Boy's Life

By: Robert R. McCammon

Narrated by: George Newbern

Length: 20 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

In me are the memories of a boy's life, spent in that realm of enchantments. These are the things I want to tell you....

Robert McCammon delivers "a tour de force of storytelling" (BookPage) in his award-winning masterpiece, a novel of Southern boyhood, growing up in the 1960s, that reaches far beyond that evocative landscape to touch listeners universally. Boy's Life is a richly imagined, spellbinding portrait of the magical worldview of the young - and of innocence lost. Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for 11-year-old Cory Mackenson - a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake - and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible, haunting vision of death. As Cory struggles to understand his father's pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that surround him. From an ancient mystic who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown - for his father's sanity and his own life hang in the balance....

©2014 Robert R. McCammon (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio

A Real Winner

Any additional comments?

Most of the books I get through Audible are very good. Not exceptional, but very good. They fill the time while I'm driving an hour or so, or while I'm mowing the lawn or cleaning around the house. That is where there value comes in. Boys Life, however, is the exception. I bought it because of the reviews, but I didn't really expect it to be as good as it is.

I've read reviews before where people have said that a story brought them to tears, but I never quite believed it. I also tend to steer clear of stories where this kind of thing is mentioned in the reviews. And don't get me wrong... I felt that in only a few short sections of the book. However, this story is one where I felt that emotion several times. And I only mention it because I felt for the people in the story. Because they were real, and what they were going through was real. Because Robert McCammon NAILED it in his story telling.

It was so real, and so close to things that I had experienced, that the emotions were right there. But the story was also funny...VERY funny, and at the same time honest and was very indicative of the time it was told. I didn't have all the same experiences, having been raised in the north, but I lived through it, and saw it on tv news.

Don't set expectations too high. Expectations can be crushers. Rather take this book as a ride through the early 60's and allow your self to feel it as you go along. It will stick with you long after the story is done, and you can't ask for any more of that from a story.

A Magical Evocation of Childhood

Simply put, "Boy's Life" is superb. Robert McCammon evokes the joy, difficulties and mystery of childhood and his descriptions of small town southern life give every chapter, every scene a genuine sense of place. The characterizations are strong and memorable, the plot takes turns that surprise and delight. The book is also deeply moving at times and there's a touch of the supernatural that works particularly well because the entire story is told from a boy's perspective.

The narration by George Newbern is literally some of the finest I've heard. I can't recommend this highly enough.

A fresh look at what used to be

This is a refreshing take on the coming-of-age tale. There is magic, hope, promise, tragedy, and just enough realism to keep me listening through cold dinners and missed calls. Beautiful and perfect narration. A great choice for young or vintage adults. Just the think for a family road trip. This one will stay in my head for a long time.

Awesome!

This is a must listen! I wish there were more books like this. I will look for more by this author.

good read

a great book . I was impressed. a boy growing up and the things that happen

Great

The story and narration is so enjoyable and funny. Imagine a 12 yr old Carl Hiaasen!

I just loved this book

So rich and full of life. It’s poignant and delightful. Highly recommend listening to this story

Simply perfect

This is the second book I have heard by Robert McCammon. It is so profoundly well written that I will now want to buy the print version (also true of the first Robert McCammon book I read, "The Listener") so I can read and savor some of McCammon's words at a slower pace. It's an extraordinary book by an amazing storyteller, and the narrator, George Newbern, does it justice; he's perfect for it. I fell in love with the characters. I cheered them on, wept with them, held my breath with them, laughed with them. Sometimes I didn't know for sure if this was a book of short stories (that would have been fine, because they were so good), but then I realized there were links from one story to another. Sometimes the links came much later, when I wasn't expecting them. I found myself saying: "Aha!" or "Oh, right!" a lot. All the stories and characters came together eventually in a most satisfying way. I could see this as a TV series with several seasons. I don't know if it is, or isn't, or has been thought of, or is in the works... but it should be. I'll be sharing this with all my story-loving, good-books-loving, friends. It has great depth. I am not a boy, but I could relate to the boy's slow understanding (acceptance) and appreciation of life. It's brilliant.

Next level good

This book is fantastic. Good pacing. Good story. Good characters. Perfect narration. So glad I was able to spend the 20 hours with it.

One of the best books that I have ever read.

Boy’s Life was such a great story, and well narrated, from the first sentence to the last. I felt as though I were sitting around the fireplace listening to my dad tell a deep, rich story of when he was a boy. Every character had a purpose, every tangent tied in. Excellent!!!