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Rabbit, Run
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 676
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 472
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Story4 out of 5 stars 473
Harry Angstrom was a star basketball player in high school and that was the best time of his life. Now in his mid-20s, his work is unfulfilling, his marriage is moribund, and he tries to find happiness with another woman. But happiness is more elusive than a medal, and Harry must continue to run--from his wife, his life, and from himself, until he reaches the end of the road and has to turn back....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great, but gritty and depressing
- By Peregrine on 01-22-09
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Selected Stories
- The Alligators, A & P, Pigeon Feathers, The Family Meadow, Witnesses, Separating
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: John Updike
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
John Updike reads six stories he has selected from the 100-odd he has published. Mr. Updike, when asked to described his method of reading aloud, said "I try to picture the things described and to speak the words distinctly, and to let the emotion come through on its own." The method works beautifully.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Life, Love and Chivalry
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The John Updike Audio Collection
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Jane Alexander, Edward Herrmann, John Updike
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 101
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
The extraordinarily evocative stories depict the generation born in a small-town America during the Depression and growing up in a world where the old sexual morality was turned around and material comforts were easily had. Yet, as these stories reflect so accurately, life was still unsettling, and Updike chronicles telling moments both joyful and painful. The texts are taken from his recent omnibus, The Early Stories, 1953-1975.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good read
- By Jody on 06-03-04
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Rabbit Is Rich
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 227
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 163
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 164
The time is 1979: Skylab is falling, gas lines are lengthening, the president collapses while running in a marathon, and double-digit inflation coincides with a deflation of national confidence. Nevertheless, Harry Angstrom feels in good shape, ready to enjoy life at last - until his son, Nelson, returns from the West, and the image of an old love pays a visit to his lot. New characters and old populate these scenes from Rabbit's middle age, as he continues to pursue, in his erratic fashion, the rainbow of happiness.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant Writing
- By L. Berlyne-Kovler on 02-27-09
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American Pastoral
- By: Philip Roth
- Narrated by: Ron Silver
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,650
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,941
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,930
Philip Roth presents a vivid portrait of an innocent man being swept away by a current of conflict and violence in his own backyard - a story that is as much about loving America as it is hating it. Seymour "Swede" Levov, a legendary high school athlete, a devoted family man, a hard worker, and the prosperous heir of his father's Newark glove factory comes of age in thriving, triumphant postwar America. But everything he loves is lost when the country begins to run amok in the turbulent 1960s. Not even a most private, well-intentioned citizen, it seems, gets to sidestep the sweep of history. American Pastoral is the story of a fortunate American's rise and fall ... a strong, confident man, a master of social equilibrium, overwhelmed by the forces of social disorder. For the Swede is not allowed to stay forever blissful living out life in rural Old Rimrock in his 170 year-old stone farmhouse with his pretty wife (his college sweetheart and Miss New Jersey of 1949) and his lively albeit precocious daughter, the apple of his eye ... that is until she grows up to become a revolutionary terrorist.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Relentless
- By Jeff on 12-29-04
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Rabbit Redux
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 232
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 160
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 159
The assumptions and obsessions that control our daily lives are explored in tantalizing detail by master novelist John Updike in this wise, witty, sexy story. Harry Angstrom - known to all as Rabbit, one of America's most famous literary characters - finds his dreary life shattered by the infidelity of his wife. How he resolves - or further complicates - his problems makes a compelling read.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Bring on more Rabbit!
- By L. Berlyne-Kovler on 02-16-09
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Rabbit, Run
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 676
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 472
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 473
Harry Angstrom was a star basketball player in high school and that was the best time of his life. Now in his mid-20s, his work is unfulfilling, his marriage is moribund, and he tries to find happiness with another woman. But happiness is more elusive than a medal, and Harry must continue to run--from his wife, his life, and from himself, until he reaches the end of the road and has to turn back....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great, but gritty and depressing
- By Peregrine on 01-22-09
-
Selected Stories
- The Alligators, A & P, Pigeon Feathers, The Family Meadow, Witnesses, Separating
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: John Updike
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
John Updike reads six stories he has selected from the 100-odd he has published. Mr. Updike, when asked to described his method of reading aloud, said "I try to picture the things described and to speak the words distinctly, and to let the emotion come through on its own." The method works beautifully.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life, Love and Chivalry
- By W Perry Hall on 07-12-15
-
The John Updike Audio Collection
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Jane Alexander, Edward Herrmann, John Updike
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
The extraordinarily evocative stories depict the generation born in a small-town America during the Depression and growing up in a world where the old sexual morality was turned around and material comforts were easily had. Yet, as these stories reflect so accurately, life was still unsettling, and Updike chronicles telling moments both joyful and painful. The texts are taken from his recent omnibus, The Early Stories, 1953-1975.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good read
- By Jody on 06-03-04
-
Rabbit Is Rich
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 227
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 163
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 164
The time is 1979: Skylab is falling, gas lines are lengthening, the president collapses while running in a marathon, and double-digit inflation coincides with a deflation of national confidence. Nevertheless, Harry Angstrom feels in good shape, ready to enjoy life at last - until his son, Nelson, returns from the West, and the image of an old love pays a visit to his lot. New characters and old populate these scenes from Rabbit's middle age, as he continues to pursue, in his erratic fashion, the rainbow of happiness.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant Writing
- By L. Berlyne-Kovler on 02-27-09
-
American Pastoral
- By: Philip Roth
- Narrated by: Ron Silver
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,650
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,941
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,930
Philip Roth presents a vivid portrait of an innocent man being swept away by a current of conflict and violence in his own backyard - a story that is as much about loving America as it is hating it. Seymour "Swede" Levov, a legendary high school athlete, a devoted family man, a hard worker, and the prosperous heir of his father's Newark glove factory comes of age in thriving, triumphant postwar America. But everything he loves is lost when the country begins to run amok in the turbulent 1960s. Not even a most private, well-intentioned citizen, it seems, gets to sidestep the sweep of history. American Pastoral is the story of a fortunate American's rise and fall ... a strong, confident man, a master of social equilibrium, overwhelmed by the forces of social disorder. For the Swede is not allowed to stay forever blissful living out life in rural Old Rimrock in his 170 year-old stone farmhouse with his pretty wife (his college sweetheart and Miss New Jersey of 1949) and his lively albeit precocious daughter, the apple of his eye ... that is until she grows up to become a revolutionary terrorist.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Relentless
- By Jeff on 12-29-04
-
Rabbit Redux
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 232
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 160
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 159
The assumptions and obsessions that control our daily lives are explored in tantalizing detail by master novelist John Updike in this wise, witty, sexy story. Harry Angstrom - known to all as Rabbit, one of America's most famous literary characters - finds his dreary life shattered by the infidelity of his wife. How he resolves - or further complicates - his problems makes a compelling read.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Bring on more Rabbit!
- By L. Berlyne-Kovler on 02-16-09
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The John Cheever Audio Collection (Unabridged Stories)
- By: John Cheever
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep, George Plimpton, others
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 237
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 162
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 160
Here are twelve magnificent stories in which John Cheever celebrates, with unequaled grace and tenderness, the deepest feelings we have.
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5 out of 5 stars
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All Stars Deliver
- By Greg on 03-03-04
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Rabbit at Rest
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 22 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 147
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 118
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 119
In John Updike's fourth and final novel about ex-basketball player Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, the hero has acquired heart trouble, a Florida condo, and a second grandchild. His son, Nelson, is behaving erratically; his daughter-in-law, Pru, is sending out mixed signals; and his wife, Janice, decides in mid-life to become a working girl. As, though the winter, spring, and summer of 1989, Reagan's debt-ridden, AIDS-plagued America yields to that of George Bush, Rabbit explores the bleak terrain of late middle age.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I Cannot Add to Glowing Reviews
- By Chris Reich on 08-08-15
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Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
- A Novel
- By: Olga Tokarczuk, Antonia Lloyd-Jones
- Narrated by: Beata Pozniak
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 190
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 184
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Story4 out of 5 stars 183
In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then, a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon, other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Narrator - Authentic as it can get!
- By Chris on 09-03-19
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Stephen Fry Presents a Selection of Anton Chekhov's Short Stories
- By: Anton Chekov
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 293
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 250
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 250
"Chekhov is probably better known in Britain for his plays than for his prose. For many, however, it is his short stories that mark the high water of his genius. It might at first glance be hard for those not used to his style of narrative to see what the fuss is about - and fuss there is: for most authors and lovers of literature Chekhov is incomparably the greatest short story writer there ever was."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good intro to Chekhov
- By Tad Davis on 03-15-11
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Goodbye, Columbus
- And Five Short Stories
- By: Philip Roth
- Narrated by: John Rubinstein
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 163
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Story4 out of 5 stars 133
Neil Klugman and pretty, spirited Brenda Patimkin - he of poor Newark, she of suburban Short Hills - meet one summer and dive into an affair that is as much about social class and suspicion as it is about love. The novella, the first book published by Philip Roth, explores issues of both class and Jewish assimilation into American culture. It won the National Book Award in 1960.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Jews Meet the Suburbs -- Sharp but Funny
- By DJ on 01-30-18
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The Witches of Eastwick
- A Novel
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 133
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 134
Toward the end of the Vietnam era, in a snug little Rhode Island seacoast town, wonderful powers have descended upon Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, bewitching divorcées with sudden access to all that is female, fecund, and mysterious. Alexandra, a sculptor, summons thunderstorms; Jane, a cellist, floats on the air; and Sukie, the local gossip columnist, turns milk into cream. Their happy little coven takes on new, malignant life when a dark and moneyed stranger, Darryl Van Horne, refurbishes the long-derelict Lenox mansion and invites them in to play.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Bewitched!
- By I. Kissen on 01-08-09
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Chances Are...
- A Novel
- By: Richard Russo
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 724
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 681
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Story4 out of 5 stars 679
One beautiful September day, three men convene on Martha's Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college circa the 60s. They couldn't have been more different then, or even today - Lincoln's a commercial real estate broker, Teddy a tiny-press publisher, and Mickey a musician beyond his rockin' age. But each man holds his own secrets, in addition to the monumental mystery that none of them has ever stopped puzzling over since a Memorial Day weekend right here on the Vineyard in 1971: the disappearance of the woman each of them loved - Jacy Calloway.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What can I say? It's Richard Russo
- By LiLi on 08-09-19
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Trust Me
- Short Stories
- By: John Updike
- Narrated by: John Updike
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Abridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
The theme of trust, betrayed or fulfilled, runs through this collection of short stories: Parents lead children into peril, husbands abandon wives, wives manipulate husbands, and time undermines all. Love pangs, a favorite subject of the author, take on a new urgency as earthquakes, illnesses, lost wallets, and deaths of distant friends besiege his aging heroes and heroines.
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The White Album
- By: Joan Didion
- Narrated by: Susan Varon
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 459
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 404
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 408
First published in 1979, The White Album records indelibly the upheavals and aftermaths of the 1960s. Examining key events, figures, and trends of the era - including Charles Manson, the Black Panthers, and the shopping mall - through the lens of her own spiritual confusion, Joan Didion helped to define mass culture as we now understand it. Written with a commanding sureness of tone and linguistic precision, The White Album is a central example of American reportage and a classic of American autobiography.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Time Capsule of a Bygone Age
- By Ian C Robertson on 10-21-15
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The House of Mirth
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Eleanor Bron
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 463
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 394
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 392
Beautiful, sophisticated and endlessly ambitious Lily Bart endeavours to climb the social ladder of New York's elite by securing a good match and living beyond her means. Now nearing 30 years of age and having rejected several proposals, forever in the hope of finding someone better, her future prospects are threatened. A damning commentary of 20th-century social order, Edith Wharton's tale established her as one of the greatest British novelists of the 1900s.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful
- By Catherine on 04-12-11
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Inland
- A Novel
- By: Téa Obreht
- Narrated by: Anna Chlumsky, Edoardo Ballerini, Euan Morton
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 316
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 287
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Story4 out of 5 stars 287
In the lawless, drought-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893, two extraordinary lives unfold. Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life - her husband, who has gone in search of water for the parched household, and her elder sons, who have vanished after an explosive argument. Nora is biding her time with her youngest son, who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home.
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2 out of 5 stars
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I tried,
- By Julianne on 10-09-19
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Angle of Repose
- By: Wallace Stegner
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,410
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,174
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,177
Wallace Stegner's uniquely American classic centers on Lyman Ward, a noted historian who relates a fictionalized biography of his pioneer grandparents at a time when he has become estranged from his own family. Through a combination of research, memory, and exaggeration, Ward voices ideas concerning the relationship between history and the present, art and life, parents and children, and husbands and wives.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Not too many novels written about marriage
- By Barry on 08-18-12
Publisher's Summary
In 1956, Updike published a story, "Snowing in Greenwich Village," about a young couple, Joan and Richard Maple, at the beginning of their marriage. Over the next two decades, he returned to these characters again and again, tracing their years together raising children, finding moments of intermittent happiness, and facing the heartbreak of infidelity and estrangement.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- J.Means
- SOUTH PORTLAND, ME, United States
- 01-06-14
A weak reader hampers the work of a legend
What did you like best about The Maples Stories? What did you like least?
The performance drags down the stories here. Updike is a master of prose and characters, but Van Norden's reading has numerous problems: Pacing (he's too fast, never dynamic); Accents (I'm from the North Shore of Boston, where the Maples live, and his attempt at the middle class accent of minor characters is cringe-worthy); Consistency (often you can hear when there's a re-recorded section spliced in, because his timbre and tone are noticeably different in such moments). Overall, Van Norden's flaws are too distracting and I plan to avoid his other work.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Peter Van Norden?
Updike himself had a musical, lilting tenor voice, which he used to great effect in reading his own works publicly and in some recorded poems. For upcoming recordings of Updike's work, I suggest a similarly-voice, dynamic reader who can handle regional and class accents.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful