"It's hard to live in someone's blind spot." This refrain is part of Funder's uniquely crafted audiobook about the life of Eileen O'Shaughnessy, George Orwell's wife. Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood is a capable narrator with a bright tone and considerable skill with voices and accents. The audiobook takes on many roles--O'Shaughnessy biography, author's memoir, and social commentary--all requiring a nimble narrator who can navigate the transitions and excerpted material. Parkes-Lockwood does a fine job, but the text may not be best suited to the audiobook format. Jane Slavin's role offers only a subtle shift when she assumes O'Shaughnessy's voice, and it becomes fatiguing to follow the various genres despite the dual delivery. Immersing oneself in a print version may be preferable for all but the most avid listener.
Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593741795
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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