Discover the Top 100 Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Lives of the Artists

Author: Giorgio Vasari

Narrator: Neville Jason

Format: Abridged

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-28-09

Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

An Italian Mannerist architect and painter, Giorgio Vasari was acquainted with many of the most famous artists of his day. He is best-known today for his biographies of artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian and Giotto. This recording is read with clarity and authority by Neville Jason.

Editorial Reviews:

Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) was born during one of the greatest eras of art, and five centuries later his work gives readers a contemporary window on the Renaissance. In these excerpts from his massive work, Vasari not only describes the artists major works, but shares personal reflections about the men themselves. Narrator Neville Jason, who also has chosen and abridged the selections, is skillful with the Italian and clearly shares Vasaris ear for entertaining anecdotes.

Members Reviews:

A Personal History

Where does The Lives of the Artists rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

As an educational read it ranks near the top.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lives of the Artists?

The very human tendencies of some of the most brilliant artists of all time. Like the fact that Donatello, I believe, eschewed money to the extent that he hung from the ceiling of his studio a basket where he placed all his commissioned earnings. The money was there for anyone working for him to take as needed, for personal or artistic needs.

What about Neville Jasons performance did you like?

A nice voice that gives a very continental flavor to the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It affirmed for me the great glory of the genius of the Renaissance artists from Cimabue to Giotto, to Donatello through to DaVinci and Michelangelo.

Any additional comments?

It was a step back in time. However, comments at the end may have been helpful to identify where many of these masterpieces are today. Vasari was giving a contemporary account. Now the works of art he describes are now housed in some of the most famous museums in the world.

Excellent if the music was removed.

Would you listen to The Lives of the Artists again? Why?

Yes. As Vasari lived in the time of the Master artists, and gave his view of how they were perceived in his day.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vasari himself, the way he talks about other artist; 'Leonardo da Vinci was frivolous'; could not complete anything before moving on to something else, or the artist that boiled 50 eggs at a time for eating, whilst he was making his egg mixture for tempera!

Which scene was your favorite?

I haven't finished the book yet. But there is a lot to take in, which makes you want to stop pause and talk about. I will definitely be listening to this book a few more times, start to finish, to learn a lot of past artist names, the way they perceived art and the way they were treated by their own people of their time.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Vasari's View

Any additional comments?

The music between chapters is the real killer of the book. If the music went for 2 - 5 seconds and at a lower decibel, it may be bearable. Instead it last for up to 25 seconds by this stage Im murderous.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Things the Grandchildren Should Know

Author: Mark Oliver Everett

Narrator: The Chet

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The insecure son of a genius physicist, Everett was left to run wild with his sister while his father was off in some parallel universe of his own invention. A string of tragedies would claim his family members, one by one, yet somehow Everett managed to not only survive, but to make a life. Striking out on a journey to find himself, he channeled his experiences into critically acclaimed music with the Eels.

Told with surprising candor, Things the Grandchildren Should Know is an inspiring and remarkable story full of hope, humor, and wry wisdom.

Members Reviews:

One of the best Audible books I've heard......

and I've heard a lot of them.

I became curious about the author after seeing Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives. I wasn't familiar with his music.

It's a great survival story!

Compelling, well written and produced, and very well read!

Sad, funny and inspiring...

Would you listen to Things the Grandchildren Should Know again? Why?

I have already listened to it twice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Things the Grandchildren Should Know?

Everett's amazing personality and sense of humor shine through the tragic and defining stories of his life giving new insight into the man and his music. Also, beautifully read by The Chet.

Have you listened to any of The Chets other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to The Chet perform live with the Eels for years. As for audio books, I do not believe he has done any others but with his voice and annunciation, I would definitely love to hear more.

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

This book was so good, I woke up at 5 am just to finish it before going to work.

Any additional comments?

I strongly recommend this book.

Amateurish

This is what happens when someone whos never been a reader, never studied literature or writing, up and decides he should write a book for the rest of us to read. The writing is mostly amateurish, full of empty and often corny clichés, never penetrating or insightful, and his tone reeks of that combination of self-pity and self-importance common to inexperienced writers (though to the narrator's credit, he manages to capture that tone).

A musician like Bob Dylan can write a decent memoir because hes extremely well read and a first-rate poet. Keith Richards wrote a great memoir because hes also well-read and had a decent writer help him. This book will appeal to Eels fans who arent interested in literary quality or great story telling, but I cant see why anyone else would bother. Though he manages to get off an occasional one-liner, Everett's storytelling is strictly ho-hum, even when he's telling of a plane that crashed into his neighborhood.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Downhill Lie

Subtitle: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Narrator: Carl Hiaasen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-29-08

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 71 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

"What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he'd never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here's why I did it: I'm one sick bastard."

And thus we have Carl's foray into a world of baffling titanium technology, high-priced golf gurus, bizarre infomercial gimmicks and the mind-bending phenomenon of Tiger Woods - a maddening universe of hooks and slices where Carl ultimately (and foolishly) agrees to compete in a country-club tournament against players who can actually hit the ball. "That's the secret of the sport's infernal seduction," he writes. "It surrenders just enough good shots to let you talk yourself out of quitting."

Hiaasen's chronicle of his shaky return to this bedeviling pastime and the ensuing demolition of his self-esteem - culminating with the savage 45-hole tournament - will have you rolling with laughter. Yet the bittersweet memories of playing with his own father and the glow he feels when watching his own young son belt the ball down the fairway will also touch your heart.

Forget Tiger, Phil and Ernie. If you want to understand the true lure of golf, turn to Carl Hiaasen, who offers an extraordinary audiobook for the ordinary hacker.

Critic Reviews:

"His analysis of his lessons, hapless rounds, and gimmicky golf equipment is hilarious, and his vivid descriptions are vintage Hiaasen...With the satirically skilled Hiaasen, who rarely breaks 90 on the links, this narrative is an enjoyable ride." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Not a Bogie but a Birdie !

You don't have to be a golfnut to enjoy the book.It is filled with humor, lessons of life and an easy listen.

It is the type of book that you can't stop reading/listening with the hope something good will happen to the main character, the author. Bringing in his friends makes it a real experience that can be identified with each swing of his many , assorted golf clubs.

This book is a can't miss from beginning to end.This is my first book by this author and I can't wait to listen to the others.

A Downhill Lie, not your usual Hiaasen

What did you like best about The Downhill Lie? What did you like least?

The book was entertaining, and the reading passably good. However, I rather expected the strange and tangential humor of the typical Hiaasen book, and it simply was not present. A good read for a golfer, but not for the mystery buff.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Rhys Bowen

What does Carl Hiaasen bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

an insider's view of golf

Did The Downhill Lie inspire you to do anything?

not really

Kina funny

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It's a bit dated, being written before the fall of Tiger

What could Carl Hiaasen have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Update it

What does Carl Hiaasen bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

i like his reading, always colourful

Was The Downhill Lie worth the listening time?

Sure

Hacker Humor

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

My father told me about this book because, like the story it tells, I am a middle aged guy coming back to golf after years away.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Man Who Loved China

Author: Simon Winchester

Narrator: Simon Winchester

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-08

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 444 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

In sumptuous and illuminating detail, Simon Winchester chronicles the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, the brilliant Cambridge scientist who turned his eccentric genius on the study of China.

In 1937 Joseph Needham fell in love with a visiting Chinese student. He soon became fascinated by China, and his mistress persuaded him to travel to her home country. Thus began his undying passion for the world's most populous nation.

Needham tackled one of the great, unanswered historical questions: Why did a nation that had invented so much and had enjoyed 5,000 years of flourishing civilization fail to undergo an industrial revolution, and instead spend so many modern years mired in poverty and racked by instability and revolution?

By the time he died, Needham had produced 17 immense volumes on China, marking him as the greatest one-man encyclopaedist ever.

Both epic and intimate, The Man Who Loved China tells the sweeping history of China through Needham's remarkable life. Here is an unforgettable tale by one of the world's inimitable storytellers.

Members Reviews:

Great for Winchester Fans

This is my third Simon Winchester book and I enjoyed it immensely. However, if you've never read (listened) to a Simon Winchester book, this is not the one to start with. You will appreciate this book far more after listening to "The Professor and The Madman" because it will help you "get" the Winchester perspective on great works of scholarly importance and the characters in Madman are far more endearing than here.

This guy knows how to tell a story

This is not a topic I would normally have much interest in. I've never heard of Joseph Needham or the book he wrote. But Simon Winchester can make things interesting. It is the story of another eccentric Brit, not unlike the subjects of The Professor and the Madman or The Map that Changed the World. The format is straight biography, but there is an awful lot to learn about China in the story.

I guess the take home message is that China went into a slump for a few centuries while Europe managed to take over the world. Now China is regaining its place as a center of innovation and scholarship. How the future plays out is still open, but Needham made it clear that if the past is any guide, the West has a lot to worry about. A fun listen.

turn your watch back 70 years

Turn your watch back 70 years and let Simon Winchester guide your mind through Joseph Needman's life and times. Beyond his work in China, Winchester brings you up close to all of the unique and interesting aspects of Needam. Beyond the wonderful way Winchester writes, the English accent is just great.

A MASTERPIECE!

I would give this 10 stars if I could. I have read three other books by Winchester and was honestly rather disappointed with them. But in this work, he has exceeded all his other efforts put together. I was transported into Joseph Needham's world of Cambridge in the first half of the twentieth century. This brilliant man reached the pinnacle of achievement in science, languages, and history. After a remarkable career in biochemistry, he switched to the history of science in China in his late thirties. He not only mastered the Chinese language, but became the world authority on the history of science in China. He recognized that the Chinese were often far ahead of the rest of the world in science.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Girls Like Us

Subtitle: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon & the Journey of a Generation

Author: Sheila Weller

Narrator: Susan Ericksen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-08

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 234 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Collectively, they represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s. Their stories trace the arc of the now-mythic generation known as "the 60s" - the female version - but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché.

The history of the women of that generation had never been written - until now - and it is told through the resonant lives and emblematic songs of Mitchell, Simon, and King.

Filled with the voices of dozens of these women's intimates, this alternating biography reads like a novel - except it's all true, and the heroines are famous and beloved. Sheila Weller captures the character of each woman and gives a balanced portrayal, enriched by a wealth of new information.

Girls Like Us is an epic treatment of midcentury women who dared to break tradition and become what none had been before them: confessors in song, rock superstars, and adventurers of heart and soul.

Critic Reviews:

"An exhilarating look at three of the most creative talents of their era....Wonderfully detailed." (The Boston Globe)

Members Reviews:

Good, but...

I've just finished listening - and came away with generally a good feeling about this book, even if - TMI - the exhaustive research could have been edited a bit. BUT - it was the narrator (Ms Ericksen) who annoyed me -with her numerous mispronunciations of names (oh well, if that sort of thing annoys you... then READ the book, I suppose). I loved the details about the early, formative years of these three women and the people who came into and out of their lives, shaping their creative talents from a very early age.

But, do they have innies or outies?

Yes, this book contains every detail of the lives of these three women except that one... Unlike several other reviewers, I like lots of detail and often choose books for their length. (I wish I had counted every occurrence of the phrase "in an interview before his death in xxxx..." That sure made me feel mortal, since I'm only a decade younger than the subjects.)

I chose the book because I liked Carole King and Joni Mitchell both pretty well, although I wasn't that familiar with the work of Carly Simon. In the end, I liked them all a lot LESS as people, but had greater respect for their work. It almost became laughable that there was so much swapping and hopping going on, but in an era of great sexual freedom, it's not difficult to believe. And, hey, who knew James Taylor got around so much, and that Crosby, Still and Nash were so interchangeable in the boudoir?

The narrator has a pleasant enough voice, but I agree that the mispronunciations were irritating! Why don't producers of audio books do a better job of preparing readers so they don't do this?! Mispronouncing words is bad enough, but mispronouncing names is egregious! And her recitation of lyrics was awful - especially when it was a drawn out word, like in "Anticipation". Wouldn't it have been lovely if the reader had SUNG the few lyrics in the book?

social history lite (and middle class)

I had waited eagerly to listen to this and was VERY disappointed.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Good Rat

Subtitle: A True Story

Author: Jimmy Breslin

Narrator: Richard Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-22-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 85 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

But best of all, Breslin captures the moments in which the Mafia was made and broken. Breslin was there the night John Gotti celebrated his acquittal, for example, having bribed his way to innocence.

In The Good Rat, Breslin brings together the most recent, most memorable, and the long forgotten stories to create a sharp-eyed portrait of the mob as it lived and breathed, as it sounded and survived.

Critic Reviews:

"[Breslin is] the city's steadiest and most accurate chronicler." (The Village Voice)

Members Reviews:

What the !?

Being a fan of mob books I thought I would try this one. It took me two attempts to finish it. It seems to be wandering memories of Mr. Breslin. It jumps around telling seemingly unconnected stories. Don't expect too much from this one.

Not so good of a rat

I am fascinated by stories about the mafia. However this book is long winded and not fascinating at all. The author laments the death of the mafia and glorifies these guys at times. I liked 'Mob: Stories of Death and Betrayal from Organized Crime' much much better. If you want to hear stories about the kinds of things these guys did without praising them or getting the feeling the author misses them, look elsewhere.

Interestin Topic

I am extremely interested in Mafia stories. I have a feeling the actual book would have made more sense with page breaks and punctuation, but as it sounds it was a tribute to ADD. The story was all over the place. It had some cohesion with the Burton Kaplan story, but honestly, the lack of organization made it less enjoyable.

Very Good Rat

Who on earth would give this totally fascinating and compelling listen a one? Someone with some kind of moral agenda no doubt. Excellent!

Crazy how I use to see these guys grownup

Crazy how I use to see these guys grownup and to hear there story's truly makes me understand New York was a special place. There's something's you learn in New York that are priceless grownup.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Point to Point Navigation

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Gore Vidal

Narrator: Gore Vidal

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-20-06

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 195 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

In the Navy during World War II, Vidal was forced to use point to point navigation whenever compasses failed. It is an apt analogy for his life, which has been filled with glorious triumphs as well as spectacular controversies. Never afraid to enter uncharted waters, Vidal has had relationships with innumerable luminaries, including President Kennedy, Tennessee Williams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Orson Welles, Greta Garbo, and others.

Thoroughly engaging and, of course, provocative, Point to Point Navigation is the fascinating story of an American icon. Vidal himself narrates this memoir, intimately sharing the stories of his own life.

Critic Reviews:

"In short, the memoir is a perfect encapsulation of Vidal's outsized personality." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Digressive, like an old man's reveries

This memoir is not nearly as good as Vidal's 'Palimpsest,' which was a masterpiece of autobiography as well as witty social history. There were bits of exaggeration and maybe outright lies in the earlier book, but the ego is allowed poetic license.

In this volume the memories are running thin and they threaten to get maudlin. The lingering illness and death of Vidal's life-partner Howard Auster is a poignant tale, told with excellent reserve and no soppiness, but it does leave a big black cloud over the whole book.

On the other hand, we've got Gore Vidal himself reading the thing in his Mandarin drawl, and that blots out a multitude of sins. Gore revisits some of the favorites from the earlier memoir--Jack and Jackie, Tennessee Williams, his parents, Amelia Earhart--and brings them to life like Dickens giving a final-tour reading.

Point to Point Navigation

Gore Vidal is a master of the memoir. His book is so entertaining and informative, I find myself going back again and again to listen. And you need not listen in order - you can just drop in at any point and it feels like you are listening to Gore recount memories directly to you over tea. Fascinating! Highly recommended.

splendid

gore vidal still has it!

acerbic, witty, informative, unabashedly honest....

a delight to listen to.

As the light dims...

Hearing this final memoir by Gore Vidal is like listening to a witty raconteur after a big dinner, someone who tells one surprising tale after another, but whose stories gradually become less compelling as the night wears on and everyone gets sleepy. There are some wonderful moments. His interactions with legends like Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Greta Garbo and Tennessee Williams are unpredictable and insightful. His farewell to his life partner, dying of cancer, is understated and moving. His relations with his family, especially his senator grandfather and airline executive father, are warm and moving. But as the book nears its end, the stories become predictable in their efforts to shock and in their settling of scores. The ending comments about the Kennedy assassination seem an afterthought, a weak attempt to end with something sensational. But overall, the book was fun, with many nice moments.

Vidal reads well, with the clarity and expression you would expect from a sometime actor, television commentator and politician.

An intellectual

Listening to this memoir by Gore Vidal, I had the feeling I was spending the afternoon with an elderly man listening to his stories.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Christian Dior

Subtitle: The Man Who Made the World Look New

Author: Marie-France Pochna

Narrator: Nadia May

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-19-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 56 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Born at the end of an era in which luxury seemed reserved only for the happy few, Dior again revolutionized the world of fashion by introducing, in the early 1950s, "ready-to-wear" in his Dior Boutique. Until then, couturiers had worked essentially if not exclusively for the very rich and famous. With his boutique, Dior brought high fashion to the world at large. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the "New Look", New York's Metropolitan Museum mounted a major Dior retrospective in the winter of 1996-97.

Translated from the French by Joanna Savill.

Critic Reviews:

"An elegantly written, sparkling portrait." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

I loved it!

Excellent book on Christian Dior, the best I have read to date, I really felt like I knew Christian in this book, I loved it!

Fun for Beginners but Fluff for Everyone Else

What did you like best about Christian Dior? What did you like least?

I love biographies, which this technically was, and it was a breezy listen. That being said, it glossed over his personal life, how his childhood influenced his adult life, and the context of the economics/society/culture of France over which he had such a profound influence.

Would you be willing to try another book from Marie-France Pochna? Why or why not?

Probably not, unless it were a travel book. Apparently she has quite a travel service to Paris, though this hasn't been independently verified. I have a feeling it was written more as a PR book than a true academic or journalistic exercise.

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

I liked how animated she was, but at times it seemed rather fluffy.

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

Yes, but only on an online streaming service or for free.

Any additional comments?

Those looking for more serious but still fun reads should look for Beautiful Fall (on audible) or Gods & Kings (also Audible). I've read them, not audibled them. But they're great.

inspirational

loved this book! I had no idea how such a gentle man, shared his love for beauty and inspired the world

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Dean and Me

Subtitle: A Love Story

Author: Jerry Lewis, James Kaplan

Narrator: Stephen Hoye

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-27-05

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 452 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Before long, they were as big as Elvis or the Beatles would be after them, creating hysteria wherever they went and grabbing an unprecedented hold over every entertainment outlet of the era: radio, television, movies, stage shows, and nightclubs. Martin and Lewis were a national craze, an American institution. The millions (and the women) flowed in, seemingly without end, and then, on July 24, 1956, 10 years from the day when the two men joined forces, it all ended.

After that traumatic day, the two wouldn't speak again for 20 years. And while both went on to forge triumphant individual careers, Martin as a movie and television star, recording artist, and nightclub luminary (and charter member of the Rat Pack); Lewis as the groundbreaking writer, producer, director, and star of a series of hugely successful movie comedies, their parting left a hole in the national psyche, as well as in each man's heart.

In a memoir by turns moving, tragic, and hilarious, Jerry Lewis recounts with crystal clarity every step of a 50-year friendship, from the springtime, 1945 afternoon when the two vibrant young performers destined to conquer the world together met on Broadway and 54th Street, to their tragic final encounter in the 1990s, when Lewis and his wife ran into Dean Martin, a broken and haunted old man.

Critic Reviews:

"Fans will be surprised and entertained by Lewis' honesty and diminished ego and bitterness." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

You've got to listen to this!

This is one of the 3 best audio books I've ever listened to - gripping, entertaining, and full of memories. If you've ever seen a Martin/Lewis movie, or remember either of the stars on TV or film, or even just watched the MDA fundraiser - you'll laugh out loud and sometimes tear up listening to this 50-year love story by Jerry Lewis. The narrator Stephen Hoye is phenomenal - his mimicry of Jerry's Jersey and "jerk" voicing, plus Dean Martin's soft mid-western/Italian, makes you feel like they are sitting right beside you. Hoye is so perfect in the reading I came back to Audible to look him up - I was convinced that Mr. Lewis must have picked the reader from the professional acting community, but Hoye has numerous books to his credit and I intend to seek out his readings (which I've never felt compelled to do before). The pacing is superb - there are no boring parts - you're engaged every minute. Mostly, this audiobook is a walk down memory lane - not only Dean and Jerry, but Sinatra and the Rat Pack, June Allyson, Marilyn Monroe, and many many more. Mr. Lewis seems to hold nothing back - including his own addiction to prescription painkillers, the tragedy of his son Gary and Dean Martin's son Dino, divorces, the acrimony of the act breaking up, the tearful reunions years later. Mr. Lewis is painfully honest, yet forgiving and compassionate in describing himself and all the others - giving us an open, often hilarious and sometimes teary behind-the scenes of two of the greatest names in comedy entertainment of our time. If you are younger than 40, you may not recognize many of the names, but that is a minor matter - you'll love this read anyway. Buy this audiobook. (I note there is an abridged version, but don't know why and haven't heard it. The unabridged is just over 8 hours to about 5 for the abridged.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Narnian

Subtitle: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis

Author: Alan Jacobs

Narrator: Alan Jacobs

Format: Abridged

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-12-05

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 137 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

One of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential religious writer of his day, Lewis was also an Oxford don and a scholar of medieval literature who loved to debate philosophy at his local pub. Yet one of the most intriguing aspects of Clive Staples Lewis remains unanswered. How did a bachelor professor, nearly 50, and living in a wholly adult world, turn to the writing of stories for children, stories that would become among the most popular and beloved ever written?

Alan Jacobs masterfully tells the story of C.S. Lewis. From his childhood days in Ireland to his horrific experiences in the trenches of the First World War, to his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkein (and other members of the "Inklings") and his remarkable late-life marriage to Joy Davidman, Jacobs traces the events and people that shaped Lewis's philosophy, theology, and fiction. The story of a profound mind and extraordinary imagination, The Narnian is a remarkable tale of a man who knew great loss and great delight, but who knew above all that the world holds far more richness and meaning than the average eye can see.

Critic Reviews:

"Amidst a sea of entry-level Lewis portraits being published this fall, this more substantive book is for hard-core Lewis lovers eager to soak up historical minutiae and savor salient Lewis quotes for years to come."(Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

C.S. Lewis, lover of fairy tales

"The Narnian" gives a glimpse into why C.S. Lewis, Oxford scholar and Christian apologist, wrote fairy tales. It is a fairly complete biography, starting in childhood and ending in Lewis's death in 1963. It also looks into the effects of World War I, the Inklings and more.

At the start, Alan Jacobs deviates a bit too much from biography toward analysis of the Narnia books (containing spoilers). However, the analysis stems from Jacobs desire to take clues about Lewis's life from his writings. The exercise is often quite revealing.

Jacobs also touches on how Aslan came to be the hero of Narnia... stating that the Christian allegory -- in at least "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" -- came forth during the writing process and not by C.S. Lewis's conscious design. Lewis was just trying to tell a good story -- a great fairy tale -- that would grab children's attention.

Great Subject, Great Listen

A thoughtful, informative, balanced and well-written bio of Lewis read by the author. Jacobs's pleasant voice makes this an enjoyable audio book. The closing anecdote is brilliantly summative of Lewis and quite moving to anyone who has just listened to the entire book.

portrait of a very human Lewis

While not a simplistic bio of Lewis, it's not overly academic either. Neither is it (thankfully) an interpretation key for Chronicles of Narnia. Although Jacobs' thesis is that Lewis expressed his imaginative world best (consciously or unconsciously) through Narnia, he covers all Lewis' work. Jacobs creates a skilful and entertaining biography, weaving together smoothly discussion of Lewis' fiction and nonfiction with bio details and some interpretation of those life experiences.

Occasionally, however, the book sounds like C.S. Lewis for Dummies--Jacobs will cite a passage of Lewis (quite well expressed by itself) then explain it in his own words.