Noah’s story--Noe as he’s called here--is reconstructed in this brilliant debut novel by David Maine. Until now, the characters have never seemed so haplessly human nor the tale so plausible. In Noe’s time, rape, incest, prostitution, and moral squalor were the rule. Maine draws a powerful portrait of the 600-year-old Patriarch with all his grousing fanaticism in place. The dutiful building of the ark, the rounding up of pairs of animals, the ridicule of neighbors and their piteous deaths in the Deluge, and the day-to-day drudgery of life on a floating zoo are spoken by Noe, his long-suffering wife, his three sons, and their wives. A perfect fit for audio, Maine’s witty, always credible monologues, performed by an exceptional cast, will draw listeners into familiar yet stunningly original territory.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
There is a graceful style to Rachel Seiffert's writing that contrasts with the brutal story that unfolds, set in the Ukraine in 1941, after the German invasion. Remarkably, Seiffert's prose is almost uplifting, even during scenes that highlight the viciousness and evil of the Nazi invaders, including one featuring an SS death squad. Narrator Mark Deakins's superb performance complements each scene and enhances Seiffert's gripping dialogue. He narrates with patience and a low-key style that allows listeners to follow the story and absorb every nuance of the dialogue. The result is a rarity, a realistic Nazi-era novel that defies expectations by showing the horrors of the regime without depressing the audience.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781524782924
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this imaginative story, young Dr. Jakob Sammelsohn is distracted from his amorous adventures when he encounters famed psychologist Sigmund Freud in fin-de-siècle Vienna. Replete with innuendo, discussions of psychoanalysis, and "Freudian slips," Skibell's historical fiction provides a window on Freud's world—his obsessions, patients, admirers, destructive habits, and vanities—and his profound influence. The early Esperanto movement and Jewish spiritualism also make appearances. Jeff Woodman consistently presents the youthful and confused Sammelsohn, whose naïve voice is balanced by the haughty tones of Freud and his colleagues. Woodman excels at dramatizing the tension between Sammelsohn's penchant for scientific rationalism and his exposure to experimental mysticism. A hilarious scene ensues when we hear conversations with Sammelsohn's father, who speaks only in biblical quotes, even for the most mundane utterances.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2010
Duration: 22 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781615735310
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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