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The Boat Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,209 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This collection of stories from Pushcart Prize-winning author Nam Le has been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, is a New York Times Editors' Pick, and earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The seven stories' protagonists range from a Colombian teenage assassin to an elderly painter with health problems. "Powerful ... Lyrical ... Devastating ... A harsh and master ful effort, each tale a clean shot through the heart, the aim true."-Miami Herald
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"I have to say that this author is very itneresting. He writes of so many different venues and characters. If writers usually write of what they know, he either knows an awful lot, has traveled an awful lot, has a wide circle of friends of varying cultures and backgrounds or he has an unusually fertile imagination. This is a book of short stories. Every one is different. However, in most of them the overall mood is dark. I think I would have liked it more if the mood was a bit lighter."
— Pat (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Powerful ... Lyrical ... Devastating ... A harsh and master ful effort, each tale a clean shot through the heart, the aim true.
— Miami Herald
The Boat Listener Reviews
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" Immaculate fiction writing over a variety of subject matter - the loveliest of story telling. poignant. "
— Crystal, 2/16/2014 -
" This terrific book of short stories should win awards this year. The stories are so well written that I visualized all the characters and scenes without being aware of detailed descriptions. Although the author is originally Vietnamese, the stories are set in a variety of countries. Many have teens as major characters so it would be interesting to see what a mature teen thought of the collection. "
— Karlan, 2/3/2014 -
" I've learned things of other cultures, lives. Some stories didn't grab me as much as others but it was worthwhile. "
— Patricia, 1/29/2014 -
" Writing feels like it's trying too hard. I really wanted to like it but did not grab me. "
— Davida, 12/22/2013 -
" This collection of short stories has been widely hyped as the most promising first collection of fiction in ages. Nam Le was born in VietNam and raised in Australia, then ended up at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. "
— Diane, 12/20/2013 -
" Short stories--well written, dark. All very different, from different points of view... "
— Dawn, 11/26/2013 -
" I don't usually get into short stories so much but this was amazing. "
— Bec, 10/27/2013 -
" so much feeling from so few words. "
— Kailin, 9/21/2013 -
" A fantastic short story collection from a fresh Austalian voice (even if he was born in Vietnam and lives in the US). Will be fascinated to see if he goes on to publish novels. Highly recommended. "
— Chris, 8/9/2013 -
" "Empty virtuosity" is the faint praise a reviewer used to damn this short story collection and afraid I agree. Gave up after reading about 3/4 of it - just didn't grab me. "
— Betsy, 8/3/2013 -
" To be honest, i am definitely not a big fan of short stories - just not enough character development for me. I found the stories difficult to get into. I was disappointed. "
— Indi, 7/27/2013 -
" This is a very uneven collection of stories. Some of them (the first and the last stories, for instance) are excellent, while some of them are pretty weak. The first and last stories of the book ("Love and Honor..." and "The Boat") are, without a doubt, the two standouts. "
— Sultan, 6/12/2013 -
" Yep. First two stories were really good and then it just got stale. Why all the hype on this one? "
— Matt, 3/30/2013 -
" the first one was good. and maybe there was another good one. but this book annoyed me. i just didn't care that much. not to say that there's not good writing, but whatever. blah. "
— Tripmastermonkey, 2/8/2013 -
" I'm reading everything twice, and then I'm going to run out and buy the book, so that I may highlight, dog-ear, and enjoy this again and again. Easily the best of the year. "
— Nancy, 10/23/2012 -
" Chose it because of recommendation. Doubt that I will ever finish it. "
— Allison, 9/3/2012 -
" Read this for a short story lit class. The stories were not bad,some were definitely better than others but it lacked something. He definitely is skillful in his ability to take on some many characters from different backgrounds. "
— Katelyn, 5/15/2012 -
" simply great first book of short stories. you WILL hear more about nam le. very reminiscent of frank conroy, joyce carol oates, robert olen butler. "
— Tuck, 9/3/2011 -
" You'll either love this collection for its varied settings and voices, or struggle with it for the same reasons. "
— Patrick, 8/22/2011 -
" I don't ordinarily read short stories, but I found these well written and very engrosing. "
— Susan, 8/1/2011 -
" what i learned from this book? what a funny prompt... "
— K.O., 4/17/2011 -
" Loved the broad geographic range and yet the focus on parent-child relations. How does a young writer go so far from home, Vietnam, Australia, Tehran, Hiroshima and NYC and yet stay so close to home? "
— Eric, 4/4/2011 -
" Really intense stories & very diverse with respect to style, location, theme. Didn't much like Hiroshima. "
— Adrienne, 2/21/2011 -
" Some wonderful short stories but too many underwhelming ones mixed in with this series. "
— Michael, 11/26/2010 -
" Hard to say anything but this was the best collection of short stories I may have ever read. Amazing depth and breadth,diverse settings and topics but each one deep and probably more complex, with better character development, than many novels. Truly a masterpiece--read it. "
— Ariana, 11/6/2010 -
" Beautifully written, he is able to get into the skins of many different kinds of people, bringing forth their character and surroundings in rich detail. He takes on many voices for each story, and though you feel smothered, sometimes, in their lives, his presence as an author is always subtle. "
— Kathryn, 11/6/2010
About the Narrators
Robin Miles, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, has twice won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, an Audie Award for directing, and many Earphones Awards. Her film and television acting credits include The Last Days of Disco, Primary Colors, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, New York Undercover, National Geographic’s Tales from the Wild, All My Children, and One Life to Live. She regularly gives seminars to members of SAG and AFTRA actors’ unions, and in 2005 she started Narration Arts Workshop in New York City, offering audiobook recording classes and coaching. She holds a BA degree in theater studies from Yale University, an MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, and a certificate from the British American Drama Academy in England.
Laurie Keller is the acclaimed author-illustrator of Do Unto Otters; Arnie, the Doughnut; and The Scrambled States of America, among numerous others. She grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, and always loved to draw, paint, and write stories. She earned a BFA at Kendall College of Art and Design, then worked at Hallmark as a greeting card illustrator for over seven years, until one night she got an idea for a children’s book. She quit her job, moved to New York City, and had soon published her first book. She loved living in New York, but she has now returned to her home state, where she lives in a little cottage in the woods on the shore of Lake Michigan.
James Yaegashi has appeared in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions, film, and television roles. He was also a popular radio disc jockey in Japan. He is a four-time winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award for audiobook narration, and his voice-over credits include a featured role in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Henry Strozier is an actor with a forty-year career in numerous movies and television series. Also a voice-over artist, he has worked extensively in video games and audiobook narration, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Ali Ahn is a film, television, and voice actor. Her acting credits include appearances on Law & Order, Ugly Betty, White Collar, and Zero Hour. She has also narrated numerous audio books, such as Honolulu by Alan Brennert, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas, and Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart.
Gideon Emery was raised in England and South Africa, where he won the National Vita Award for Comedy and a Gold Craft Award for Voice-over. Now based in Los Angeles, he has appeared on such television series as 24, Burn Notice, Eleventh Hour, CSI:NY, and Moonlight. His film credits include Primeval, Train, and Takers. He is also an in-demand voice for video games.
Jennifer Ikeda has been narrating audiobooks since 2002. Among her readings are When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park; Just Listen by Sarah Dessen; and After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away by Joyce Carol Oates. She has won six AudioFile Earphones Awards.