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Audiobooks > Fiction >  Literary > Driving on the Rim

Download Driving on the Rim Audiobook

Extended Audio Sample Driving on the Rim Audiobook, by Thomas McGuane Click for printable size audiobook cover
3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 3.00 (282 ratings) (rate this audio book) Author: Thomas McGuane Narrator: Traber Burns Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download Audio Length: Release Date: November 2010 ISBN: 9781482979909
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The unforgettable voyager of this dark picaresque is I. B. “Berl” Pickett, MD, whose die was probably cast the moment his mother thought to name him after Irving Berlin. Other insults piled on apace thereafter: the spasms of Pentecostal Sunday worship; the social debilitation of following his parents’ itinerant rug-shampooing business; the erotic initiation at the hands of his aunt. It’s hard to imagine what would have become of him had he not gone to medical school. But there must be meaning to existence beyond professional accreditation, and though scantly equipped, Berl Pickett has been on a mission to find it, despite being charged with negligent homicide in the death of his former lover, a business that lays bare the true benefits of small-town living. Download and start listening now!

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Quotes & Awards

  • “McGuane adds another rueful portrait to his gallery of flawed masculine types, set, again, in Big Sky Country…Readers who relish McGuane’s signature descriptions of hunting, fishing, birding, and cruising (in a rattletrap Olds Starfire 88) will once again be satisfied with the bard of the Absaroka Mountains’ laid-back take on contemporary American manhood.”

    Publishers Weekly

  • “Berl Pickett, the feckless doctor, fisherman, lover, and accused murderer who narrates Thomas McGuane’s Driving on the Rim, is a splendid addition to the gallery of semi-cracked eccentrics who populate the literature of the American West…That McGuane is able to build a hugely amusing and even moving novel around such a resounding antihero is testament to the enduring charms of one of the odder careers in American letters.”

    Washington Post

  • “There are riches here, especially sentence by crackling sentence, and McGuane is as good as ever on the redeeming aspects of a troubled country—on diving prairie falcons, the satisfactions of work, and people who tell absurd stories about themselves on their way to growing up.”

    New York Times
  • Selected for the November 2010 Indie Next List
  • A 2010 Washington Post Best Book for Fiction

Listener Opinions

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Sarah Black | 2/20/2014

    " I adored this- brilliant "

  • 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 Larry | 2/10/2014

    " I always liked this author's work, but this book was really awful. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Jeri | 1/29/2014

    " Interesting; good descriptions; fascinating characters. However, with that said, I'm not sure whether I liked the book. It's the story of one man's "journey" in life, starting out as the son of two itinerant people who grows up to become a doctor almost despite them. It's his story of "practicing" in the same small town, accusations of assisted suicide, unrequited love and lust (which is requited) and then a calming ending....set in Montana, I enjoyed much of it because it referenced towns like Harlowtown (where my Dad grew up) and Two Dot, which I never believed existed until I met someone from there. The Montana mind-set and ruggedness certainly adds to the story. Will be anxious to have someone else's "take" on the book. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Dave | 1/21/2014

    " best mcguane in years. only mcguane fiction in years, but quite good. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Bob | 1/19/2014

    " This book is very hard to describe - a rambling story of a modern small town western doctor, and his search for meaning in the midst of the maelstrom of daily life. Too many disconnected pieces to make a comprehensible whole, but certainly an interesting perspective on modern American life. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Ted | 1/11/2014

    " I have been a big fan of Mr. McGuane for several decades and, once again, he instills a sense of place that is hard to beat. For much of the book, I was truly interested in the lives and antics of the characters. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, I came to see the characters as simple and flawed caricatures. So much so that I lost interest in them and their situations. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Mark Myers | 1/7/2014

    " An astonishing, satisfying writer. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Laurie Twiehaus | 12/31/2013

    " This is a good story from a man's point of view of his whole life, his parents, his decision to become a doctor and all his relationships. I enjoyed seeing how a man thinks about his interactions. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Linda | 12/31/2013

    " I cannot relate to big country, open spaces & small towns but this wonderful book gave me an insight that books like Easy of Eden did not. Berl is a rich complex character, a troubled man, a winner. It was funny, rambling and so nice to read. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Ruth | 12/7/2013

    " Pretty good book. A bit slow but overall quite pleasing. Not sure I would read this author again but not sorry I read this one. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Jennifer | 12/3/2013

    " A wonderful book if you're in the mood to enjoy the journey and appreciate the details. McGuane can knit words together that make you stop and marvel at their beauty, irreverence, insight. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Robert Murray | 12/3/2013

    " What a warm and comforting read to chase away a cold and blustery winter. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Bob Peru | 11/19/2013

    " the best novel he's done in years. i really like is short story collection "gallatin canyon" as well. "

  • 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5 Winnie Youngblood | 2/24/2013

    " Didn't actually finish this - I almost never do that! "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Rick Muir | 11/11/2012

    " Truly entertaining with remarkable and humorous insights on life. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Cheryl | 6/23/2012

    " This was my first McGuane book. While I really enjoyed some parts of this book there were times that I almost gave up out of boredom as it seemed to meander and go nowhere. In the end I was glad I stuck with it. I will definitely try something else by the author. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Dede | 4/28/2012

    " This was perfect to listen to as we drove 1200 miles from CO to CA. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Molly | 2/12/2012

    " Never managed to like any of the characters- most of them seemed like caricatures of quirky individuals. The story jumped around in a manner that made it hard to feel invested in what was happening. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Chrissie | 4/27/2011

    " Solid. Really funny one-liners. Just an oddball guy reminiscing about his oddball life. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Rick | 3/1/2011

    " Truly entertaining with remarkable and humorous insights on life. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Vicky | 2/15/2011

    " I think this is the first Tom Mcguane book I've read. I know he is a very popular author, but this story just didn't engage my interest. I'd be interested if any one else reads this what you think. "

  • 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Robert | 2/8/2011

    " What a warm and comforting read to chase away a cold and blustery winter. "

  • 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Hillary | 2/7/2011

    " This book is somewhat disjointed, with many underlying stories and no resolution. I'm not sure I like it now that I'm done, but I enjoyed hearing the stories while they lasted. "

  • 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Bob | 1/9/2011

    " the best novel he's done in years. i really like is short story collection "gallatin canyon" as well. "

  • 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Molly | 12/29/2010

    " Never managed to like any of the characters- most of them seemed like caricatures of quirky individuals. The story jumped around in a manner that made it hard to feel invested in what was happening. "

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About the Author
Author Thomas McGuane

Thomas McGuane is the author of numerous novels, short fiction, and screenplays, as well as several collections of essays devoted to his life in the outdoors. He earned a BA in English from Michigan State University and an MFA from Yale, where he studied play writing and dramatic literature. He received a Wallace Stegner Fellowhsip to Stanford University and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

About the Narrator

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. 

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