Narrator Kristin Atherton switches seamlessly from English to French as she takes the listener deep inside the Left Bank world of the surrealist artists. Beginning with the First World War and the Dada movement, the story follows Duchamp, Man Ray, Ernst, Cocteau, Dalí, and others as they create their revolutionary and controversial forms of expression, which aim to shock. Atherton's clear reading and impeccable pacing with dramatic emphasis on phrases in French keep the listener engaged with this entertaining and detailed work of art history. Her spot-on pronunciation of names and places lends authenticity. The lives of artists are always interesting, and those who lived in Paris during the first decades of the twentieth century are especially so.
Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781984839084
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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