being the Memoirs of a Somewhat Irregular Lady)

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Maureen Johnson, the somewhat irregular mother of Lazarus Long, wakes up in bed with a man and a cat. The cat is Pixel, well-known to fans of the New York Times best seller The Cat Who Walks through Walls. The man is a stranger to her, and besides that, he is dead.

So begins Robert A. Heinlein’s To Sail Beyond the Sunset. Filled with the master’s most beloved characters, this compelling work broadens and enriches his epic vision of time and space, life and death, love and desire. It is also an autobiographical masterpiece—and a wondrous return to the alternate universes that all Heinlein fans have come to know and love.

©1987 Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein, trustees (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Thoughtprovoking…. Considerable wit and energy!” ( Newsday)

Maureen book

I loved it as much as the first time I read it many years ago

Heinlein book written from female side of story

Would you listen to To Sail Beyond the Sunset again? Why?

Again and again and again as I do with all Heinlein books except one or two. I am a patent Heinlein. I have only ever read two of his books I did not like.

What was one of the most memorable moments of To Sail Beyond the Sunset?

The most memorable was the ending. Loved it. However, there were many high points. Many of her discussions with her father were very stimulating and interesting with multiple themes. Her tale about breaking up with Brian Smith, her first husband, and how she handled his instinctive greediness toward his new family was wonderful. Dealing with her last two children and their incest was also great. As was her reintroduction to Woodrow.

There are many, many moments which are memorable in this book.

Which character – as performed by Bernadette Dunne – was your favorite?

Maureen Johnson Smith herself.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Brian left her for another woman. When Maureen was reintroduced to Woodrow.

Any additional comments?

I have always believed at least part of this book was polished and finished by his wife, Virginia Heinlein. Robert probably had written a draft of the book, but there is a feminine outlook in this book no other of his books has; and could not have because Robert was so patently MALE.

It has always been one of my favorite Heinlein books, along with Time Enough for Love, Stranger in a Strange Land and (I can't remember the title) the one where 'his' brain was transplanted into a female body. (Darn! I hate those brain farts!)

Delightful Swan Song

Bernadette Dunne's sultry contralto brings the last of Heinlein's Lazarus Long series to life. While she voiced a fine Hilda in "Number of the Beast," Dunne completely inhabits Maureen and is quite at home with both her noble sentiment and her bawdy sense of humour. A few quite minor errors are easily passed over by anyone who has not memorized the book (as I have!) Though I find audio books a bit pricey, this one was well worth the purchase.

Too much genealogy!

This was a way too boring read because you could not figure out where, when, or who was what.

classic Late Heinlein

I have read much Heinlein and this was an interesting part that ties a lot of other stories together. This should not be your first RH book.

stories from and honest and relatable lady

This story explains what is going on in Maureen's current predicament while chronicling her personal past and family life. I very much enjoyed the whole book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone reading Heinlein or the world as a myth series.

Visiting old friends is wonderful

I first read this book in the 1950's.Reading it and several other Mathusala stories has reminded me how good "the good old days were !

Not for your first Heinlein read

I'm a Heinlein fan. I've been reading his works since my early teens starting with Starship Trooper (book report for 7th grade English). To Sail Beyond the Sunset is not his best work and comes quite late in the stories of Lazurus Long and the Howard Foundation novels. Don't read this one first. Start with Stranger in a Strange Land to meet Jubal Harshaw, then continue with Time Enough for Love (one of my favorites and one of Heinlein's best). Enough advice.

To Sail Beyond the Sunset is full of sex (including a lot of incest) as it tells the story of Mama Maureen through the centuries. The descriptions of sex are often quite graphic and definitely not for young readers (I'm not a prude but would rate this book a hard R if not NC-17). If you aren't familiar with this story line (Lazurus Long/Howard Families) you'll lack the context needed to see beyond the lewdness to understand the message of the novel.

Ms. Dunne's performance is very good. She paces just right and includes enough character inflection that one always knows who is talking.

Bottom line: if you're familiar with the story line, want another dose of Heinlein's bawdy writing and are curious about the fate of Mama Maureen, it's worth a credit.

Excellent book to pair with Time Enough for Love

Another excellent Heinlein novel that I finally got around to reading. This book crosses "Time Enough for Love" in many places. So, I would advise them as a pair. The narrator was excellent. Production quality was excellent. Enjoy!

Amazing narration!

Such fun to have a voice now for Maureen, who until now, was only in my imagination. Bernadette is truly a master of her craft, who has obviously taken the time to understand Heinlien's characters and the world(s) they live in.