In the earliest of this series of Christmas reminiscences, Burroughs's performance seems manic and exaggerated, but that's intentional: His reading is appropriate to the loopy childhood terror he was and the dysfunctional family he came from. Even listeners who feel put off should persist. While his life doesn't calm down much (until the last piece, which verges on the trivial), his reading becomes more conventional—but never ordinary. In two key pieces—one about a lover with AIDS, one about his drinking—he matches fine, perceptive writing with heartfelt, note-perfect narrating, achieving an emotional power few audiobooks can match. Burroughs’s life can be a wild ride, and his reading can match it, but it's a ride worth taking.
Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2009
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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