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After the Plague: and Other Stories Audiobook
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(3.02) - 866 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Few authors in America write with such sheer love of story, language, and imagination as T.C. Boyle, and nowhere is that passion more evident than in his inventive, wickedly funny, and widely praised short stories. In After the Plague, Boyle speaks of contemporary social issues in a range of emotional keys. The sixteen stories gathered here address everything from air rage to abortion doctors to first love and its consequences. The collection ends with the brilliant title story, a whimsical and imaginative vision of a disease-ravaged Earth. Presented with characteristic wit and intelligence, these stories will delight readers in search of the latest news of the chaotic, disturbing, and achingly beautiful world in which we live. "Boyle's imagination and zeal for storytelling are in top form here."—Publishers Weekly
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"I am a longtime fan of the novels of T.C. Boyle, and he rarely disappoints. I wasn't exactly blown away by his previous collection of short stories, but there are some very impressive stories in this collection. Many people are of the opinion that his short stories are superior to his novels, and I'm beginning to come around to that view myself. Don't read After the Plague is you're looking for happy stories, though - most of these stories have rather depressing conclusions."
— Brian (4 out of 5 stars)
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“This collection is uproarious and unforgiving: ‘She Wasn’t Soft,’ the title of one story, says it all. If Boyle finds dark humor in the lives of peeping toms, he also writes with tenderness about a widow waiting ‘for something she can’t name.’”
— New Yorker -
“Boyle’s imagination and zeal for storytelling are in top form here, making this collection a smash.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“If you like Boyle, you won’t be able to resist.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Observant, empathic, and fresh, Boyle’s stories affirm literature’s vital and abiding role in our culture.”
— Booklist (starred review)
After the Plague Listener Reviews
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" some really good one here that will stick with you a long time "
— Robin, 1/26/2014 -
" Almost every character in this book of short stories is a complete jerk. From the body-fascist triathlete with no time for joy in her 2%-fat life, to her jackass stoner boyfriend who sabotages her greatest triumph with spiked Gatorade, this is not an escapist book. That's perfectly fine, but I don't find Boyle as affecting as others do. This book, like many postmodern collections, leaves me squeaky-clean, untouched by emotion. It didn't help that there were so few likeable characters. "
— Brian, 1/22/2014 -
" I hold Boyle to a higher standard than most writers because he has written some outstanding stories in the past. I really liked Termination Dust and The Black and White Sisters, but the rest seemed a little formulaic for Boyle. "
— Art, 1/19/2014 -
" T.C. Boyle can sometimes be a little hit and miss with me. Sometimes I find his work too glib, too gimmicky, too chock full of descriptive words to have much impact. This particular collection I'm enjoying greatly, however. "
— Matt, 1/15/2014 -
" i love the way T.C. Boyle has with the short story. "
— Ha, 1/11/2014 -
" Great stories where ordinary people do violence. This rocked. "
— Myke, 1/11/2014 -
" TC Boyle is masterful at the short story. He is engaging, creates amazing characters and story lines and gives you the right amount of the story. It is amazing how quickly you become invested in the stories. Sometimes I wished that the stories would continue. "
— Jenny, 1/4/2014 -
" Favorite stories: Termination Dust, After the Plague. Those are the only two I can remember. "
— Jonathan, 12/4/2013 -
" Collection of dude short stories. Why can't he just let me have my happy ending just once? "
— Juliette, 11/30/2013 -
" Short stories by TC Boyle. Great introduction to his unique style. Covers just about every genre with these stories. "
— Justin, 10/28/2013 -
" These stories are darker and less playful than his earlier stuff. The title story is the best, and one of the better treatments of the post-apocalyptic theme in any medium. "
— Paul, 10/21/2013 -
" Not a big fan of short stories; however, I enjoyed reading almost all of these. "
— Melanie, 10/14/2013 -
" Excellent set of short stories. The author is really gracious, too. Our library book club is calling him at our next meeting to ask him some questions. "
— Leslie, 10/13/2013 -
" "Termination Dust" and "My Widow" are two of my all-time favorite short stories. The master of killer endings... and beginnings, come to think of it. "
— Monica, 10/4/2013 -
" I was mostly just annoyed that every short story ended with predictably - but only because he had the habit of being "unpredictable" throughout. "
— Leah, 1/15/2013 -
" Lame collection of stories with mostly male main characters and shrewish females. "
— Rachel, 6/2/2012 -
" Boyle is such an excellent storyteller. "
— Michelle, 3/5/2012 -
" Horribly dark stories beautifully written. I found some of them almost unreadable. "
— Ben, 11/21/2011 -
" Read these stories over a year at bedtime. TC Boyle is one of my favorite authors/ "
— Mom/aka:Annette, 10/26/2011 -
" What excellent stories, what a variety of characters! My first T.C. Boyle - and it won't be the last! "
— Linda, 9/4/2011 -
" Disappointing. Excellent writing skills, great literary techniques and yet - not many original thoughts. Found myself reading no more than 2 pages at the time - intellectually and emotionally empty.... "
— Kasia, 2/25/2011 -
" Excellent set of short stories. The author is really gracious, too. Our library book club is calling him at our next meeting to ask him some questions. "
— Leslie, 2/8/2011 -
" Disappointing. Excellent writing skills, great literary techniques and yet - not many original thoughts. Found myself reading no more than 2 pages at the time - intellectually and emotionally empty.... "
— Kasia, 12/23/2010 -
" What excellent stories, what a variety of characters! My first T.C. Boyle - and it won't be the last! "
— Linda, 9/8/2010 -
" Favorite stories: Termination Dust, After the Plague. Those are the only two I can remember. "
— Jonathan, 7/22/2010 -
" Ugh. I loved Tortilla Curtain, but this short story collection was fairly ridiculous. The writing was beautiful, but the stories were utterly unrealistic. I barely made it to the end. "
— Alexis, 5/3/2010 -
" This was a total train wreck of short stories - each was so awful and surprising, I couldn't bear to look away. <br/> <br/>Minus one star for a ridiculous final story. A bad ending to such a unique collection. "
— Michelle, 3/26/2010 -
" Collection of dude short stories. Why can't he just let me have my happy ending just once? "
— Juliette, 1/25/2010 -
" I hold Boyle to a higher standard than most writers because he has written some outstanding stories in the past. I really liked Termination Dust and The Black and White Sisters, but the rest seemed a little formulaic for Boyle. "
— Art, 1/19/2010 -
" Read these stories over a year at bedtime. TC Boyle is one of my favorite authors/ "
— Mom, 1/9/2010 -
" The alternative Boyle starting place. Also stingingly funny. "
— Bob, 8/12/2009 -
" some really good one here that will stick with you a long time "
— Robin, 7/31/2009
About the Authors
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.
T. C. Boyle is an American novelist and short-story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published eighteen novels and twelve collections of short stories. He won the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1988 for his third novel, World’s End, and Frances’ Prix Médicis étranger in 1995 for The Tortilla Curtain. His novel Drop City, a New York Times bestseller, was a finalist for the 2003 National Book Award. He has also won the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, the Henry David Thoreau Prize, and the Jonathan Swift Prize for satire. He is a distinguished professor emeritus of English at the University of Southern California.
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.