12/05/2016
Foer’s novel requires a very talented narrator—and it got one. The prose is fast, forceful, funny, and friendly, and actor Fliakos handles it all superbly. He distinguishes children of different ages as well as fathers, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. He catches the nuances and emotional intricacies of each character’s thoughts and conversations, while his diction is perfect but not intrusive. He’s especially good at highlighting the gentle humor and major absurdities of the novel. The only difficulty for the listener is that Foer constantly raises thought-provoking questions about the meaning of friendship, marriage, family, country, religion, happiness, and angst, forcing the listener to stop the audio from time to time to mull over these issues. Listeners will find themselves hitting the pause button to think things through, but will remain eager to resume Fliakos’s wonderful performance. A Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover. (Sept.)
Love is universal, an emotion just about every single person experiences on some level (aside, perhaps, from sociopaths and those who reject the Oxford Comma). There are many forms of love, from maternal to filial to romantic, and each can be horrifying and destructive in its own way. But the most awesomely destructive form of love is […]
Time to stash the beach reads in favor of something more hefty? Seems like it. It’s September, and publishers are pulling out the big guns, with heavyweight returns from bestsellers and award winners like Ann Patchett, Jonathan Safran Foer (with his first in 11 years!), and Ian McEwan. But they’re also betting on some startling new […]
Fire-colored leaves on the sidewalk, Oscar contenders in theaters, and pumpkin spice everything are nice, but if you’re a book lover, there’s only one sign of autumn that matters: the release of a slew of highly anticipated novels. This year brings some new books by perennial bestsellers we’ve been waiting years for, as well as a book from […]