Theroux's travels--literal and literary; cultural and hallucinogenic--render a splendid challenge for Edoardo Ballerini, the narrator of these 30 essays composed between 2001-16. It is met with verve and acuity. As Theroux marvels during tea with Muriel Spark on her passion for "peculiar truth" and "boldness of . . . characterization," he could be writing about himself (an act that also occurs in this collection). Always a fan of the road less traveled, Theroux also explores such writers as Georges Simenon, Joseph Conrad, and Henry David Thoreau, and travels to Hawaii, Michael Jackson's Neverland, and Zimbabwe. Best of all, Ballerini's perfectly paced, low-key narration captures the wit and irony of the essayist's probing nonfiction with a style that places its language and reflections center stage.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2018
Duration: 16 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781980011316
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
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