Reginald Dwight, better known to us as Elton John, offers a candid and surprisingly detailed memoir. The musician himself provides a heartfelt and precise narration of the brief prologue and epilogue. Narrator Taron Egerton's performance of the bulk of the audiobook is, at best, tolerable and, at worst, grating. Egerton's success as Elton in the movie ROCKETMAN does not translate well; the excitement he generates for nearly every sentence of the audiobook quickly blurs the subtleties in Elton John's journey from middle-class Londoner to international megastar. Having played Elton in the movie, Egerton may have attempted to re-create the man's vocal qualities. However, this choice is stylistically wanting. Nonetheless, fans will undoubtedly enjoy the insights. It's all here: drug addiction, depression, family dramas, and traumas--sensitively and articulately portrayed. W.A.G. 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250231062
Publisher: Macmillan 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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