Dominic Hoffman gives these revealing missives an outstanding narration. Whether the author is expansive, petulant, pedestrian, or eloquent, Hoffman's narration captures the language, cadence, and spirit of one of the twentieth century's most important writers and African-American public figures. The letters provide a window onto his thinking on race; his reaction to his 1953 National Book Award; and his friendships with Saul Bellow, Richard Wright, James Allen McPherson, and others. A prolific essayist, reviewer, critic, and opinion writer, Ellison received numerous honorary doctorates and spent two years at the American Academy in Rome but maddeningly left his second novel unfinished. The listener is treated to six decades of his preoccupations and thoughts. John Callahan reads the introduction to each decade's letters and the chronology. One quibble: The informative chronology should be at the beginning, not the end.
Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2019
Duration: 49 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525587729
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
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