A mythical epic of a “golden age,” Mark Helprin’s WINTER'S TALE is a poetic masterpiece about the beauty and complexity of the human soul, justice, love, and the magic of nature. Spanning the last century, Helprin’s novel regained acclaim last year when the NEW YORK TIMES identified it as one of the single best works of American fiction published in the last 25 years. The allegory transports the listener into Helprin’s love affair with New York City and lyrical prose. Narrator Oliver Wyman’s art transcends this brilliant work with his unflagging spirit, awe, wonder, and range of literally dozens of distinctive voices. His remarkable versatility celebrates vocal depth—in characters who range from Dickensian presences to the airy breathiness of gentle souls. He is the harmonious complement to Helprin’s kaleidoscopic imagination, and acknowledges the book’s grace and wit with every utterance.
Pub Date: March 18, 2008
Duration: 27 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780792753735
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This audiobook is initially daunting. Sixteen hours long and constructed of subtle—at times, even confusing—shifts in point of view, it may feel overwhelming in the first hour. But sticking with George Newbern’s narration and Gilbert’s prose yields great rewards. Newbern’s performance is funny, thoughtful, heartrending, and utterly engrossing. When the famous, now aging, author A.N. Dyer calls his distant sons to his side, Newbern is provided ample characters to animate, and he does so with perfect pacing and what seems like an innate understanding of the novel. He creates a rhythm that makes the changing perspectives easy to follow and Gilbert’s details accessible. & SONS is a perfect example of how a skilled narrator can make a good book even better.
Pub Date: July 23, 2013
Duration: 16 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780385359566
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Following multiple lives over six decades, this is a story of cultural shifts, the effects of racial prejudice, and family secrets. Joy Osmanski's narration is engaged and easy to listen to. There are times when her narration is uneven and character accents are inconsistent, but she moves the story along at an excellent pace. Will Damron capably narrates a few descriptive paragraphs at the beginning to set the scene. During the '50s, as bombs are explode in Nevada's deserts to entertain Las Vegas tourists, four sets of characters experience the destruction caused by prejudice and social upheaval in their lives. The author skillfully integrates the lives of vivid and realistic characters, bringing them to a satisfying and surprising denouement in the final chapters.
Pub Date: May 2, 2017
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508234715
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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