This personal memoir recounts the author's acquaintance with the great artist and one of his many mistresses, beginning in 1944 and continuing through the book's first publication in 1993. Lord encounters a number of other famous artists, writers and socialites of that period of French society and includes numerous anecdotes of such in the book. John Edwardson's reading of the lengthy work appears to capture the author's intended tone exactly. The details, however, reveal a level of self-absorption often cumbersome to the story. Edwardson captures this by adopting a pseudo-intellectual, self-important tone of voice. However, the author's emotional reactions to Picasso and Dora and the situations in which they interact are fascinating. A well-done abridgment, again read by Edwardson, would do a great service to the presentation.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 15 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
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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