This fascinating audiobook is a fusion of exceptional writing and an outstanding narration by Suzanne Toren. Author Cynthia Saltzman presents a sweeping account of Napoleon's conquest of Europe, including the looting of its finest antiquities and Renaissance masterpieces and the creation of the Musée du Louvre. Caught between the colliding worlds of art and politics is the history of Paolo Veronese's painting THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA. The massive canvas, completed in 1563, was ripped from the wall of a Venetian monastery and taken to Paris in 1797. The level of detail and visual imagery in this audiobook is stunning, and Toren delivers the entirety with a bravura that is uniquely her own. Impeccable pacing, exquisite French, and diverse accents all add depth and clarity to this captivating listen.
Pub Date: June 8, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781666124422
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Often provocative and never boring, Depraved provides plenty of material for water cooler discussions.
Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217338764
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s...
Tilda Swinton is a joy to listen to in this homage to loneliness and paean for intimacy. Laing’s landmark work of unconventional art history proves to be as relevant as it was in 2016, if not more so, in an increasingly atomized, post-pandemic world where many, if not most, social interactions happen through our phones. Loneliness, in Laing’s eyes, is not a singular experience, and certainly not a moral failing, but a fact of human nature. Swinton’s clean, polished tone is subtly compassionate to the very real, relatable sufferings of the profiled urbanite artists. This account of our saddest human state is full of rich, hopeful detail.
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s magnum opus.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250442710
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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