• The Rules Do Not Apply

  • A Memoir
  • By: Ariel Levy
  • Narrated by: Ariel Levy
  • Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (814 ratings)

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The Rules Do Not Apply  By  cover art

The Rules Do Not Apply

By: Ariel Levy
Narrated by: Ariel Levy
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Publisher's summary

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

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What listeners say about The Rules Do Not Apply

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping, heartbreaking, raw

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

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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..

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Empathy

If you don't already understand it, Ariel Levy will teach you the difference between empathy and sympathy. At first, you feel bad for her, and then you join her in her emotion and realize that is what she wants you to do. She wants you to share her journey and her growth, the happy, sad, and the process of hitting rock bottom and truly feeling the pain but slowly recognizing the power within you to continue. Don't feel bad for her, empathize! Also, she is narrating her own story which adds to the impact of the book.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very honest

I heard her being interviewed on NPR and I got her audiobook immediately. Not many people write about issues she faced, and yet there are many who face them as well, without the gift of putting it to words like Ariel has.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Hard to like

Levy is a good writer, but often lists towards the narcissistic in this memoir. She is not very likable, and makes a string of really questionable decisions. (And, I don't even mean her trip to Mongolia.) Then, she seems bewildered as to why her life and relationships are a mess. I can't help but think of the friends.and lovers left in her wake. So, writing skill - A-, Self-reflection = D-.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent and resonant memoir

I just finished this and want to listen again--or buy the physical book and read so I can make notes as I go. This story will not resonate with every reader, but if you are someone whose life experience has some relevance to Levy's, then it will serve you to listen. I'm so grateful this story was told.

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