This extensively researched audio biography of the iconic star who made sex fun and funny casts Mae West as a subversive trickster who pushed the boundaries of race and gender. Listeners follow West's evolution from exploited child actor to Broadway siren and movie star. Lesser known is how West created and controlled all her dramatic content--as a playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer. This allowed her to continually explore taboo topics like miscegenation. The author reveals the complexity of West's career by showing how she both enforced and shattered norms around race and sexuality. Narrator Holly Palance avoids mimicking West's trademark accent and comedic delivery, an approach that effectively castrates West's fiery dialogue. This is a missed opportunity to make the audiobook superior to print.
Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
Duration: 17 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781645553847
Publisher: Oasis 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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