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Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Audiobook, by David Foster Wallace Play Audiobook Sample

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Audiobook

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Audiobook, by David Foster Wallace Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Christopher Meloni, Joshua Ferris, Michael Cerveris, Ben Shenkman, Denis O’Hare, Chris Messina, Cory Stoll, Joey Slotnick, Josh Charles, Lou Taylor Pucci, Malcolm Goodwin, Max Minghella, Will Forte, John Krasinski, Bobby Cannavale, various narrators Publisher: Little, Brown & Company Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 2.83 hours at 1.5x Speed 2.13 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: September 2009 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781600247385

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

59

Longest Chapter Length:

09:01 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

01:00 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

04:22 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

17

Other Audiobooks Written by David Foster Wallace: > View All...

Listeners Also Enjoyed: > View All...

Publisher Description

In this thought-provoking and playful short story collection, David Foster Wallace nudges at the boundaries of fiction with inimitable wit and seductive intelligence.



Wallace's stories present a world where the bizarre and the banal are interwoven and where hideous men appear in many guises. Among the stories are 'The Depressed Person,' a dazzling and blackly humorous portrayal of a woman's mental state; 'Adult World,' which reveals a woman's agonized consideration of her confusing sexual relationship with her husband; and 'Brief Interviews with Hideous Men,' a dark, hilarious series of imagined interviews with men on the subject of their relations with women.



Wallace delights in leftfield observation, mining the absurd, the surprising, and the illuminating from every situation. This collection will enthrall DFW fans, and provides a perfect introduction for new readers.

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"I gave this book four stars, yet DFW is one of my favorite authors so I'm a bit biased. It is really more like a three star book. The writing, as always, is hyperkinetic and sometimes I can almost hear it sizzle. But the subject matter is that same old postmodern stalwart: self-reflection. He does do some wonderful things with this idea and almost sheds some new light on them but in the end its just the writing, and not the subject matter, that let me enjoy the book. I recommend the stories: "the devil is a busy man" (the first one), "datum centurio", "octet", "Brief Interview #20, New Haven, CT" (the last story in the book)."

— Jesse (4 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • “Essential listening for Wallace fans.”

    — Publishers Weekly
  • “Brilliant…bitingly funny…wildly imaginative.”

    — Salon
  • “A supersonic delight, a full-scale harassment of the short story form…David Foster Wallace is one badass fiction writer.”

    — LA Weekly
  • “A strikingly original collection…Brief Interviews with Hideous Men is meant to interrogate the reader, to elicit fresh responses to horrors that have lost their edge in the age of information overload…It displays a range of intellect and talent that is unseemly for any one writer to have, let alone show off.”

    — Time
  • “An astonishing collection…A brutally magnificent book…Not least among David Foster Wallace’s many accomplishments is his almost single-handed rehabilitation of the footnote as a literary device.”

    — Spin
  • “Often funny and very often hugely impressive…Now we know Mr. Wallace can write short. Let’s hope he writes for a long, long time.” 

    — New York Observer
  • “Evocative and challenging…A virtuoso performance of voice, imagination, footnotes, and black humor, showing once again that Wallace is the dark prince of contemporary American fiction.”

    — Details
  • A host of talented narrators and actors-including television actors John Krasinski and Christopher Meloni-deliver nuanced performances of the late Wallace's classic. But it's the author himself who steals the show: his gentle, almost dreamy voice unlocks the elaborate syntax and releases the immense feeling concealed by the comedy and labyrinthine sentences. While the various narrators ably capture the essence of the text, Wallace's renditions of such stories as "Forever Overhead" and "Death Is Not the End" are transcendent. Essential listening for Wallace fans and a fine introduction for newcomers.

    — Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly
  • The name of this collection of stories is slightly misleading, given the talent and likability of the cast of narrators who bring the late Wallace's work to life. Each of the performers, including actors John Krasinski, Will Forte, Malcolm Goodwin, and Bobby Cannavale, delivers a powerful reading that is as imaginative as the collection itself.... Krasinski, who directed the film adaptation of the book, is especially fine, reading with a stern, intellectual edge that is at once witty and unabashed. As a whole, each narrator complements the unique work he delivers.—Publishers Weekly

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.413793103448276 out of 53.413793103448276 out of 53.413793103448276 out of 53.413793103448276 out of 53.413793103448276 out of 5 (3.41)
5 Stars: 4
4 Stars: 11
3 Stars: 9
2 Stars: 3
1 Stars: 2
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " At its worst, this book is like a wordy version of Taxicab Confessions. But at its best, this book is funny and smart, undercutting its pretentious intellectualizing by its awareness of its intellectualism and pompousness, pointing at them and sniggering. Oh, and some sections are unexpectedly moving. "

    — Nom, 2/13/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Read this, and not Infinte Jest, and you'll be a DFW fan "

    — Laura, 2/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I love this book and have now passed it along to my husband. We'll see if that attempt yields any success. My last attempt to share it with someone else yielded the assessment 'too wordy' or some variation thereon. "

    — Juliet, 2/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Most of the interviews were pretty hard to listen to. There were a few that have stuck with me for months. "

    — Maura, 1/10/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Fantastic stuff. Some of the stories verged on the esoteric, but overall I loved the way Wallace is able to create such rich and interesting characters in very short amounts of space. "

    — Nick, 1/3/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " This book made me feel like I wasn't alone in the very specific way my thought process works when I'm unhappy. It made me want to force people to read the chapter 'Octet' and ask them if everyone's brain works like this. "

    — Maxwell, 12/30/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Amazing writing, pithy, funny, very original style, a little sick, right up my alley. Brilliant, a touch on the psycho side, but that probably had a bit to do with the shame of his recent suicide. A major loss to the literary world. "

    — Christopher, 12/14/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Wallace fans will enjoy. I am and I did, though one of my least favorite DFW books. "

    — Craig, 12/12/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " "reading" this through an audio book. Read by David Foster Wallace, and others also. Gosh is it good so far. "

    — Rosie, 12/7/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Una grande scrittura, ma forse non era il momento giusto. Sospendo il giudizio. "

    — esaurito, 8/10/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " When literary geniuses watch too much TV . . . "

    — Paul, 7/27/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " By no means a perfect collection of stories, but B.I. # 20 makes it all worth it. The book would be five stars if it was cut in half, leaving only the best stories like Forever Overhead, The Depressed Person, On His Deathbed and most of brief interviews. "

    — Christopher, 7/11/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " The first and second to last story would get five stars. None of the others ones really stuck with me, I didn't find the exercises with technicality particularly interesting. "

    — Adam, 2/3/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " It's not a collection of stories ... this is a novel. Wallace the stylist returns with a vengeance. But where he failed with "Curious Girl," he succeeds here. The prose is sharp, witty, erudite. This time he exposes the male sex ... to themselves. "

    — Yeti, 11/10/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A great book full of psychotic men that reveals a truth that is terrorizing. "

    — Gregory, 10/25/2012
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Hated it so much I put it down after 3 or 4 stories. I couldn't stand his self-conscious, verbose prose or his attitude which seemed rather mean, although maybe I was missing some super intellectual ironic point. Aahhhh, nope I could not be bothered. "

    — Erin, 10/16/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Always Overhead is probably the best short story ever written. "

    — Jim, 8/5/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Incredibly overblown, but still kind of captivating, and at times very moving. "

    — Ian, 7/20/2012
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " one of my favorites - hands down, please. "

    — Paige, 1/11/2012
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Two questions: 1) How can someone actually enjoy reading sentences like these? 2) Can you name a crueler story than Adult World, which is cruel to its characters, all of its characters, cruel to its author, and cruel most especially to its reader? "

    — David, 6/20/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Like most books with collections of stories, these are very uneven in terms of quality. The title stories are quite good, and I would also recommend the movie. "

    — Billycongo, 6/20/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A strange collection of short stories about depression and unusual sexuality. Worth a read if you like the super strange. "

    — Elaine, 6/8/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I had a lot trouble understanding this book to be honest. "

    — Nicole, 5/20/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " maybe it was over my head... but it didn't do it for me "

    — Meghan, 5/7/2011
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " I don't get it. I guess I don't feel that the short story form needs to be subverted this much. These "stories" seemed to be all cerebral play, no beauty, no emotion. "

    — Rebekka, 4/27/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " No doubt one of the greatest. <br/> <br/>You'll remember almost all of these stories for your entire life, but I just can't give it five stars because &quot;Tri-Stan: I Sold Sissee Nar to Ecko,&quot; almost made me puke with embarrassment. <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> "

    — Joe, 4/22/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Very humorous. I love the ridiculously long footnotes. They are like short stories by themselves. "

    — Gena, 4/12/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Shocking, delightful, and IMHO a great intro to DFW. Though other reviewers might disagree, I don't know how one could sit through his longer works if they can't handle this one. "

    — Sarah, 4/7/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " David Foster Wallace is a magnificent writer and this particular collection of short stories was extremely well put together. "

    — Ben, 3/23/2011

About David Foster Wallace

David Foster Wallace (1962–2008) was the New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Jest, The Broom of the System, and Girl with Curious Hair. His essays and stories have appeared in Harper’s, the New Yorker, Playboy, Paris Review, Conjunctions, Premiere, Tennis, the Missouri Review, and the Review of Contemporary Fiction. He received numerous awards, including the Whiting Award, the Lannan Award for Fiction, the QPB Joe Savago New Voices Award, and the O. Henry Award.

About the Narrators

Denis O’Hare is one of today’s busiest actors in the film, television, and stage worlds. The Tony Award–winning actor is best known to television viewers for his recent work on True Blood as Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi.

Joshua Ferris is the author of three previous novels, Then We Came to the End, The Unnamed, and To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and a collection of stories, The Dinner Party. He was a finalist for the National Book Award, winner of the Barnes and Noble Discover Award and the PEN/Hemingway Award, and was named one of the New Yorker's “20 Under 40” writers in 2010. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour won the Dylan Thomas Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His short stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, and Best American Short Stories. He lives in New York.

Michael Cerveris is an American singer, guitarist, and actor. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays including Romeo & Juliet, Sweeney Todd, and Hedwig and the Angry Itch. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his role in the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins. His most notable television role has been as September in the series Fringe.

Denis O’Hare is one of today’s busiest actors in the film, television, and stage worlds. The Tony Award–winning actor is best known to television viewers for his recent work on True Blood as Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi.

Denis O’Hare is one of today’s busiest actors in the film, television, and stage worlds. The Tony Award–winning actor is best known to television viewers for his recent work on True Blood as Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi.

Denis O’Hare is one of today’s busiest actors in the film, television, and stage worlds. The Tony Award–winning actor is best known to television viewers for his recent work on True Blood as Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi.

Denis O’Hare is one of today’s busiest actors in the film, television, and stage worlds. The Tony Award–winning actor is best known to television viewers for his recent work on True Blood as Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi.

Denis O’Hare is one of today’s busiest actors in the film, television, and stage worlds. The Tony Award–winning actor is best known to television viewers for his recent work on True Blood as Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi.

Jay Snyder is a voice actor, voice director, and script adapter who studied acting at the Julliard School in New York City. He is best known as the voice of Yugi Muto from the Japanese manga television series, Yu-Gi-Oh! His audiobook narrations have earned three AudioFile Earphones Awards, and he was a finalist for the Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration in 2015.

Traber Burns worked for thirty-five years in regional theater, including the New York, Oregon, and Alabama Shakespeare festivals. He also spent five years in Los Angeles appearing in many television productions and commercials, including Lost, Close to Home, Without a Trace, Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, Cold Case, Gilmore Girls, and others.