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The Beginner's Goodbye Audiobook
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(3.00) - 6,881 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Anne Tyler gives us a wise, haunting, and deeply moving new novel in which she explores how a middle-aged man, ripped apart by the death of his wife, is gradually restored by her frequent appearances—in their house, on the roadway, in the market. Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron spent his childhood fending off a sister who wants to manage him. So when he meets Dorothy, a plain, outspoken, self-dependent young woman, she is like a breath of fresh air. Unhesitatingly he marries her, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage. But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy’s unexpected appearances from the dead help him to live in the moment and to find some peace. Gradually he discovers, as he works in the family’s vanity-publishing business, turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trials of life, that maybe for this beginner there is a way of saying goodbye. A beautiful, subtle exploration of loss and recovery, pierced throughout with Anne Tyler’s humor, wisdom, and always penetrating look at human foibles.
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"I enjoyed this latest novel from favorite author, Anne Tyler. Like many of her later works, it's a bit on the thin side--nowhere near as richly drawn as earlier gems like The Accidental Tourist. But I enjoyed the themes of loss and the approach of age, along with yet another memorable story from a superb storyteller."
— Cynthia (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Like a modern Jane Austen, Tyler creates small worlds where she depicts in minutest detail the intimate bonds of friendship and family.”
— USA Today -
“An absolute charmer…With sparkling prose and undeniable charm, Tyler gets at the beating heart of what it means to lose someone, to say goodbye.”
— Boston Globe -
“A pleasure to read…The wonder of Anne Tyler is how consistently clear-eyed and truthful she remains about the nature of families and especially marriage.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Beautifully intricate…By the exquisitely romantic emotional climax [an] ordinary life has bloomed into an opera.”
— Entertainment Weekly
Awards
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An Amazon Best Book of the Month, April 2012
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A New York Times bestseller
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Selected for the April 2012 Indie Next List
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The Beginner's Goodbye Listener Reviews
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" Another good read from Anne Tyler. I recommend it. "
— Brenda, 1/24/2014 -
" Have been a fan for many years...very disappointed in her latest. "
— Diane, 1/1/2014 -
" Qirky characters and light, humorous tone for a serious subject--grieving, which becomes a meditation on whether or not spirits do visit us. "
— Rochelle, 12/31/2013 -
" Another wonderful cast of quirky characters who provide insights into what it means to love and be loved. At first glance, you can't imagine you could care about these folks, then you can't imagine that they'll disappear from you life when the book ends. "
— Julie, 12/21/2013 -
" This is the second book I have read by Anne Tyler. I enjoyed both. The Beginner's Goodbye dealt with a sad topic with a lovely human touch. This book exemplified the light at the end of the table and showcases Anne Tylers talent to tell touching stories. "
— Anita, 12/21/2013 -
" A little anti-climatic at the end, but well worth reading. "
— Kim, 12/19/2013 -
" Absolutely luminous. Anne Tyler at her best. "
— Meg, 12/16/2013 -
" Pretty tough to get through "
— Amanda, 12/16/2013 -
" It had to be short because it is part of the "beginners" series of slim how-to books. "
— Bella, 12/15/2013 -
" I gave Anne Tyler another chance and I regret it. This was a strange book about a diasbled man whose wife dies in an accident. He begins seeing her. There were so many random, isolated, and ridiculous details, I simply waded through it hoping it would get better. It didn't. "
— Shari, 12/9/2013 -
" Quintessential Anne Tyler. "
— Lee, 11/6/2013 -
" disappointed. I love Anne Tyler, but this story is disjointed. it is beautifully written, but I usually end one of her novels breathless and longing for more. "
— Jami, 7/26/2013 -
" So far I am finding this book pretty flat, but the reviews suggest that it gets better, so here's hoping. "
— Ailish, 7/3/2013 -
" Thought it was time to read this Baltimore author. "
— Kirsten, 6/27/2013 -
" A rare book, in the fact that I liked the last fifty pages more than the beginning. Not as good as past books by Anne Tyler, but enjoyable nonetheless. "
— Marian, 2/26/2013 -
" Anne Tyler knows people, and her characters are so ordinary it hurts. And nothing really happens in this story. "
— Jayne, 2/25/2013 -
" Very poignant. Too short. "
— Peggy, 10/22/2012 -
" The beginning of the book really had me convinced I was really going to enjoy it but my interest quickly waned.Basically just skimmed through the book. Good beginning and happy ending besides that the book had no appeal for me. "
— Colleen, 7/13/2012 -
" Often the most thought-provoking stories come in the simplest of novels. This is one of them. Reflections on courtship and marriage in the shadow of grief. The supernatural touch could have crashed the plot, but Tyler's expert rendering made it essential to the protagonist's evolving state of mind. "
— Jane, 6/16/2012 -
" I enjyoyed this improbable story of self-exploration and growth. And also it reminded me a lot of the Accidental Tourist, (which I loved) though less funny and more introspective. "
— Ahf, 4/18/2012
About Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler is an American novelist, short-story writer, and literary critic and considered a major figure in American literature. Her novels have earned a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Amabassador Book Award, London Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence, among other awards, and several have been New York Times bestsellers. Her novel The Accidental Tourist was made into an Academy Award-winning motion picture in 1988. She was was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and now lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where many of her books are set. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
About Kirby Heyborne
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.