When reading the brilliant, enigmatic Pynchon, one often wishes for an annotated edition, for he saturates his convoluted, satirical novels with obscure, erudite references from every nook and cranny of contemporary experience. Those approaching him for the first time are best advised to start with this, his second and most accessible volume--which is not to say that it is all that clear. During the 1960s, Oedipa Maas is named executor of the estate of an old boyfriend. Her efforts lead her into, among other things, centuries-old conspiracies, counter-culture psychedelics, societal anarchy, alternate realities, and the Beatles. Narrator Wilson to the rescue! He works back-breakingly to make sense out of the swirling overripe material. But, while admirably light-footed, he totally misses the author's tone of sly, omniscient risibility and godlike mischief, which are the hallmarks of his postmodern enigmatics.
Pub Date: 2005
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This audiobook is initially daunting. Sixteen hours long and constructed of subtle—at times, even confusing—shifts in point of view, it may feel overwhelming in the first hour. But sticking with George Newbern’s narration and Gilbert’s prose yields great rewards. Newbern’s performance is funny, thoughtful, heartrending, and utterly engrossing. When the famous, now aging, author A.N. Dyer calls his distant sons to his side, Newbern is provided ample characters to animate, and he does so with perfect pacing and what seems like an innate understanding of the novel. He creates a rhythm that makes the changing perspectives easy to follow and Gilbert’s details accessible. & SONS is a perfect example of how a skilled narrator can make a good book even better.
Pub Date: 2013
Duration: 16 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780385359566
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Following multiple lives over six decades, this is a story of cultural shifts, the effects of racial prejudice, and family secrets. Joy Osmanski's narration is engaged and easy to listen to. There are times when her narration is uneven and character accents are inconsistent, but she moves the story along at an excellent pace. Will Damron capably narrates a few descriptive paragraphs at the beginning to set the scene. During the '50s, as bombs are explode in Nevada's deserts to entertain Las Vegas tourists, four sets of characters experience the destruction caused by prejudice and social upheaval in their lives. The author skillfully integrates the lives of vivid and realistic characters, bringing them to a satisfying and surprising denouement in the final chapters.
Pub Date: 2017
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508234715
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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