Some topics make the case for audiobooks, and art history is among them. The tumultuous history of Monet's paintings of water lilies, undertaken in his 70s and 80s, unfolds in dramatic contrast to the sublime, timeless beauty of the paintings. Serious audio histories generally employ a cultivated British narrator, but storyteller Joel Taylor's reading is solid USA, consolidating without homogenizing his background in Utah and Tennessee, and travels around the 50 states. Whether that voice entirely matches a Canadian author's history of a quintessentially French painter may depend on taste. But his brisk, expressive narration wears well and captures the turmoil that attended these great paintings. This audiobook is a part of the larger work JUDGMENT OF PARIS, King's stellar history of French Impressionism in the 1860s, an audiobook classic expertly narrated by Tristan Layton.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Audible, 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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