Scottish art critic Laura Cumming's lyrical voice works perfectly with her poetic writing for this rambling story of an event that occurred in 1654 Holland. The Thunderclap, a massive explosion in a gunpowder store, killed the artist Carel Fabritius, known for his painting THE GOLDFINCH. Cumming's sometimes emotional performance weaves her personal memories of her father, an artist, with her fascination for the Dutch people who are immortalized in the many fine art masterpieces that show the details of everyday life. Her enthusiasm for her subject is apparent in her narration as she explores the impact a painting can have on the viewer's life. The memory of Fabritius, who died suddenly, lives forever through THE GOLDFINCH, which survived the explosion but bears traces of damage.
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797165943
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s...
Tilda Swinton is a joy to listen to in this homage to loneliness and paean for intimacy. Laing’s landmark work of unconventional art history proves to be as relevant as it was in 2016, if not more so, in an increasingly atomized, post-pandemic world where many, if not most, social interactions happen through our phones. Loneliness, in Laing’s eyes, is not a singular experience, and certainly not a moral failing, but a fact of human nature. Swinton’s clean, polished tone is subtly compassionate to the very real, relatable sufferings of the profiled urbanite artists. This account of our saddest human state is full of rich, hopeful detail.
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s magnum opus.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250442710
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
Kutchinsky shares an honest exploration of the highs and lows of her family’s story.
British journalist Kutchinsky narrates her family’s history—from the late-19th-century arrival of her Russian Jewish great-great-grandparents to East London’s slums up through the early 21st century, when their successful jewelry dynasty, under her father’s leadership, collapsed. Her extensive journalistic skills took her on a 13-year odyssey as she researched the family’s story and carefully separated myth from reality to understand her father’s obsession with creating and marketing a gold- and diamond-studded egg and how it destroyed a business and shattered a family. Her British accent gives a unique sound to her story.
Kutchinsky shares an honest exploration of the highs and lows of her family’s story.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668120897
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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