Narrator Julia Whelan's tone is just right for this intimate look at Hollywood's Golden Age. A lovely tribute, this dual biography describes the lives of Riskin's parents. Her mother, actress Fay Wray, made over 120 films and is best remembered for being the beauty the beast falls for in KING KONG. Her father, Academy Award-winning producer and screenwriter Robert Riskin, is famous for such films as LOST HORIZON and IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Whelan's intelligent interpretations of the parties, the affairs, and the Hollywood politics are nicely understated. With unsentimental tenderness, Whelan's performance captures a love story that spanned decades.
Pub Date: 2019
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781984846471
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:
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:
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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