Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary

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Title: 6 1/2 Body Parts

Subtitle: Body Movers Novella

Author: Stephanie Bond

Narrator: Ann Richardson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-05-13

Publisher: Stephanie Bond, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 87 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Carlotta Wren has always wondered what her life would've been like if her father hadn't been charged with a white-collar crime, and if her wealthy parents hadn't fled town to avoid facing the music, leaving her to fend for herself and to raise her younger brother Wesley. But with a twist of fate, she's about to find out

Members Reviews:

totally a letdown!!!

i loved the whole series up until this book which just was sooooo disappointing...you wait for things to be explained, concluded, etc....but nooooooo it's a joke!!! and not a good one...don't bother...easier to make up your own ending than listen to this drivel!!!

Body Movers 6 1/2 Novella

I enjoy this other worldy body movers, many of us wish we could go back and change things.

As with Party crashers, I was a little disoriented by the change in Carlotta's voice. In this repect I prefer Maureen Jones, but i adjusted.

I love this series, and would recommend this novella.

Did not like the book and especially the narrator

This a waste of my life and time. I regret this purchase. Poorly written and I really disliked the monotone of the narrator.....

Narrator Change

For some reason the narrator for this book in the series was changed. This messed the whole book for me. The pace and tone of the book changed because of the way the narrator read it. I just couldn't enjoy it. It was unfortunate.

Different perspective

I love her writing it's fun easy listening this was a little out there but I like the characters. Waiting for next book

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Title: Sisterland

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Curtis Sittenfeld

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-25-13

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 499 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times best-selling author of American Wife and Prep, returns with a mesmerizing novel of family and identity, loyalty and deception, and the delicate line between truth and belief.

From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar "senses" - innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other peoples secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them.

Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down in the suburbs to raise her two young children. But when a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. After Vi goes on television to share a premonition that a devastating earthquake will soon hit the St. Louis area, Kate is mortified. More troubling, however, is her fear that Vi may be right. As the date of the predicted earthquake quickly approaches, Kate is forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister, and truths about herself shes long tried to deny.

Funny, haunting, and thought-provoking, Sisterland is a beautifully written novel of the obligation we have toward others, and the responsibility we take for ourselves. With her deep empathy, keen wisdom, and unerring talent for finding the extraordinary moments in our everyday lives, Curtis Sittenfeld is one of the most exceptional voices in literary fiction today.

Critic Reviews:

"A smart and sophisticated portrait... Sittenfeld has an astonishing gift for creating characters that take up residence in readers heads." (The Washington Post, on American Wife)

"Hilarious...a richly textured narrative." (The New Yorker, on Prep)

"[Sittenfeld] writes with humor, intelligence, insight, and heart. Shes also as good at sharp social satire as she is at tender mercies." (The Boston Globe, on The Man of My Dreams)

Members Reviews:

Too many minor details and not enough story.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I am from St. Louis and I grew up during the same time that these girls did. The time and places from the story was a chance to revisit my youth. That part was wonderful, however, if I weren't from St. Louis this book would not have been a much of a listen.

Would you recommend Sisterland to your friends? Why or why not?

I would to someone my age from St. Louis. Anyone else I would say it isn't bad but it isn't anything to go out of your way for.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the parts that spoke of the places I have been and things I have done.

Did Sisterland inspire you to do anything?

Yes. It made me tell my husband how much I love him and how I would never ever do something like that to him.

Any additional comments?

I can't believe how many times they mentioned Target and Schnucks. The entire book seemed to be more about running errands than have an actual story. I'm still trying to figure out the point of the book.

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Title: Truly Everlasting

Author: Brenda Jackson

Narrator: Pete Ohms

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-30-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 94 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

As the holidays settle in around Houston, Texas, young Austin has but one wish - for a Christmas Daddy. When his mother, Felicia Madaris, learns of his wish, she turns to childhood-rival-turned-family-friend, Trask Maxwell, to help fulfill her young sons wish. But soon, Felicia realizes that it's not just Austins Christmas wish that is coming true.

Members Reviews:

Book was better

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I loved the book but the audio version left alot to be desired. I felt the narrator could've done a whole lot better.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The custody talk...the "daddy for the holidays" fairytale.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Pete Ohms?

Two of my favorite narrators, either Ezra Knight or Kevin Free.

Do you think Truly Everlasting needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, it was too fairy tale..Not one of Ms. Jackson's best books.

awws

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

it was a good story you cant help but to say aww

What did you like best about this story?

he granted the little boys wish

If you could rename Truly Everlasting, what would you call it?

one wish

Truly Everlasting

I love listening to the story. I really enjoy it. That's why I have the movie also!

Love Brenda Jackson/Pete Ohms

And Pete Ohms together. He's an excellent narrator. This book sizzles!!! A realistic love story.

Finding love being a mother,

Great love mom bye love. How wonderful that you understood why they want to do and, Because you haven't found the American flight but he is also fine sexy sexy sexy I want one!!'

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Title: The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Rita Leganski

Narrator: Maggi-Meg Reed

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 98 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Conceived in love and possibility, Bonaventure Arrow didn't make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. No one knows that Bonaventure's silence is filled with resonance - a miraculous gift of rarified hearing that encompasses the Universe of Every Single Sound. Growing up in the big house on Christopher Street in Bayou Cymbaline, Bonaventure can hear flowers grow, a thousand shades of blue, and the miniature tempests that rage inside raindrops. He can also hear the gentle voice of his father, William Arrow, shot dead before Bonaventure was born by a mysterious stranger known only as the Wanderer.

Bonaventure's remarkable gift of listening promises salvation to the souls who love him: his beautiful young mother, Dancy, haunted by the death of her husband; his Grand-mere Letice, plagued by grief and a long-buried guilt she locks away in a chapel; and his father, William, whose roaming spirit must fix the wreckage of the past. With the help of Trinidad Prefontaine, a Creole housekeeper endowed with her own special gifts, Bonaventure will find the key to long-buried mysteries and soothe a chorus of family secrets clamoring to be healed.

Members Reviews:

Unusual story, wrong narrator

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This is the rare book that is better read than listened to. It's not often I feel this way, but there is a delicacy about this story and the prose that is somehow flattened by the narrators voice. I think a different narrator would have been more effective.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Trinidad Prefontaine was fascinating and sympathetic.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed?

This is the second book I've heard with this narrator, and I enjoyed that performance. She did a competent job here, but her voice was somehow wrong for the delicacy of this story.

Was The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow worth the listening time?

It's a better book to read to appreciate the mysticism and delicacy of the story.

The Silence of Boneventure Arrow

Where does The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

This book captured my attention immediately on opening. The performance was excellent. I enjoyed it very much. The characters were so real. It is both a drama and a mystery story but even though it keeps you guessing it is a very real type of story.

What other book might you compare The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow to and why?

It was comparable to the book/movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in that the child is born with a condition that is strange. However, as you read the book, you are so drawn into it that you will feel that his condition is acceptable and understandable under the circumstances. You will not regret getting this book.

Which character as performed by Maggi-Meg Reed was your favorite?

Boneventures father was my favorite character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would have loved to be able to listen to this book all in one sitting but it is a long book and I did carry it with me when traveling in the car and going to doctor's offices.

A darling, lyrical gem

I LOVE this book. It is a darling lyrical gem of beautiful language and gentle philosophy about how the characters deal with the currents in their lives.

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Title: Alex

Author: Adam J. Nicolai

Narrator: Marc Vietor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 104 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Alex was Ian's five-year-old son: brilliant, earnest, and compassionate. He is dead now, but Ian can't let him go. When his wife urges him to move on, he drives her away. His performance at work collapses; his friends leave him. Six months later, alone in an empty house, Ian starts to see his son again.

Every vision is a repeat of something the boy said or did in life: aching memories replaying themselves for Ian's eyes alone. Are these images of Alex real? Has Ian's son found a way back, to forgive or condemn his father? Or has Ian's sorrow metastasized into psychosis?

With a masterful hand, best-selling Kindle Horror author Adam J. Nicolai paints a picture of grief, madness, and the furious strength of a father's love for his son.

Editorial Reviews:

Ian is having difficulty letting go of the murder of his 5-year-old son, Alex. As a result, his marriage crumbles, his performance at work suffers, and his friends all abandon him. Ian eventually finds himself alone - and then the hauntings start. Five-time AudioFile Earphones Award winner Mark Vietor expresses an entire range of emotions and tones flawlessly, using actual shifts in personality rather than vocal tricks for each character. Listeners will wonder whether Ian's visions of his son are a sign of psychosis or whether Alex is trying to contact him from the grave.

Members Reviews:

Edge of my bed, gripping story.

What made the experience of listening to Alex the most enjoyable?

I could feel in my own bones the father's fear, desperation, insanity, and annoyance at was was happening. Ian is a very personable character, and I felt the author did an excellent job putting Ian's mind into your own. What this man goes through is a nightmare, and I felt every bit of it. I could not stop listening because I wanted to know WHY!!!!??? The filler in between hauntings is even good. It's definitely a satisfying piece of horror. I rarely give 5 star ratings. I save those for books the really pull me around by my hair. This one did.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Oh, Ian by far. I really felt for him. I was desperate for him, sad for him, broken for him. I wanted to see him...get out of that mess.

What about Marc Vietors performance did you like?

You know, the best narrators don't really make you think of their performance, they just make you feel the story and pull you in. He was perfect.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. But I love listening to horror stories right before bed. I save that for "my time". I stayed up way too late so many nights with this book though, lol.

Any additional comments?

Keep writing, I'll keep listening!!! I'll be looking for more of your books Mr. Nicolai.

good book

Has a surprise ending and no hints were given during the book. It is awesome

Paranormal experience of Psychotic break

For some reason when I first saw this audiobook I thought it was something much different that what the publishers summary actually says it is, sometimes I just need to slow down and really read stuff, think about it, and read it again. If you didnt know that is one of the main reasons that I love audiobooks, because I dont have to read them ;) . I do not normally listen to horror books but I do have a few that are in my queue to listen to in the near future.

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Title: The Surfing Lesson

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Narrator: Therese Plummer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-13

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 53 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Margot's reservoir of romantic feelings for her husband, Drum, is running dry. But while the family is on vacation in Nantucket, Margot finds an opportunity to potentially regain her romantic love for her husband - in the form of Hadley Axelram, his ex-girlfriend. She is counting on jealousy as a relationship defibrillator.

But after forcing her surfing-god husband to make plans for a surfing lesson with Hadley and her son, Margot is left to reminisce about the summer she fell in love with Drum, and the unexpected blossoming of their relationship. When she sees Drum and Hadley spending time together, will the spark reignite - and will her marriage be saved? Or will she find that love is truly gone from this relationship?

This touching short story about a poignant stage in a marriage explores the backstory of Margot Carmichael, one of the stars in Elin Hilderbrand's new novel, Beautiful Day.

Members Reviews:

Extremely disappointing

"Spoiler alert." If you don't want to know the ending. Don't read this!!!don't know if I got a messed up version on kindle but I thought this was a love story of two people finding their way back to each other and it was not. She ended up divorced and having an affair with someone in her office? That was the end if the story.?? I won't buy this author again. If this sounds like my kindle messes up and I only received part of the story please let me know.

Same old cheat in a Jeep

When Hilderbrand began writing her summer on Nantucket stories they were rich with scents of food and salt air, interesting characters, and gorgeous settings. Then she set into a predictable formula that is redundant and b o r I n g. Disillusioned wife, rich, and Horney. Typical great looking Younger Guy, Horney. He has, gasp, a Jeep! He can surf, bike, fish, incite passion with a sultry smirk. Steal thy neighbor's lover, spouse, favorite ice cream flavor. Meet at Insert local product placement venue here... Later repent but don't update the cottage. Repeat scenario next year. It's okay, everybody cheats at Monopoly and Nantucket is populated by serial monogamists.

Go back to the hard work of real writing, Ellin with an i. Even your loyal hotel customers deserve better than a Chamber of Commerce map and a recycled novel upon check in. I'm going to donate my entire collection of Hildebrand's books to the Jamestown, RI 2014 book fair. No mas!

Five Stars

That's one way to get to know a family member!

Four Stars

Its a book with words and my wife read it.

Surfing Lesson

A well-crafted to read, about following your own dreams versus someone elseâs. This is a character driven book about staying true to yourself versus honoring someoneâs legacy. It makes one think, where is the line drawn between duty to self or duty to family.

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Title: Best Kept Secret: Clifton Chronicles, Book 3

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Narrator: Alex Jennings

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-13

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 130 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

1945. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie. The Lord Chancellors deciding vote will cast a long shadow on the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington. Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her fathers office on the night he was killed. When the General Election is called, Giles Barrington has to defend his seat in the House of Commons and is horrified to discover who the Conservatives select to stand against him. But it is Sebastian Clifton, Harry and Emmas son, who ultimately influences his uncles fate.

In 1957, Sebastian wins a scholarship to Cambridge, and a new generation of the Clifton family march onto the page. After Sebastian is expelled from school, he unwittingly becomes caught up in an international art fraud involving a Rodin statue that is worth far more than the sum it raises at auction. Does he become a millionaire? Does he go to Cambridge? Is his life in danger? Best Kept Secret will answer all these questions, but once again, pose so many more.

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the first two books of the Clifton series but this one seemed forced and awkward. I found the characters unsympathetic, the plot unrealistic and the narrative tedious.

If youve listened to books by Jeffrey Archer before, how does this one compare?

Easily the worst. I usually get sucked into his stories and carried along by the fast paced stories but this one dragged.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I found the narrator pretentious but competent and clear diction.

Any additional comments?

I hope number four will be back to the standard of the first two otherwise it sullies your initial positive impression of the series.

A bit of a soapie

Got tired of the soap opera feel of this series. I read 3 of the series in a row and this will be my last purchase. I may come back in years to come but I am over it at this stage. The story overall is entertaining and I would probably have continued if I didn't feel so "milked" by buying a set of chapters rather than a book.

Jeffery gets lost in a soap opera

What did you like best about Best Kept Secret: Clifton Chronicles, Book 3? What did you like least?

The best part was it kept the story going, however, it starts to become very soapy. Compared to volumes 1 and 2 it lets the reader down, it lost my interest in the story. It gets very bogged down in the story and I found myself wishing he'd get on with it and hurry up, a bit like the English Cricket Team.

Jeffery should've released the volumes sooner as I found myself trying to remember the story.

Would you recommend Best Kept Secret: Clifton Chronicles, Book 3 to your friends? Why or why not?

You'd have to recommend it only to get to the end of the saga.

Which scene was your favorite?

Can't remember any scene that was a stand out.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, a movie wouldn't be able to capture all the detail in and would leave the reader disappointed.

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Title: The Enchanted April

Author: Elizabeth von Arnim

Narrator: Eleanor Bron

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 160 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

It began in a women's club in London on a February afternoon. A discreet advertisement in The Times, addressed to "Those who Appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine..." lures four very different women away from the dismal British weather to San Salvatore, a castle high above a bay on the sunny Italian Riviera. There, the Mediterranean spirit stirs the souls of Mrs Arbuthnot, Mrs Wilkins, Lady Caroline Dester, and Mrs Fisher, and remarkable changes occur.

Members Reviews:

Oh, Gosh! What a Delightful Surprise!

Would you listen to The Enchanted April again? Why?

I purchased this audiobook because it came cheap. I had low expectations. So imagine my surprise when I found fleshed-out characters, a not so easy journey for them, and twists in the plot. Even though I absolutely knew how it'd turn out in the end, it was so good (and so well narrated) I zipped through, chapter after chapter. And I look forward to doing that again someday because really: what a delight!

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters have complicated natures, complicated desires, and unexpected challenges to growth. Mrs. Wilkins, Lottie, however, is a natural favorite as she's the catalyst for change, the one who leaves her subservient self behind, and looks to the future with hope while enjoying every second of the present.

Which scene was your favorite?

This book really makes you look at the beauty around you, and it inspires you to fling off your shackles with joy. I particularly was impressed by how many little obstacles were thrown in the way of the characters. What should have been a predictable journey to growth was instead written with challenges for them. This had me biting my nails now and again.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I found nothing wrong with Eleanor Bron's performance but was instead really quite taken with it. There are different versions of this book, but I suggest this version as Bron has a knack for delivering the different tones of the characters' natures, their emotions. She doesn't make the annoying mistake of trying to warp her voice into different characters but uses subtle variations to distinguish them. She really captures their longings, their fears, their hopes.

Any additional comments?

Make no mistake, this is light reading/listening. If you're looking for deep plot dynamics, save this for later. But by all means, come back later if you'd like some refreshment. It's a little gem that I had no idea was out there.

A perfect read for any season

If you've longed for an Italian holiday in a quiet old villa with charming friends, this is your ticket. It will be even better if you adore flowers and good, if short, conversations. A likening for the British will positively seal the deal.

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Title: Love Anthony

Author: Lisa Genova

Narrator: Debra Messing

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-25-12

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 407 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From the award-winning New York Times best-selling author of Still Alice and Left Neglected, comes a heartfelt novel about an accidental friendship that gives a grieving mother a priceless gift: the ability to understand the thoughts of her eight-year-old autistic son and make sense of his brief life.

Two women, each cast adrift by unforseen events in their lives, meet by accident on a Nantucket beach and are drawn into a friendship.

Olivia is a young mother whose eight-year-old severely autistic son has recently died. Her marriage badly frayed by years of stress, she comes to the island in a trial separation to try and make sense of the tragedy of her Anthony's short life.

Beth, a stay-at-home mother of three, is also recently separated after discovering her husbands long-term infidelity. In an attempt to recapture a sense of her pre-married life, she rekindles her passion for writing, determined to find her own voice again. But surprisingly, as she does so, Beth also find herself channeling the voice of an unknown boy, exuberant in his perceptions of the world around him if autistic in his expression - a voice she can share with Olivia - is it Anthony?) - that brings comfort and meaning to them both.

Members Reviews:

Love the book! A Sad 'feel-good-book'

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definately!

Because it's worth Reading.

I think it's healthy for everyone to take a peak in to a totally

honest mind from time to time.

What did you like best about this story?

The way she made him speak!

I'll never look att an Autistic child the same again.

What does Debra Messing bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

She is a brilliant storyteller. I love her voice, and the way she reads,

pauses, breathes - everythig about her.

She gets out the drama, arguments, accidents and so forth, without

changing the volume of her voice.

To many read very low, so you set the volume, but then something happends,

and they start screaming and shouting - and you have to throw yourself over the volume-button. it's more like listening to a football/Soccer-game.

But, then you can't hear again, and have to turn it up.

So -- these are books you can only listen to alone, when no one is home, or in the

same room.

Not what I expected.

Olivia cannot move on with her life until she understands the reason for Anthony's life and death as an autistic child. Then she meets Beth who is writing a book about a boy speaking through her to his mother. As Olivia pours through her journals about life with her son, Anthony, his story comes to life through two different perspectives.

The story was entertaining but I had a hard time believing that someone could write an book on a subject that they hadn't researched and come up with a paranormal channeling experience giving a non-verbal child a believable voice that has the vocabulary of an adult.

Although I did enjoy the story of Beth and Olivia's relationship, I found parts of it teadious and farfetched.

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Title: The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Author: Milan Kundera

Narrator: Richmond Hoxie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-12

Publisher: Canongate Faber

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 62 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A young woman is in love with a successful surgeon, a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing. His mistress, a free-spirited artist, lives her life as a series of betrayals - while her other lover, earnest, faithful, and good, stands to lose everything because of his noble qualities. In a world where lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and fortuitous events, and everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight. Hence we feel "the unbearable lightness of being." A major achievement from one of the world's truly great writers, Milan Kundera's magnificent novel of passion and politics, infidelity and ideas, encompasses the extremes of comedy and tragedy, illuminating all aspects of human existence.

Members Reviews:

Love the guy who read this

Such a lovely calming voice. He got me through some hard slow parts. Some elements of the story were confusing for me but I'm sure some research will sort that out!

Kundera

Excellent book about a philosophical way of life. Recommendable for all audiences. My first Kundera experience and am looking forward to more!

An Absolute Joy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. A delightful jigsaw of stories overlaid with non-judgemental "light" philosophical asides.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Unbearable Lightness of Being?

I enjoyed several of the "philosophical" tangents that the narrator took. They added depth to the story, gave us insight into the characters that we'd not have gleaned from the story alone, creating humanity beyond what would be in a more conventional storyline. A third dimension.

What about Richmond Hoxies performance did you like?

My impression is that Richmond Hoxie was extremely familiar with the book. He had just the right levity at times when it was needed but also created the characters perfectly.

If you could rename The Unbearable Lightness of Being, what would you call it?

I wouldn't.

Any additional comments?

This book lives up to it's hype. Worth the time, extremely enjoyable. More than "just a story".

Strives to be deep

There are parts of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed. There are moments of great beauty through skilful prose and a thoughtful story. However, I think you can only enjoy an opinionated book if you agree with the opinions expressed. Unfortunately, in enough of the cases to spoil it, I did not.

My other complaint is quoting the ancients to prove your point rather than illustrate it. Euclid was a truly great mind - it took us a couple of thousand years to show his work as incomplete, but eventually we moved past him.

I would go as far as to say I could possibly be a fan of the author, but not the philosopher.

I know others have found this book very deep and enjoyable - it is well written, so I am wary of putting another reader off it just because I didn't enjoy parts of it.

A wistful and wise sideways look at "reality"

Kundera's work is always profound. His characters face all the usual dilemmas thrown at us by life and the complex business of being "human". Some characters soar above the mundane, others are sucked down by it. Kundera never tires of throwing us the deep questions - the plot is richly drawn with a sweet and sour mixture of humour and sorrow.