🎧Have You Heard?🎧Audiobooks For Your Listening Pleasure🎧The Best of April🎧

#tenderisthenight #fscottfitzgerald #thereseplummer #rebecca #daphnedumaurier #annamassey #theireyeswerewatchinggod #zoranealehurston #rubydee  #lonesomedove #larrymcmurtry #leehorsley 

During the time that I’ve been writing my audiobook reviews, I’ve occasionally considered doing  a post about books I originally read in hard cover many years ago and decided to revisit as audiobooks when that technology became so accessible. April became the month for that post when I finished listening to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night which happens to be the last book Fitzgerald completed before his death in 1940. My purpose is not necessarily to compare the written vs the spoken words, but to offer some observations from the viewpoint of one who has lived long enough to see classic novels turn into audiobooks as an art form in their own right. In addition to Fitzgerald’s book, I’m including Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca which I credit with inspiring my love of psychological thrillers; Zora Neale Hurston’s poetic masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God; and Larry McMurtry’s epic saga about the Wild, Wild West, Lonesome Dove. When appropriate, I will include links to my previous reviews of the books; all come with my recommendation for their timeless storylines and memorable characters.

Tender is the Night

By F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Narrated by Therese Plummer

Two things up front: in my opinion, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s books are much easier to listen to than to read, and thing two is Therese Plummer is so brilliant as the narrator, she turns this classic into a super superlative classic. As in all Fitzgerald’s books, the characters are flawed, but isn’t that just what we all are? They fall in and out of love; they have lots of money which fails to make them happy; they deal with the same mental disorders and addictions that we have neither cured nor overcome in the years since 1934 when this last complete book of Fitzgerald’s was finished. There is much that is autobiographical about Tender is the Night with its focus on mental illness and the general aimlessness that afflicted the people of Fitzgerald’s generation – the so-called Lost Generation. I will also mention a third thing and that is that I liked The Great Gatsby more although if you like classic works and books that are reflective of the time in which they were written, either of these books will open the windows to a time not unlike our own with its rapid changes and disillusionment. Tender is the Night is worth your time if for no other reason than Ms. Plummer’s performance.

Rebecca

By Daphne du Maurier

Narrated by Anna Massey

Once upon a time there was a sixteen-year-old high school junior who loved to read more than anything and who fell in love with an author named Daphne du Maurier. That sixteen-year-old would be me, and the first book I read by Ms. du Maurier was her gothic classic, Rebecca. In doing a little research for this post, I found that Rebecca was the winner of the Anthony Award for the Best Novel of the Century. I could have told them that! At the time I read it, all the kudos were of no importance to me. I just knew I loved the story, and I set out to read every book written by the author. Little did I know that Rebecca was my entry into a lifetime of addiction to psychological thrillers, so if you’ve wondered where it all began for me, I think I will give Ms. du Maurier the credit. Shortly after I listened to the audio version, I reviewed the book for the blog so I’m going to include a link to that post for anyone who wants a more in depth review. Knowing how many people love this book and how well it has survived the test of time is a recommendation within itself. Although both the author and the narrator, Anna Massey, have passed away, their artistry lives on through gifted writing and a powerful performance.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

By Zora Neale Hurston

Narrated by Ruby Dee

When writing my blurb for Rebecca, I commented that both the writer and the narrator have passed away. The same is true of Their Eyes Were Watching God. I’m sure incomparable Ruby Dee would not be thrilled that I’ll always remember her best for her brief role in a TV soap opera; nevertheless her performance of Zora Neale Hurston’s book has quickly supplanted that memory. There could not be a better voice for the author’s words, nor could any other narrator do better at bringing to life the character of Janie Crawford, a young black girl in the 30’s who doesn’t just live her life courageously … she thrives.  Once again, I’m not going to get into an analysis of the storyline since I’ve already reviewed the book for the blog and am including a link to my original post. I will say that if you are interested in this book, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t listen instead of reading. The author’s words often sound like poetry and the narrator delivers them like the art that they are.

Lonesome Dove

By Larry McMurtry

Narrated by Lee Horsley

Not long after I retired and fully developed my addiction to audiobooks, I embarked upon a lengthy adventure called Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry’s epic tale about a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Many of you will remember it best as a TV series. I watched many of the  TV episodes as well as reading parts of the book, but it wasn’t until I began what was to become one of my longest listens that I got the whole story from start to finish. The narration is what you would expect from an actor of Lee Horsley’s caliber. He has a voice for each character, and there are definitely some real characters in this book! There are good guys and bad guys, courageous ladies who might be the wives of settlers, or they might be whores, and there are the indigenous people to whom the land has belonged for generations who are being slowly displaced by the upstarts who are just pursuing their dream to go West. Because this is a familiar work, I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the storyline. There is humor, drama, and tragedy in the town of Lonesome Dove – in other words – it is a reflection of the human condition. If you are a lover of the Old West and stories about how our country developed in that direction, this book will be worth the time investment for you.

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