Richly composed and expressively narrated, journalist (THE NEW YORKER) Adam Gopnik's audiobook is a memoir of sorts. He primarily recounts his and his wife Martha's relocation from Montreal to New York City in the 1980s. Gopnik is a highly skilled narrator with an expressive, sensitive style. His precise intonation strengthens a story that some might hear as one of luck and family privilege, replete with instances of "showing off." Too much of the book involves documenting the sizes, varieties, colors, and challenges of the tiny living spaces they shared with New York rats, roaches, and mice. The evolution of artsy SoHo into a neighborhood in which money interests predominate is portrayed within the context of Gopnik's dual loves-- Martha and The City That Never Sleeps itself.
Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525499763
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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