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Signs and Wonders Audiobook
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(3.06) - 224 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
These sixteen stories by the much-celebrated Alix Ohlin illuminate the connections between all of us-connections we choose to break, those broken for us, and those we find and make in spite of ourselves.
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"I like her writing even though her last book was panned in the Times (I thought it was fabulous). Stories were inconsistent but I ate them up like candy. So a good read, but like candy, instant energy that don't stay with you. Look forward to her next novel. Read the new one."
— Patricia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Wise and whimsical…There’s plenty of playfulness and warmth throughout these stories, but there’s plenty of insight, too. Nobody pulls it together, and nobody falls apart. They simply go on, doing the unexpected, the admirable, and, often, the regrettable, for one of the oldest reasons in the word—love.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Wondrously engrossing…Signs and Wonders display[s] her characteristic strengths—dynamic plots, keenly observed settings, and characters so idiosyncratic, ambivalent, and contradictory they could be your family, your neighbors, people you work with.”
— Boston Globe -
“The literary equivalent of a Paul Simon album: crisp, focused, lovely, and lasting…Ohlin’s characters are so genuine you’ll be reminded of people you know, love, and hate.”
— Marie Claire -
“Ohlin’s second winning short story collection grapples with the trappings of love and loss…These snippets of life’s upheavals highlight Ohlin’s keen eye for observation.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“[Ohlin’s] characters, male and female, may not always be sympathetic, but they are always believable. They are as diverse as the stories’ settings: colleges and cities, both coasts of the US, and beyond borders. The skillful use of surprise will induce laughter and shock, often in the same story and at the same moment.”
— Booklist -
“Presented from unusual perspectives in a distinctive, sometimes enchanting voice, each story is filled with paragraphs that are often whimsical short tales in themselves. Readers who enjoy a youthful, fresh approach will find each story a satisfactory adventure.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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An Oprah’s Summer Reading List Selection
Signs and Wonders Listener Reviews
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" Slice of life short stories. Not an anthology, all stories are by the same author. "
— Jo, 2/19/2014 -
" Somewhat frustrating. Ohlin masterfully sets up three-dimensional characters with a sense of action and motivation, but too often the story ends without arriving at a satisfying conclusion. A few stories, including the title story, "Forks", and "You Are What You Like", are quite impressive, however. "
— Brian, 2/18/2014 -
" Such a wonderful book. It deals with different aspects of love in a very realistic way. And, I liked the short stories. They really kept my attention. "
— Txkikind, 2/12/2014 -
" Really liked it. The only thing that got a little old for me was that divorce is a part of just about every one of the short stories. But there is something fresh in each story as well. "
— Alison, 2/3/2014 -
" One of the characters is a truth teller and she loves commercials. "Some of them are so clever these days. They tell a whole story in under thrity seconds. They have this wonderful economy." And I compare Ohlin to this character, a truth teller whose stories are economical, but full of pith. Nothing life-changing for me here, but well written stories all the same. "
— Lara, 1/23/2014 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. These stories were captivating and insightful. Tremendous emotional intelligence. "
— Jonathan, 1/18/2014 -
" I love short stories and she is on par with Richard Bausch, but one too many stories with car accidents. "
— Shannon, 1/10/2014 -
" Excellent collection of short stories -- Ohlin's writing is arresting and beautifully crafted. The stories are a bit macabre. "
— Micaela, 1/9/2014 -
" Surprising, moving, witty, and deeply intelligent. Alex Ohlin's voice Reminds me of Anne Beattie. The best short story collection I've read in a long time. "
— Kat, 12/7/2013 -
" 4.5 stars. I think it's late enough in the year to declare this the best short story collection of 2012. It reminded me a little of Emma Straub's Other People We Married and a little of Jean Thompson. "
— Beth, 11/3/2013 -
" Well written, but truthfully nothing memorable. Feels like a collection of college writing assignments. No connection for me. "
— Ayla, 10/5/2013 -
" Beautifully written. I often find my interest in a collection flagging if I read it in a straight shot, but these stories held my attention from beginning to end. "
— Sarah, 8/30/2013 -
" These short stories were very compelling, but I was unable to make sense of the thread that bound them all together. "
— Rebecca, 6/28/2013 -
" Really interesting approach to short stories and the drama of life. I really enjoyed the conflicts within these stories and the way the author expressed the different points of view of the story tellers. "
— Jessica, 5/28/2013 -
" Only made it through the first three stories. For me, none of them seemed very creative. They just seemed to be fairly mundane. Just not the book for me. "
— Christa, 2/6/2013 -
" This is a collection of very well-crafted, exquisitely beautiful and sad stories, exemplifying the love between people, even if misdirected or somehow flawed. Worth reading. "
— Rachel, 1/31/2013 -
" Great writing, but short stories really aren't my thing. "
— Jen, 1/2/2013 -
" best new short story collection I've read in a long time. "
— Susan, 11/16/2012 -
" Not my cup of tea. Thought it would be better than it was...a collection of short stories, but the characters just were too unlikable and I just didn't see them developed enough to care about them. Oh well, no harm done! "
— Kd, 11/7/2012
About Alix Ohlin
Alix Ohlin is the author of four books, most recently the novel Inside, which was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Tin House, Best American Short Stories, and many other places. She lives in Vancouver, where she chairs the creative writing program at the University of British Columbia.
About the Narrators
Tandy Cronyn was born in Los Angeles in 1945. She has appeared in many plays both on and off Broadway, and has also made several film and television appearances, including Twisted and Law & Order: Cruel and Unusual.
Morgan Hallett is a New York City-based actress, voice-over artist, and audiobook narrator. She has worked extensively throughout the country and on Broadway. She is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner and has lent her voice to dozens of television commercials, including Time Warner Cable, 7-Up, and Accuvue.