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By Nightfall: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 4,144 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Peter and Rebecca Harris: mid-forties denizens of Manhattan's SoHo, nearing the apogee of committed careers in the arts—he a dealer, she an editor. With a spacious loft, a college-age daughter in Boston, and lively friends, they are admirable, enviable contemporary urbanites with every reason, it seems, to be happy. Then Rebecca's much younger look-alike brother, Ethan (known in the family as Mizzy, "the mistake"), shows up for a visit. A beautiful, beguiling twenty-three-year-old with a history of drug problems, Mizzy is wayward, at loose ends, looking for direction. And in his presence, Peter finds himself questioning his artists, their work, his career—the entire world he has so carefully constructed. Like his legendary, Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, The Hours, Michael Cunningham's masterly new novel is a heartbreaking look at the way we live now. Full of shocks and aftershocks, it makes us think and feel deeply about the uses and meaning of beauty and the place of love in our lives.
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"I seem to love so much of what I read. This is a novel by the author of The Hours, and it is so adult and intelligent. It's all from the POV of a man in his 40s, and his qualms about marriage and what he does and who he is. And it has a good ending. I guess I need to read something 2 stars so I quit rating everything so high or my credibility will be ruined"
— Cathy (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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What is signaled in print through the use of design elements, narrator Hugh Dancy does through voice: A change in inflection, a slight questioning, a hesitation, or an increase in speed alerts the listener to a switch from stream of consciousness to public dialogue, from narrative description to personal conversation. Dancy's reading brings authenticity to Peter's emotional journey, saving it from self-indulgence.
— Audiofile -
“Emmy Award nominee Hugh Dancy well captures Peter's melancholy…Cunningham's popularity generally and his exploration of universal middle-class dreams and fears make this a good choice for book clubs
— Library Journal
By Nightfall Listener Reviews
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Maria Baglay, 6/27/2018
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" It's well written, and I enjoyed it, but not as much as A Home at the End of the World. "
— Allen, 2/20/2014 -
" I loved the end of this book, and the beginning was compelling - some parts of the middle got a little tedious. I thought about giving this three stars, but since I almost stopped reading, I thought two might be better. However, I thought the minor twist was genius. "
— Ilyssa, 2/10/2014 -
" Errrr...why couldn't it just be better? "
— Louisa, 1/13/2014 -
" An interesting glimpse into the upper-middle class art world of Manhattan. Thumbs up for sparkling but realistic dialogue and setting, thumbs down on the incessant, forced literary allusions, which did nothing to propel character but did much to make the author/narrator look very, very pretentious. But still. Entertaining enough. "
— Todd, 1/11/2014 -
" Wonderful sentences and descriptions. The author is so good at describing small moments. However, I was disappointed in the overall story and what seemed like an abrupt ending that ran out of steam. "
— Kappy, 1/7/2014 -
" Clever writing, fine dialogue, interesting art-world backdrop, and completely bloodless (to me, at least). I enjoyed it while having absolutely no emotional response to the characters. It was like a flawless peach with no flavor. "
— Nette, 12/24/2013 -
" 40 something artsy yuppies in NYC. wife's much younger addict brother shows up. Dynamics get turned around to very strange but intriguing angle. "
— ingrid, 12/12/2013 -
" Not exactly what I was expecting and the ending was a little blah for my liking. Though the interest in the art world has been restored after reading this. "
— Hanna, 10/14/2013 -
" LOVING it. What a surprise-- pretty racy! "
— Phoebejones4, 6/8/2013 -
" Beautiful and simple. What J. Franzen's Freedom was attempting, but in waaay less pages! "
— Mayuri, 4/20/2013 -
" Gorgeous book. Another favorite of the year. "
— Janesnextdoor, 12/2/2012 -
" till now the book is pretentious and a little boring. and now i ended it i can confirm my impression. nothing near the quality of "the hours". a pity. "
— Pat, 6/7/2012 -
" too boring. too slow. very hard to focus. "
— Bloggylife, 6/3/2011 -
" This is a lovely but sad reflection on truth, beauty, art, aging and sexuality. Every time I read something else by Michael Cunningham, I'm reminded that I should probably revisit The Hours. "
— Kerri, 5/30/2011 -
" If you want to read the internal thoughts of a truly self centered person, this is the book for you "
— Rita, 5/15/2011 -
" Fasten your seatbelt! This book revisits an old story---male mid-live crisis---and makes it relevant, with brilliant writing. "
— Paulah, 5/11/2011 -
" Just OK. I felt the ending was a little pat. I also could not relate to the main character...very shallow fellow, but perhaps that was the point!<br/> "
— Mls3, 5/11/2011 -
" Great book- feels sort of like an extended short story. If you love art and you love NYC then you'll probably like this. "
— Greg, 5/2/2011 -
" i love m cunningham, but this book was just dull and preachy. too self-satisfied. blah. "
— Lola, 4/28/2011 -
" Delicate and moving, like all of Cunningham's work, though feeling somewhat empty. This small domestic drama feels too small at times, and the stakes too low. Overall, a gorgeous and simple book about mercurial desires and notions of self. "
— Allison, 4/27/2011 -
" Tortured and tortuous, as his books tend to be. At times I am exasperated by his self-indulgence; at others, dazzled by the way he uses words. "
— Lynn, 4/26/2011 -
" Sort of an interesting story, maybe too much sex, and I don't think you see the twists coming, but a good ending. "
— Ritarose, 4/25/2011
About the Authors
Michael Cunningham is a novelist, screenwriter, and educator. His novel The Hours received the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1999. He has taught at Columbia University and Brooklyn College. He is a professor at Yale University.
John F. Ross is the author of War on the Run: The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America’s First Frontier. Winner of the Fort Ticonderoga Prize for Contributions to American History, he has served as the executive editor of American Heritage and on the board of editors at Smithsonian magazine.
About the Narrators
Edward Herrmann (1943–2014) was one of America’s top audiobook narrators. He won multiple Audie Awards and twenty-two Earphones Awards, and his narration of the King James version of the Bible remains a benchmark in the industry.
Hugh Dancy is a British actor and model. His film credits include Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Black Hawk Down. He was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in Elizabeth I and has also acted in the television miniseries David Copperfield. His theater appearances include Madame Bovary and Daniel Deronda. He has also lent his voice to several audio books, including George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt and George’s Secret Key to the Universe, Stephen Hawking’s books for children.