Judith West gets off on the wrong foot voicing Janet Groth’s account of her two decades as a receptionist at THE NEW YORKER, and she never really recovers. West seems to have decided that since the magazine was full of ironic wits like James Thurber and E.B. White, Groth must be a sort of junior Auntie Mame. But she isn’t. She met and was befriended by plenty of famous characters, and has names to drop and tales to tell. But her own interesting story, which this is, also has plenty of passages that are clear-eyed and painful as she slowly discovers what has kept a talented and very bright young person stuck at entry level for so long. West reads energetically but is miscast here.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2012
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781611747829
Publisher: HighBridge 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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