Marie Corelli, born Mary Mills or Minnie Mackay, (no one knows which) in 1855, wrote more than 30 romances and died in 1924. Teresa Ransom sets out to tell what she has learned about Corelli; the result is an endlessly detailed account of an author who is unknown to today's readers. Judith Boyd tries in vain to keep the listener interested in a basically unattractive character. The sappy tones of Corellis wheedling and strident shrewishness when things are not going her way hardly seem romantic. Still, Corelli's mystical tales enchanted Victorian audiences, even Queen Victoria. This exhaustingly researched biography may be of interest to scholars of the Victorian Era, if not to today's readers.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books/ Clipper
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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