Narrator Charles Armstrong's brisk, elegant dissection of the British art market since WWII is endlessly pleasing to the ear, even when the mind wanders. This audiobook may be of limited interest since it's most likely too detailed and arcane for many listeners. One learns a great deal about the business and culture of art dealing in general and the London market's key personalities and evolutionary stages specifically, along with details of the elaborate theater that goes on behind the scenes. It's all fascinating, really, and pleasantly remote from the worries of today. And like a fairy tale, it even offers a kind of justice through which monsters are slain and gold is freed from dross. D.A.W © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798331953607
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator David Shih impeccably introduces renowned artist Ai Weiwei, whose outspoken stand on the freedoms denied in China has made him a government target. Here he looks at 100 years of Chinese history through his life and that of his father, Ai Qing, a well-known poet. Shih faultlessly captures Ai Weiwei's first-person story and gracefully recites Ai Qing's magnificent poetry. Both men's imprisonment is powerfully conveyed, along with descriptions of cities, remote villages, and vibrant conversations with famous and ordinary people. Ai Weiwei's activism is more widely covered than his art. His sadness, sarcasm, optimism, and wit, as well as quotes from his young son, are enlivened by Shih's considerable skill. Audio enhances this unflinching look at China and an extraordinary man.
Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780399567537
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author Hisham Matar takes the listener on a melancholy amble around Siena, Italy. His somber voice and precise enunciation enhance his eloquent writing. As he considers great masterpieces from the Sienese School of painting and other works that bring insight to his own life, we learn how the power of art can enlighten us. Meditations on art, love, and existence intertwine with musings on his relationships and the people he encounters in the city as he deals with the loss of his father. Matar's detailed descriptions of several works of art, such as Lorenzetti's unsettling painting of the Madonna and child, are vivid, but the listening experience would be enhanced by viewing images as well.
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593171080
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
