Even if you know nothing about fine art, Dan Butler's superb performance will bring this complex and sometimes shady world to life. His sensitive delivery of Ken Perenyi's poignant memoir of life as a liar and thief makes it hard not to like this consummate scam artist in spite of it all--unless, of course, you paid an exorbitant price for one of his fakes. Butler's easy reading style carries the narrative flawlessly, with occasional forays into excitement and danger where the going gets tight for Perenyi. At those points he ratchets up the emotional wattage just enough to keep you on the edge. This is a thoroughly competent delivery using only Butler's native voice--but what a voice.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781620641071
Publisher: AudioGo
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
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