There Is No Ethan

How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish

De: Anna Akbari

Narrado por: Anna Akbari, Justin Price

Part memoir, part explosive window into the mind of a catfisher, a thrilling personal account of three women coming face-to-face with an internet predator and teaming up to expose them.

In 2011, three successful and highly educated women fell head over heels for the brilliant and charming Ethan Schuman. Unbeknownst to the others, each exchanged countless messages with Ethan, staying up late into the evenings to deepen their connections with this fascinating man. His detailed excuses about broken webcams and complicated international calling plans seemed believable, as did last minute trip cancellations. After all, why would he lie? Ethan wasn't after money—he never convinced his marks to shell out thousands of dollars for some imagined crisis. Rather, he ensnared these women in a web of intense emotional intimacy. After the trio independently began to question inconsistencies in their new flame's stories, they managed to find one another and uncover a greater deception than they could've ever imagined. As Anna Akbari and the women untangled their catfish’s web, they found other victims and realized that without a proper crime, there was no legal reason for “Ethan” to ever stop.

THERE IS NO ETHAN catalogues Akbari's experience as both victim and observer. By looking at the bigger picture of where these stories unfold—a world where technology mediates our relationships; where words and images are easily manipulated; and where truth, reality, and identity have become slippery terms—Akbari gives a page-turning and riveting examination of why stories like Ethan's matter for us all.

©2024 Anna Akbari (P)2024 Grand Central Publishing

Engaging

This story is true, but it reads like fiction. It kept my attention and interest throughout. Highly recommend.

Tedious

I would hope I would have smelled something fishy after the third no show from this guy/girl.

Thrilling Listen

This is a true story that is so eye opening! It's shocking, appalling and I am angry for the women that were victimized. The worst part is that "Ethan" is still out there with no repercussions! We need to band together as women and make sure that this person is held accountable for their actions! I am so angered by what happened but applaud the author for writing this book.

If you haven't read it, take a day off work and curl up! I originally ordered the audio book but a couple chapters in I had to go and order the hard copy of the book.

I'm speechless how this played out.

The writer, as a sociologist, brought a unique perspective but still told in her own words was excellent! I will definitely be reading other books from this author in the future.

Whose Afraid of Little Ole Me?

This tale kept me both enraptured and horrified. The author artfully, kindly and masterfully shares with the readers a truly captivating and horrifying real-life catfish dating story from hell.

Finished in two days!

Loved it! I felt part one went on a bit long, but I see why, it was necessary to show how much was invested into deceiving these women. I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, just listen!!

Fascinating

How a catfish is successful is a spelling binding tale but how he is caught is less so. Loved the first 2/3 of this book.

Wow! Quite a remarkable story

This story is disturbing on so many levels. Anyone that has been in the dating world can see reflections of moments from their own lives in these women. And the discovered truth is the most disturbing in reality. I just finished… so I am off to do an internet deep dive!

Captivating

The story keeps the readers attention by providing twists, turns and interesting perspectives. If you like a mystery that is also true. This is one is for you.

I would have been happier and more interested if I had googled this and read the online articles.

Annoyed by the voices of the narrators, and the dialogue was painful to listen to. I kept turning it off in frustration and then forcing myself to listen. Ultimately, I would have enjoyed this as a podcast or article. I was waiting to be more interested when it finally came to the discovery and confrontation. The only interest was the response of the perpetrator. I was expecting more depth but it was more an accounting of what happened with no real story or depth or descriptors of experience. I regret using my credit on this and wish I had just googled the story instead.

How Can Someone Be So Dumb

Very good book if you like to listen to true crime, psycological type books. It's amazing that so many women can be taken in by a scam artist and even more amazing that the catfisher can be so brilliant but horrible at the same time.

Very good book. Worth the credit or dollars.