Knausgaard is best known for his difficult and controversial series of autobiographical novels, MY STRUGGLE, but in this audiobook he shows a different, gentler side. He is writing to his unborn daughter, Anna, his fourth child, and musing on how the world works. A series of short essays, eloquently voiced by Edoardo Ballerini, ranges among trees, vomit, fingers, and jellyfish, from the house where Anna will grow up to the far reaches of the cosmos. No matter the topic, Ballerini never forgets that this is a father speaking to his daughter. His voice is gentle, warm, and intimate without forsaking an appropriate range of emotions. Some listeners will find some of these meditations distasteful, but there is much here to appreciate.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501916854
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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