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Title: The Divide

Author: Nicholas Evans

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-05

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 183 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In a journey of discovery and redemption, from the streets of New York to the daunting grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, The Divide delves into the dynamics of a fractured family and their struggle with the pain of lost happiness. Electrifying and heartbreaking, master storyteller Nicholas Evans' new novel delivers an extraordinary tale about the timeless power of nature, and about the yearnings, hopes, and disillusionments that connect, and separate, all men and women.

Critic Reviews:

"Evans demonstrates the same intricacy of plot and depth of characterization that defined his international best-seller The Horse Whisperer....Sure to be a runaway success, this lyrical novel runs the gamut from devastation to despair to deliverance." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Awesome

This was one of those books that I couldn't turn off. The reader was excellent. The story, primarily a love story of sorts, was so compelling that it drew you into the characters and the messes they made of their lives. Nichlas Evans did a fantastic job - can't wait for his next book!

Haunting

This is the best book this author has written since the Horse Whisperer. You have to keep listening. Each character has the lead at their own time and you laugh and ache with each of them. It is one of those books that you can't book down but at the same time are sad when you reach the end, Very Memorable.

A Decent Listen

This was my first listen of a book by Nicholas Evans. My perception before (and after) reading this book is that he is a serial writer like Danielle Steele. Cranks out a large number of very similar style books.

The story was good. Light reading fare and certainly nothing I could not live for having not heard it. The narration (as with anything by Scott Brick) was fantastic.

So this is a good summer read. Nothing too heavy, but enough to keep you interested.

Sorry to Disagree With Other Reviews, But..

Long, drawn out and extremely boring. From the other reviews, I was looking forward to a good book, for a long road trip. This book nearly put me to sleep. Its only redeeming grace was Scott Brick, the narrator. If I made a horizontal line on a graph, to plot it's ups and downs, the line would be totally flat. VERY slow moving, no excitement, no suspense. I'd suggest not wasting your credits, money or especially your time.

A beautifully written, very haunting story

Would you listen to The Divide again? Why?

This book is the background story of a young girl who is found dead by two skiiers on a crisp winter morning. It's extremely well written and very well rounded in its exploration of each character effected by the story of the girl in the years leading up to her death. The narrator does a very good job, drawing you into the story and bringing the authors words to life.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. Especially toward the end. You can see the mistakes being made by the girl as she makes them and you want to shake sense into her as you wait for the repercussions of her actions.

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Title: A Friend of the Earth

Author: T. C. Boyle

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-05

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 84 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Once Ty was so seriously committed to environmental causes that he became an ecoterrorist and convicted felon. Once he unwittingly endangered both his daughter, Sierra, and his wife, Andrea. Now when he's just trying to survive, Andrea comes back into his life. What happens as the two slip into a reborn involvement makes for a gripping and topical story told in Boyle's uniquely funny and serious voice.

Critic Reviews:

"Funny and touching, antic and affecting . . . while Boyle''s humor is as black as ever, he demonstrates that satire can coexist with psychological realism, comedy with compassion." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"As disaster tales go, this is a sly, hip one...Boyle has always liked to play circus barker for life's extremes and what better freak show than the environmental apocalypse itself?" (The Washington Post)

"Both entertaining and informative...hits like a warning shot from twenty-five years into the future." (Chicago Tribune)

Members Reviews:

The Future

If you're aware of enviromental problems this book will make perfect and scarey sense. Plus, boyle's great writing makes this a can't-put-down book (listen).

ok

I really liked "Talk Talk" so I listened to all of TC Boyle's audio books. This one was ok. It seemed a little too dark for me. There's no true hero and lots of villians, to put it bluntly. But, its still worth a credit.

Narrator kills book

I could not get through this book simply because of the over-heated style of the narrator. The story was swamped by the endless emoting and all subtlety lost in the melodramatic pitch. What a shame.

? the future

A commendable attempt to focus attention on the evils of global warming, deforestation, extinction of animal species. But is it realistic to portray the world as its portrayed here in 2025? I think its more fantasy. I don't understand how with all the horrors the population of the world is up to 18 billion. Also there's no mention of oil/gas shortages I can recall. Tidewater's behavior goes beyond the extreme into out of touch with reality.

I'd call this book a miss. Of the 4 Boyle books I've read or heard The Tortilla Curtain is the best.

My Favorite Audible

The animals need us more today than ever.

A very fun listen with some tears too.

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Title: Villages

Author: John Updike

Narrator: Edward Herrmann

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-22-04

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 81 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Owen's education (Bildung) is not merely technical but liberal, as the humanity of his three villages, especially that of their female citizens, works to disengage him from his youthful innocence. As a child he early felt an abyss of calamity beneath the sunny surface quotidian, yet also had a dreamlike sense of leading a charmed existence. The women of his life, including his wives, Phyllis and Julia, shed what light they can. At one juncture he reflects, "How lovely she is, naked in the dark! How little men deserve the beauty and mercy of women!" His life as a sexual being merges with the communal shelter of villages: "A village is woven of secrets, of truths better left unstated, of houses with less window than opaque wall."

This delightful, witty, passionate novel runs from the Depression era to the early 21st century.

Critic Reviews:

"Updike still writes lovely sentences and creates a believable portrait of the American village." (Publishers Weekly)

"As is usual for Updike, this novel is elegantly styled." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Updike at the height of his powers

This novel is a true masterpiece, full gorgeous phrasings and extraordinarily keen observations. No writer is a greater virtuoso of the English language than Updike, but many of his books are plagued by scenes and storylines that dawdle and beat around the bush. Not this one. This book has a strong and well paced storyline, so you not only get Updike's immaculate writing skills but also the kind of forward momentum that keeps readers feeling a genuine sense of destination.

It's also has a flamboyant cast of characters, lead by Owen Mackenzie, who Updike takes from boyhood to the grave in a whirlwind expedition through childhood hi-jinx, courtship, marriage, fatherhood, numerous extra-marital affairs, business relationships and a career as a computer engineer and entrepreneur. You get a surprisingly well-informed and entertaining history of the computer industry?s evolution. Updike makes extraordinary observations about digital devices and their analogies to the humanity.

It?s also a very sexy book, built around male/female relationships, some sanctioned, some illicit. Nobody writes sex and love scenes like Updike, and this book is loaded with them. They?re not so much descriptions of the act as they are beautifully and incisively crafted explorations of human geography and emotion. Some of these scenes are so literary even Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson would have difficulty quibbling with them.

Lastly, the book is marvelously read and extremely well recorded, making the separation of characters very distinct.

What a treat that John Updike, though advanced in years, is still turning out such powerhouse novels.

Good for Updike fans

I'm not a hardcore Updike fan, but I've enjoyed some of his other books. This one is good and is well-adapted to the audio format. Real Updike fans will probably enjoy it even more because it sheds some light on the situations and characters developed in his other books.

Titillating

If you like to listen to language, this is about as good as it gets. Villages is soap opera elevated to high art. (Did America invent the Soap, along with Jazz?) In Villages Updike uses all his skills to create a really interesting listening experience. As a narrator, Edward Herman is truly superb.

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Title: Before You Know Kindness

Author: Chris Bohjalian

Narrator: Susan Denaker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 144 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Rich with unforgettable characters and great depth of feeling, Before You Know Kindness also adds a warmly human dimension to some of the most controversial issues of our time.

Critic Reviews:

"Few writers can manipulate a plot with Bohjalian's grace and power." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Bohjalian's elegant, refined writing makes even the most ordinary details of family life fascinating, and his characters leap off the pages as very real, flawed, but completely sympathetic human beings....A triumph." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Awesome Read

This is Chris Bohjalian as his best. It's like "Midwives" and "The Law of Similars" and "Buffalo Soldier" were just a warmup. He explores numerous aspects of an issue as seen through the characters and their history, their attitudes and their (often conflicting) situations. Such writing could easily become an intellectual exercise but Bohjalian's perceptive insights and dedicated, consistent character development makes this book a joy to read. I couldn't put it down.

Give it an hour or two to get rolling...

This book started off real slow, but got better after 1 - 2 hours... I am glad I hung in there, it was pretty good. A little too much detail in some spots, but overall a great "read".

Engrossing!

This is a very rewarding novel that tackles the issues of gun control and animal rights so deftly and from so many points of view that you'll lose yourself in the inner workings of the characters and the plot, and not realize till you've finished reading it what the book is really about. The author leads you on a detailed journey through each characters inner and outer desires and motivations, interweaving story lines and perspectives seamlessly. If you liked "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" (Kate Atkinson) and "On Beauty" (Zadie Smith) you'll probably like this too.

Much like "The Kite Runner" (Khaled Hosseini) and "A Changed Man" (Francine Proset) there is also the theme of it never being to late to find redemtion, no matter the sins (real or imagined) commited.

Great book, well-read and produced

This is a wonderful novel that stayed with me for a long time afterward. It lent itself (as I think all of Bohjalian's books do) to audio quite well. Bravo to audible for making an unabridged version available!

Surprisingly Mediocre

Mediocre is probably being kind... And let me say right off that I am a Chris Bohjalian fan. Midwives was a fabulous read. I enjoyed The Buffalo Soldier and The Double Bind. I was looking forward to "Before you know..." However I felt the prose was basic, the plot was linear with nothing surprising or out of the ordinary. This could easily have been told as a short story. He overused too many phrases, many times in the same paragraph. It was difficult to finish and I do not recommend it. Steer yourself to the other Bohjalian joys of reading and don't waste time with this one.

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Title: Florence of Arabia

Author: Christopher Buckley

Narrator: Carrington Macduffie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-09-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 246 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

With darkly comic insight into the politics of the Middle East, Christopher Buckley takes readers on an adventurous, wickedly funny journey into Arabia.

Critic Reviews:

"Delightfully clever." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Buckley is at the top of his game

This is Christopher Buckley at his best. This witty, funny and all-too-nearly-true political satire reveals the lies and crimes that are the earmarks of American Middle-East policy. At the same time, we get characters who are funny and sympathetic, realistic and archtypical at the same time.

The narration is terrific, with different voices, accents and cadences for each character. There is never any doubt who is speaking, and the pace and delivery is first-rate. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Christopher Buckley or good political satire.

Ending peters out

I really agree with Sandee's review. The book started out great. I was really excited about the writing, the subject and the satire. The situation kept building and I could hardly stop listening. Then, suddenly it was as if the air went out of the balloon. It was as if Buckley had got to a certain point and didn't know how to finish. What a disappointment! As Sandee wrote, it just petered out. Even at that I'll give it a 4 for originality, taking on a difficult subject, and being entertaining for 3/4s of its length.

Buckley has no endgame

This is the third Buckley novel I have listened to. Each one starts off with a great premise and loads of roman a clef characters, countries, etc.

But this one, like the other two, peters out at the end.

The author knows how to set up the situation, but once having written himself into a corner, doesn't know how to get out.

It's as if he suddenly realized that the manuscript is due and so he ends if without any of the cleverness and care taken in the beginning of the book.

But as pure ear-candy, it's not that bad. And the narrator of this book is quite good.

A modest effort...

Because "Thank You for Smoking" is one of my favorite books, and a true masterpiece of political and social satire, I had high-hopes when I heard that Buckley was going to tackle the supremely sensitive world of Middle Eastern affairs. As a character study, and even as an adventure story, this rates about a B+, but as a comedy it is at best a C-. Occasionally boring, the ultra-clever wordplays (the country names of "Wasabia" and "Mutter" are hilarious) are the best parts of the book. There is a lot of cleverness, but it doesn't add up to consistent entertainment. The reader does a great job, though, handling multiple accents and genders with ease and indentifibility (I just made that word up).

Fascinating Novel

Buckley tells a story that has humor but also deals with serious topics in the Middle East. Florence is an interesting and inspiring character with great courage and integrity. Also, there are many different twists and turns in the plot which make the book riveting throughout.

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Título: Los Que Falsificaron La Firma De Dios [They Forged the Signature of God]

Autor: Viriato Sencion

Narrador: Francisco Rivela

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 05-06-04

Editor: Recorded Books

Calificaciones: 3.5 de 5 de 25 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Contemporary

Resumen del editor:

Ellos han falsificado la firma de dios en una historia llena de accion en los mas recientes caoticos y turbulentos echos de la Republica Dominicana. La historia nos cuenta el relato de tres estudiantes seminaristas que tratan de alcanzar su ideales en la vida, invueltos en una sociedad marcada por repression e inestabilidad politica. Virato Sencion nos trae una exitante toma de los mas recientes echos ocurridos en la historia socio-politica de su pais, su libro se ha convertido en uno de los mas vendidos en America Latina.

Crítica Comentarios:

"Thorough, provoking novel.¿" (Publishers Weekly)

Opiniones de los miembros:

Rambling..non coherent

Beautifully written with verse that makes thre lushness of the Dominican Republic come to life but the plot is horrible. Tough to follow, jumping all over the place, I was tempted just to abandon it a myriad of times but figured since I bought it I might as well listen to it. Could have been much better if the story did not meander so much..

Qué Dr. Ramos!!!

A pesar de contar con una buena prosa, me he visto seriamente afectado por las altas expectativas que me había hecho de esta novela que al final, no podría decir con sinceridad que me ha gustado.

An interesting review of political corruption

A well-written and informative review of the political corruption and its effects on the life paths of the protagonists in Dominica, it is very true to life, and as such, does not go into the internal experiences of any of the characters - the writer cannot observe them. But this viewpoint does not bring the insight nor the emotional impact which a more subjective view would provide.

Well-read by Francisco Rivela.

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Title: She Is Me

Author: Cathleen Schine

Narrator: Patricia Kalember

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-07-03

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

[CUT TO:] Greta has nothing against marriage. She's been happy in her new life with Tony, until the day she falls asleep on the sofa and wakes up in love with someone else. Now she has to handle not only the unpredictable needs of her daughter and the plaintive demands of her mother but also the insistence of her own desire.

[CUT TO:] Lotte was once a flash dancer in vaudeville. She has little patience with her granddaughter's refusal to marry that nice husband of hers. She has no patience with death. Chic and sly and uncompromisingly egotistical, Lotte reveres marriage and has mourned her late husband for twenty years, but she's not at all ready to join him. She has far too much shopping left to do.

Critic Reviews:

"Schine takes a refreshing and often very funny look at love, aging and loyalty." (Publishers Weekly) "Schine writes with the speed and punch of a seasoned comic, conveying her character in a single line of dialogue." (The New Yorker) "She's perfected the underappreciated art of the domestic comedy." (The New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

This book is not the rich story the description suggests it will be, though I can't fault the author for that. She does have a way with words. But the story is pointless, with self-indulgent characters who go nowhere. I kept waiting for it to start. Left me feeling irritated. Might be of interest to lesbians and those coping with family illness.

Not What I Expected

I thought this book would be much more entertaining than it is. An awful lot of this book is concerned with cancer. Not my idea of a lot of fun.

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Title: Forrest Gump

Author: Winston Groom

Narrator: Winston Groom

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-03

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 46 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When the University of Alabama's football team drafts Forrest and makes him a star, that's only the beginning! He flunks out - and goes on to be a Vietnam war hero, a world-class ping-pong player, a wrestler, and a business tycoon. He compares battle scars with Lyndon Johnson, discovers the truth about Richard Nixon, and suffers the ups and downs of true love. Now, Forrest Gump's telling all - in a madcap, screwball romp through three decades of the American landscape. It's Gump's amazing travels...and you have to hear them to believe them.

©1994 Winston Groom. All Rights Reserved (P)1994 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved. AUDIOWORKS Is An Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"A wonderful read. I laughed out loud time and again." (Atlanta Journal & Constitution)

Members Reviews:

go read the book!

The audiobook for "Forrest Gump" is abriged, so many parts in the story are missing, so if you really want to read "Forrest Gump", go read the actual book.

Funny reading

What did you love best about Forrest Gump?

The history is very funny to hear.

What did you like best about this story?

Fiction, but how you don't need to be the best to succeed!

Which scene was your favorite?

The president one.

Forrest Gump ... Great American Story

What made the experience of listening to Forrest Gump the most enjoyable?

I was able to listen to the story anywhere I went. Fantastic story.Brought back many memories of that period in my life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Forrest Gump?

Run, Forrest, Run. When Forrest was carrying the football and the crowd got behind him by yelling "Run, Forrest Run".

What does Winston Groom bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

The Southern voice added a lot. If it was read by a New Yorker or an Englishman, it would not have fit.

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

Several moments, including the deaths of Jennie and of Bubba.

His discovery that he had a son, Little Forrest.

Any additional comments?

So many things on the tape, and in the book, that were not in the movie. I am glad I am able to listen to the book as often as I like.

Abridged & unAbridged, mistake I made

My fault, now I got the book, but have to buy the unabridged audio version as well, and that I am not going to do. That is waste my money.

Favourite movie and a great book.

This book is really for those who like to value what's important in life. Highly recommended if you're going through a rough patch.

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Title: Happiness Sold Separately

Author: Lolly Winston

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-02-06

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 76 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Elinor's loving husband, Ted, a successful podiatrist, has always done the right thing, too. Then he meets the wrong woman at the wrong time, and does the wrong thing. Ted's lover, Gina, a beautiful and kindhearted nutritionist, always eats the right thing, but is unlucky in love and always falls for the wrong men. Soon Ted has to fight to make everything right again.

Can Elinor and Ted's marriage be saved? The answer is alarmingly fresh and unexpected as New York Times best-selling author Lolly Winston introduces us to characters as memorable as those of Anne Tyler and Nick Hornby, but who are indelibly all her own.

Critic Reviews:

"Winston skillfully comes into her own with this brave second novel." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Good grief! What a follow-up to Winston's best-selling debut." (Library Journal)

"Sometimes bawdy, sometimes moving, always hilarious...a charming, generous book." (BookPage)

"Winston has a real feel for the push and pull of a marriage in crisis, and delivers it in a brisk, funny, no-nonsense style that still comes off as respectful of the material." (Publishers Weekly)

"Once again, Winston demonstrates a laserlike ability to focus on the inescapable reality of contemporary relationships, tempering her characters' abject pain with appealing good humor." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

I really loved it

How I found out about this book was that I read the Julia Robert's production company bought the rights to this and was going to make a film of it starting Julia, so I was intrigued.

I am now very anxious to see the how they adapt this wonderful story to the large screen.

I can see why. All of the characters were very likable and very easy to relate to and you weren't quite sure how it was going to end.

I recommend this book.

Good Listen

This was a good listen and I recommend it. The story moves along at just the right pace and I found myself surpised at the emotions that were described from the male point of view! As the story was narrated, I was able to immerse myself into the feelings of all the characters. My only complaint was that I wasn't thrilled with the ending; I felt it was too abrupt. I wanted to share in the emotions of Gina and Tony as the story ended, but it was left to my imagination!

Difficult story

Lolly Winston's first book, Good Grief, is one of the best books I've read, so I was really looking forward to this one. Winston is a great writer and I enjoyed each of her unique characters. But this is a difficult story all the way through, as you cannot imagine how there can be a happy ending. Without giving away too much, it did not leave me satisfied and I was a little depressed when it was over. However, it is still an well-written novel, and the narrator does a wonderful job with the audio version. Just be prepared that this is a heavy story, dealing with the fallout from adultery, divorce, and infertility.

Such an uplifting book!

I loved listening to this and all of the Lolly Winston books. I've listened to all of them at least twice. If you want something to lift your spirits just listen or read on of these great books!

Excellently written

This book has very believable and likeable characters. In fact, I found that I felt sympathetic to all of the characters, which made it difficult to root for any one person.

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Title: The Complete Stories

Author: Bernard Malamud

Narrator: Matthew Boston, Steven Cooper, Crystal Sershen, Graham Vick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 27 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Complete Stories of Bernard Malamud is "an essential American book", Richard Stern declared in the Chicago Tribune when the collection was published in hardcover. His praise was echoed by other reviewers and by audiences, who embraced the book as they might a displaced person in one of Malamud's stories, now returned to us, complete and fulfilled and recognized at last.

The volume gathers together 55 stories, from "Armistice" (1940) to "Alma Redeemed" (1984), and including the immortal stories from The Magic Barrel and the vivid depictions of the unforgettable Fidelman. It is a varied and generous collection of great examples of the modern short story, which Malamud perfected, and an ideal introduction to the work of this great American writer.

Members Reviews:

New Lesson: Audible Is NOT for Short Stories

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Yes, its genius writer.

Any additional comments?

I own the hard copy of this book and know the stories well, some of which I also taught several times. I adore Malamud. I needed to re-read this particular volume, in its entirety, for a research project and thought that listening to it, instead, could be a great new way to appreciate it. Oh boy! I will never buy an audiobook of short stories again. I understand (now) that audiobooks are great for novels, but not for short narratives. You dont have the time to get used to the voice of the narrator, to penetrate deeply a story through that performers voice and interpretation. It was awful. I could not pay attention, and I did not like some of the voices either (particularly, one of the female readers in the bunch).

I highly recommend this book in print but would discourage everybody from purchasing the audio-version.

The Complete Stories + intro

Malamud is probably one of the top 5 short story-writers of world literature. In my view these are not else but fine tiny lessons on humanity. This complete edition will leed you through the oeuvre with brilliant narrators. Attention! Infinitely addictive!

The audiobook contents the following pieces:

Armistice

Spring Rain

The Grocery Store

Benefit Performance

The Place Is Different Now

Steady Customer

The Literary Life of Laban Goldman

The Cost of Living

The Prison

The First Seven Years

The Death of Me

The Bill

The Loan

A Confession of Murder

Riding Pants

The Girl of My Dreams

The Magic Barrel

The Mourners

Angel Levine

A Summers Reading

Take Pity

The Elevator

An Apology

The Last Mohican

The Lady of the Lake

Behold the Key

The Maids Shoes

Idiots First

Still Life

suppose a Wedding

Life Is Better Than Death

The Jewbird

Black Is My Favorite Color

Naked Nude

The German Refugee

A Choice of Profession

A Pimps Revenge

Man in the Drawer

My Son the Murderer

Pictures of the Artist

An Exorcism

Glass Blower of Venice

Gods Wrath

Talking Horse

The Letter

The Silver Crown

Notes from a Lady at a Dinner Party

In Retirement

Rembrandts Hat

A Wig

The Model

A Lost Grave

Zoras Noise

In Kew Gardens

Alma Redeemed

In the print edition you find an intro by Robert Giroux. You can read it below.

Working alone to create stories is not a bad way to live our loneliness, Bernard Malamud wrote not long before his death, in a characteristically modest statement which identifies a major theme of his writing. And as a result of his lonely work, readers have gained a body of short fiction unlike that of any other writer.