The four characters who narrate Michael Cunningham’s intricately threaded first novel come dramatically to life in this excellent reading. Bobby, read by Colin Farrell in a flat middle-American voice, is the understated center of this recording and the story itself, in which a gay man, a straight man, and an older woman set out to rear a baby together. Cunningham, who received the Pulitzer Prize for THE HOURS, is a matchless stylist whose eye for character and scene is rendered in immaculate images and metaphors. Individual narrators break at 20 to 30 minutes, ideal for exercising and tasking, the succulent prose allowing frequent breaks and interludes. But, beware. A particularly heartrending death will discombobulate you, whatever you’re doing, and the later seduction should not be experienced in public.
Pub Date: July 1, 2004
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781593973919
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Reader Michael Prichard delivers a convincing rendition of Archie Goodwin, the burly right hand of the portly Nero Wolfe, world-renowned gourmand and detective. Prichard preserves the 1970s setting and 1950s origins of the story, bringing listeners a well-paced narration of murder and politics--a combination of elements that usually guarantees an exciting listen. This audio entertainment is as well formed and fragrant as one of Wolfe's hothouse orchids (the stout sleuth cultivates them by the hundreds in his town house greenhouse) as Goodwin walks us through an explosive murder investigation and political wheeling and dealing in a tough yet intelligent read.
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2006
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Partners
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This collection of eight short stories contains gentle tales of fantasy and magic--not the magic of wizards and wands, but of wishing mats and enormous cats and gifts brought by the winds. In a lovely English accent, Lizza Aiken quietly narrates these stories in which magic and good fortune often come to those who deserve it. Although her pitch changes little, she registers a range of emotions--from the sadness of a girl whose necklace of raindrops has been stolen to the joy of a child who moves from a hard life and a ramshackle trailer to a happy home amid the clouds. A NECKLACE OF RAINDROPS would make a soothing choice for a family car trip after a long day.
Ages 6+Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101915721
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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