Patty Nieman's pleasing voice and steady pace keep this biography of painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) interesting. Nieman provides the right amount of expression and manages Dutch and French names with a convincing accent as Mondrian moves from the Netherlands to Paris and London. Mondrian evolved from painting profitable landscapes, portraits, and flowers to his deceptively simple arrangements of black lines and blocks of primary color that upon closer examination reveal hidden depth through harmony and rhythm. A major theorist and founder of the neoplasticist journal DE STIJL (The Style), he created abstractions that inspired modernist graphic design and architecture. Mondrian's eccentric personality was reflected in other aspects of his life such as the fastidious way he would eat a pear and his odd style of dancing. J.E.S © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
Duration: 25 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593914700
Publisher: Random House Audio
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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