While not strictly autobiographical, much of Updike's work is drawn from his own life, so listening to his letters does inform how we read his fiction. It's also quite entertaining since he was, from adolescence, an excellent writer of letters, and a prolific one. In this audiobook the letters are read by his children, with assistance from a talented group of professionals--although only Kimberly Farr, introducing each letter and delivering the footnotes, and James Schiff, reading his own introduction, are specifically credited. Updike's letters include details on his developing career and his courting of both his wives and several mistresses. Overall, listeners get a fairly thorough idea of John Updike the writer and the man.
Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
Duration: 43 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165667
Publisher: Random House 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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