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Audiobooks > Biography & Autobiography >  Personal Memoirs > Paradise
Paradise Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry Play Audiobook Sample

Paradise Audiobook

By: Larry McMurtry
Paradise Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Philip Bosco Publisher: Random House Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 2.67 hours at 1.5x Speed 2.00 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: June 2001 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9780375418488
3.06666666666667 out of 53.06666666666667 out of 53.06666666666667 out of 53.06666666666667 out of 53.06666666666667 out of 5 (3.07) - 120 listener ratings
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Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

5

Longest Chapter Length:

53:14 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

35:58 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

47:06 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

17

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Oh What a Slaughter: Massacres in the American West: 1846--1890 Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
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Leaving Cheyenne Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers: A Novel Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
Horseman, Pass By Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
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Literary Life: A Second Memoir Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
Hollywood: A Third Memoir Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
Custer Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
Terms of Endearment Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
The Last Kind Words Saloon Audiobook, by Larry McMurtry
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Publisher Description

In 1999, Larry McMurtry, whose wanderlust had been previously restricted to the roads of America, set off for a trip to the paradise of Tahiti and the South Sea Islands in an old-fashioned tub of a cruise boat, at a time when his mother was slipping toward a paradise of her own. Opening up to her son in her final days, his mother makes a stunning revelation of a previous marriage and sends McMurtry on a journey of an entirely different kind.  Vividly, movingly, and with infinite care, McMurtry paints a portrait of his parents' marriage against the harsh, violent landscape of west Texas. It is their roots -- laced with overtones of hard work, bitter disappointment, and the Puritan ethic -- that McMurtry challenges by traveling to Tahiti, a land of lush sensuality and easy living. With fascinating detail, shrewd observations, humorous pathos, and unforgettable characters, he begins to answer some of the questions of what paradise is, whether it exists, and how different it is from life in his hometown of Archer City, Texas.

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"More crabby, wistful travel writing from McMurtry. He refuses to do anything physically demanding, but he is so well-read, and often funny that I like taking these little trips with him. "

— Matthew (5 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • “There’s enough local color, enough dank glens, misty mountains, and sun-dazzled beaches to satisfy armchair travel buffs, but this is a quiet, thoughtful voyage that reveals that true paradise lies close to the heart.”

    — Gregory McNamee, travel writer for the Los Angeles Times

  • “A glancing memoir by McMurtry (Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen, 1999, etc.), an extraordinarily talented spinner of tales.”

    — Kirkus Reviews

Paradise Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.4 out of 53.4 out of 53.4 out of 53.4 out of 53.4 out of 5 (3.40)
5 Stars: 2
4 Stars: 5
3 Stars: 5
2 Stars: 3
1 Stars: 0
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
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1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " A interesting sort of travel book in which McM turns his incisive observations on both a trip to Tahiti and the Marquesas and his parents' distressed marriage. "

    — Cooper, 11/12/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Very autobiographical for those who follow his writing "

    — Gail, 5/17/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " I wanna go! "

    — Clayton, 4/9/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " A travelogue of McMurtry;s brief visit to the South Sea islands, along with a meditation on his parentss marriage. "

    — Patrick, 2/5/2013
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Basically a travalogue of his trip to French Polynesia and reflections on his parents. Mostly an excuse to get paid for a vacation; nice job if you can get it. But it was a nice read. "

    — Jim, 12/26/2012
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Slight, ruminative, seductive. A McMurtry gem. "

    — Grace, 4/19/2012
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Very quick read about the authors cruise from Tahiti to the Marquesa islands, and what he observes: the other travelers, the natives and their lives, and himself and his insights into his reasons for being there. Not a novel, not a murder, not a mystery - just a thoroughly enjoyable book. "

    — Phil, 4/13/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " beautifully written little book about the author's journey to Tahiti and the South Sea islands and what constitutes Paradise. "

    — Marilyn, 2/17/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " i read thinking it was about polynesia - it was a little bit but mostly about his parents unhappy marriage and his upbringing "

    — Liz, 10/5/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " this was my first Larry McMurty read.... Sham on me, and he is a Texas boy. What was I thinking. I can't wait to read another one. "

    — Sherry, 4/13/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I've always wanted to take the Aranui trip to the Marquesas so I'm enjoying this book. Now that I've finished the book I still want to take the Aranui voyage. Have to start planning! "

    — Hulananni, 2/3/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " beautifully written little book about the author's journey to Tahiti and the South Sea islands and what constitutes Paradise. "

    — Marilyn, 9/13/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " this was my first Larry McMurty read.... Sham on me, and he is a Texas boy. What was I thinking. I can't wait to read another one. "

    — Sherry, 2/24/2009
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " A travelogue of McMurtry;s brief visit to the South Sea islands, along with a meditation on his parentss marriage. "

    — Patrick, 3/2/2008
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Basically a travalogue of his trip to French Polynesia and reflections on his parents. Mostly an excuse to get paid for a vacation; nice job if you can get it. But it was a nice read. "

    — Jim, 10/8/2007

About Larry McMurtry

Larry McMurtry (1936–2021) was an award-winning novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and avid book collector. His novels include The Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment, and Lonesome Dove, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. He wrote more than thirty screenplays, including the coauthorship of Brokeback Mountain, for which he received an Academy Award.

About Philip Bosco

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950), born in Chicago, was educated at Michigan Military Academy and served briefly in the US Cavalry. He began writing while working as a pencil-sharpener salesman, publishing his first piece in 1912 to great success. He authored numerous science fiction and fantasy series but is most famous for his Tarzan books; the suburb of Los Angeles where he lived eventually became known as Tarzana.