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A Mad Desire to Dance Audiobook
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(2.97) - 432 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A searing exploration of a man haunted by the horrors of the twentieth century, a man who feels he must be going mad but who finds a way out of the darkness. Doriel is a European transplanted to New York who carries with him a profound sense of desperation and loss. His mother, a resistance leader, survives the war but dies in a car crash with her husband soon afterward. Doriel's longing for his parents, and a longing to know his family's secrets, haunts him and denies him the chance for happiness or intimacy with women. The intense study of Judaism offers him no solace; to the contrary, he comes to believe he is haunted by a dybbuk. His visits to Israel land him in anti-Zionist enclaves where only the coming of the Messiah is important. A child during the war, all he knows of the Holocaust comes from movies, newsreels, and books. But it is enough. Five years of psychoanalysis brings him to a crossroads. Finally he comes to grips with his mother's secret -- a wartime affair -- and the process triggers in him a new understanding that only love can heal the most intimate of wounds.
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"Typically, the kind of book I usually love quoting. Not much with plot but beautiful prose. Maybe because I read 'Night' way too far in the past that it didn't feel like I'm reading the same author. Or maybe it's the translation. Thoughtful; will make you feel, depending on the level of bleakness you allow in your inner life."
— Gerlyn (4 out of 5 stars)
A Mad Desire to Dance Listener Reviews
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" Genius. Moving. Brilliant. A work of art. Truly. "
— Janet, 2/18/2014 -
" "Wiesel's is among the truly great lives of the 20th century, his very presence an inspiration to many and a reminder of the enormous power of the word to combat injustice and evil," notes the San Francisco Chronicle. But in the eyes of this critic and others, Wiesel's latest novel doesn't measure up to his stature. About half praised Wiesel's portrayal of Doriel's deep angst and impressive knowledge of philosophy and ethics, Judaism, and politics; others commended the memorable characters and imagery. However, some reviewers thought A Mad Desire a heavy-handed, self-conscious, and somewhat banal look at a tormented soul, leavened only by Dr. Goldschmidt's appeal. But readers with the patience to sift through difficult memories, dreams, and commentary will find A Mad Desire a challenging but ultimately rewarding book.This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine. "
— Bookmarks, 2/16/2014 -
" More like 2 1/2. It was much harder to get into than his other works. I didn't hate it, but it definitely had its faults. "
— Beckaleckahi, 1/19/2014 -
" Hard for me to read, but the side stories keep me reading. "
— Darlene, 1/14/2014 -
" The story begins with way too much psychotic exposure but improves with reading. I wasn't sure if I wasn't the psychotic person by the time I got it read. "
— Mary, 1/11/2014 -
" I wasn't quite sure about this book for the first two chapters - a little too stream of consciousness. But as an actual story progressed it became more interesting. The difference between mad and sane is a very delicate balance and this book explored that through one man's story. "
— Bookreaderljh, 1/2/2014 -
" It was a bit boring, honestly. "
— Rhiannon, 12/30/2013 -
" Beautiful book, raises lots of questions about madness, happines, love. "
— Isabel, 12/28/2013 -
" This book make me feel like I need a psychiatrist. "
— Jan, 12/10/2013 -
" I have not read any Elie Wiesel in awhile but was inspired after my trip to Berlin. It had a very slow start and took 2/3 of the way in until I was truely engaged. In the end it was worth the read but you have to be patient. "
— Diane, 11/3/2013 -
" Was due back to the library, didn't finish - oh my. A bit tedious. "
— Wendy, 10/18/2013 -
" "What she said!" Please see comments by Melissa Ravely of Feb 16, 2011 and Rachel of Jan 21, 2010. These quite closely express how I felt about this book and convinced me that I didn't need to finish it. The date given below is the date I bailed out. "
— David, 10/3/2013 -
" I only got to page 20 something and I have no idea what I read. This was a book that was chosen for my book club and only 2 of the people in my book club finished it. VERY hard read. "
— Sara, 3/26/2013 -
" Read part of chapter one...couldn't get any farther into the book. Very depressing...madness! "
— Kathirael, 3/27/2012 -
" I actually didn't finish this. I could never get into it. "
— Karen, 3/23/2012 -
" It was okay! I thought it was an interesting idea and I found myself going back and forth with my diagnosis of the man wether he be mad or sain. There were times I felt like the story drag on, but I kept with it only to find out what happens to him in the end! "
— Hailey, 8/19/2011 -
" Very strange. Not exactly the Elie Wiesel I've come to know. Much of the book seemed quite pointless. The point made at the end didn't seem to need the rest of the book. I think perhaps Mr. Wiesel should retire now. "
— Sue, 7/30/2011 -
" It got better, but it really sort of left me cold. Glad I finished it, but the beginning was awful. "
— Aimée, 6/5/2011 -
" How do you say "This is the worst book I have ever read" in Yiddish? Oy! "
— Athena, 6/4/2011 -
" This was a bit strange in the beginning but I am loving it now with the psychoanalysis edge to it as well as the world war II aspect which is always intense and enthralling. "
— Jeannine, 5/30/2011 -
" It was okay! I thought it was an interesting idea and I found myself going back and forth with my diagnosis of the man wether he be mad or sain. There were times I felt like the story drag on, but I kept with it only to find out what happens to him in the end! "
— Hailey, 5/10/2011 -
" It got better, but it really sort of left me cold. Glad I finished it, but the beginning was awful. "
— Aimée, 11/24/2010 -
" Strange, different and I couldn't put it down. "
— Lynn, 7/28/2010 -
" A truly haunting work. Madness is the theme of the authors but this is further complicated by our knowledge of the author's history. We travel through the madness that is hard to follow but worth the effort. "
— Jean, 6/27/2010 -
" Just couldn't get into this. Decided to put it down for now. "
— Casee, 3/25/2010 -
" (audio book) eloquent, but never captured my interest. Stopped part way through disc 2. "
— Laura, 2/25/2010 -
" Much as I admire the man, just don't love his writing style...maybe if I could read the original french... "
— Julie, 1/31/2010
About Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) was the author of more than fifty books, both fiction and nonfiction, including his masterly memoir Night. He was awarded the United States Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the rank of Grand-Croix in the French Legion of Honor, an honorary knighthood of the British Empire, and, in 1986, the Nobel Peace Prize. Since 1976, he served as the the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University.
About the Narrators
Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.
Kirsten Potter has won several awards, including more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a three-time finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. Her work has been recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and by AudioFile magazine, among many others. She graduated with highest honors from Boston University and has performed on stage and in film and television, including roles on Medium, Bones, and Judging Amy.