The stories of Joyce Carol Oates plumb the cracks and crevices of the American psyche with a shining scalpel. This audiobook, read by three talented and empathetic narrators, mirrors the emotionally wrenching tales of unthinkable violence that permeate Oates's universe. Two stories, written as letters, are most affecting. First, "Dear Joyce Carol Oates" spotlights narrator Arthur Morey as he lets frustration and anger rise in his voice as a "fan" of the author reacts to her inattention to his queries. And finally, "Dear Husband" is read by Renée Raudman, who affects a flat tone in her voice as a wife—reminiscent of Andrea Yates—tries to explain how it's not her mate's fault that she's decided to murder their children.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: 14 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
These stories present extraordinary contemporary writing and create a rewarding listening experience.
Novelist Orange has selected a scintillating collection of stories that are thought provoking and well crafted. Among the many pleasures is how well the narrators have been paired with the short stories. Lee Osorio and Ines del Castillo capture the style and tone of the letter-writing father and daughter in Noel Quinones’ “This Time and the Next”; Peter Ganim inhabits the two very different narrators of Kevin Wilson’s insightful “All Stories” and William Pei Shih’s sendup of musical pretention in “The Masterclass”; Jen Zhao performs Guka Han’s haunting “Earshot” sensitively and eloquently.
These stories present extraordinary contemporary writing and create a rewarding listening experience.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406777
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
An intriguing listen, with a narrator who aptly elevates the text’s thoughtful, seductive prose.
Narrator Victoria Villarreal breathes life into Mexican author Rivera Garza’s sweeping essay collection. Blending fiction and journalism, the stories explore travel alongside topics including gender, love, capitalism, and climate change. In one story, two women travel together while feeling threatened by the dangers men can pose. Another follows college students traveling from a rural area to the complicated metropolis of Mexico City. In “The Meaning of Rain,” a woman visits Belfast, Ireland, where she believes her former lover is from, and ponders the rain that once arrived punctually in Mexico City before climate change disrupted its patterns. Villarreal’s clear voice maintains tension, and she switches effortlessly between Spanish and English and among various characters.
An intriguing listen, with a narrator who aptly elevates the text’s thoughtful, seductive prose.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217405268
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2026
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