The Rules Do Not Apply

A Memoir

By: Ariel Levy

Narrated by: Ariel Levy

A gorgeous, darkly humorous memoir for listeners of Cheryl Strayed about a woman overcoming dramatic loss and finding reinvention, based on this award-winning writer's New Yorker article "Thanksgiving in Mongolia".

©2017 Ariel Levy (P)2017 Random House Audio

Good book for life lessons...

Raw, emotional story. Amazing and interesting experiences shared. Makes a woman not feel alone in her thoughts.
Sometimes hard to follow. You grow to love Ariel, but her voice and personality are aggressive and harsh to listen to.

captivating but depressing

What did you love best about The Rules Do Not Apply?

excellent writing style.. clear, simple and easy to follow.. its touching, emotional and unexpected at times... the narration is good and engaging..

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

her trip to Mongolia is definitely the most memorable part of the story

Any additional comments?

the book is captivating but really sad and depressing, so beware..
but overall, I liked it a lot..

Wow,just wow.

I have had very few books that left me feeling sad when I finished them . That were so good I couldn't imagine reading ( or in this case Listening to) anything else for a long time after. Eat,Pray,Love..The glass Castle..The rainbow never ends, and now this one. The rules do not apply. I loved this book, I loved listening to Ariel read it on audible, I loved everything about it.

I couldn't stop listening

This was a beautiful story, beautifully told. From start to finish I was hooked. Honest, raw and candid. Very good.

Ariel pours love into my ears, heart and mind!

This book has been my companion to and from work for a couple of weeks and I have loved every word. Thanks Ariel

Gripping, heartbreaking, raw

This is a must read book. I laughed out loud, cried my eyes out, and every emotion in between.

Like a mirror

Thank you ! I listened to your story but it felt like you're telling mine.

Her 5 is anybody else's 15.

Where does The Rules Do Not Apply rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'm sorry, I don't want to follow this format.

Any additional comments?

Usually I’m too much of a cheapskate to buy a 5-hour Audible book. But this is Ariel Levy. She distills essence. She expands what needs expanding. Her 5 equals anybody else’s 15. Al-Anon: I too was a long holdout. When someone tells you you need Al-Anon, go. You don’t have to stay forever; just get the principles, the sooner the better. Ariel: “Using” is used (instead of “drinking”) because alcoholics are addicted to alcohol which they use like any other drug, plus alcohol is almost never the only drug they use. “Using” emphasizes the umbrella nature of addiction. You (Ariel) used sex, if I’m not mistaken. My only slight disappointment with the book is the fantasy choices at the conclusion, which struck false notes for me.

Sad

I would like to say I loved the book because my heart breaks for the author's loss. Unfortunately, I found myself less connected to the author (despite her being the narrator) because of her blunt writing style. I often like this type of writing, but here I found it jarring. It is not a long book and does move along, but I did not love it.

Great Insights and fun to read

Arial is a great storyteller and weaves her memoir with skill and humor sharing insights learned in the life of risk-taking and self reflection. Very enjoyable, instructive and emotionally satisfying.