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The New Republic: A Novel Audiobook
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(2.03) - 520 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Acclaimed author Lionel Shriver—author of the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, The Post-Birthday World, and the vivid psychological novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, now a major motion picture—probes the mystery of charisma in a razor-sharp new novel that teases out the intimate relationship between terrorism and cults of personality, explores what makes certain people so magnetic, and reveals the deep frustrations of feeling overshadowed by a life-of-the-party who may not even be present.
“Shriver is a master of the misanthrope. . . . [A] viciously smart writer.” —Time
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"I've read almost every book by Shriver, and I've loved them all. This was no exception, and I'm a bit surprised by some of the low reviews. Many have probably read we need to talk about Kevin, and if you enjoyed it I highly recommend all of her other books."
— Federico (4 out of 5 stars)
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“[A] sharp satire about journalism, terrorism, and the cult of media personality…[Shriver] can toss off a sharp sketch of a passing character in a phrase, and she’s got a gimlet eye for what’s phony, or affected, or even touchingly vain in human behavior. She is also sensitive to what can be truly frightening about the big world, even for intrepid media types well armed with professional bravado and sturdy expense accounts.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“It takes guts to write a satire about terrorism—and Lionel Shriver has guts…Shriver is an incisive satirist with a clear grip on the ironies of our contemporary age…Shriver’s take on journalism and international politics is wry, insightful and just over the top enough to be fun.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“The protagonist is no sweetheart…and Ballerini’s soft-spoken delivery conveys Kellogg’s anxiety, distrust, and arrogance, which mark the core of this novel. Ballerini’s character voices for the gang of unlikable journalists are colorful and imaginative, and in their often acid dialogue he transitions effortlessly. This cynical take on foreign correspondence will have listeners thinking about how journalists influence the way the news is reported. And this story, though an extreme example, is made uncomfortably realistic with Ballerini’s deft narration.”
— AudioFile -
“Shriver has acknowledged her characters are ‘hard to love,’ and she’s right. But a wondrously fanciful plot, vividly drawn characters, clever and cynical dialogue, and a comically brilliant and verisimilar imagined land are more than compensation. The New Republic si simply terrific.”
— Booklist (starred review)
The New Republic Listener Reviews
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" Lionel Shriver's cynical, spot-on view of life makes for a terrific read. Not always easy (remember Kevin??), but always socially relevant and riveting. "
— Kate, 2/19/2014 -
" A satiric story of terrorism. Apparently the book was delayed in being published for 20 years - it was shelved because of 9/11. I enjoyed the story and even enjoyed the generally universally unlikeable characters, but the writing was pretty clumsy. "
— Rachel, 2/16/2014 -
" I just could not get into this book. When I was reading "We Have to Talk About Kevin" I was horrified but couldn't stop. But this book I put down over and over again and finally gave up. Way too cute, no sympathetic characters, and a supremely convoluted story line. "
— Andrea, 2/8/2014 -
" I love her, but this was my least favorite of her books so far. Still very good. I can't give her books anything but a 5 since they are so enjoyable to read. "
— nitsirkvil, 1/28/2014 -
" Appallingly badly written. So annoyed that I bought this book rather than borrowing it from the library. "
— Paula, 1/9/2014 -
" I didn't like this book as well as The Post-Birthday World, but I thought it was well crafted and the main character (Edgar) was compelling if not actually likeable. "
— Mary, 10/22/2013 -
" Periods of brilliance, and creative vocabulary, but the final chapters were anti-climactic, if not boring. "
— Margaret, 10/17/2013 -
" Some fabulous dialogue and an interesting view on journalism "
— Chele, 9/17/2013 -
" A little too light-hearted, without her usual insights in relationships. Amusing, but I never really warmed to the characters. Try another of her books first, eg The Post-Birthday World "
— Joan, 9/13/2013 -
" A bit madcap, but enjoyable. Great examination of the concept of terrorism and point of view. "
— Ellen, 6/17/2013 -
" Quite an interesting twist. As always well written by Shriver but you have to be able to have a sense of humour about terrorism... "
— Chiara, 6/13/2013 -
" I loved this, was already ppredisposed to not trust reporters, this confirmed my predjudice. "
— Anne-marie, 5/11/2013 -
" gave it a solid try but just don't care enough to continue. "
— Amy, 4/23/2013 -
" Had to quit this one. Lionel Shriver, you done me wrong. Lead character's snide tone throughout REALLY off-putting, and the central conceit is angering in an "I don't buy this for one friggin' second" way, rather than a "this challenges and provokes me!" way. "
— Mike, 4/9/2013 -
" I'm a huge Lionel Shriver fan, but this one just didn't do it for me. I had a hard time getting in to the book and carrying about the characters. Shriver's fantastic and sharp writing is all there, I just didn't relate to the story. "
— Kathy, 3/18/2013 -
" I think this would have been a book I enjoyed more reading than listening to. I was intrigued and not disappointed. It's somewhat of a black comedy and reminiscent perhaps of Graham Green. "
— Barbara, 12/15/2012 -
" I love Lionel Shriver, but I hated this book. Really, really awful. I gave up half way through. "
— Susan, 5/14/2012
About Lionel Shriver
Lionel Shriver is a novelist whose books include Orange Prize winner We Need to Talk about Kevin, The Post-Birthday World, A Perfectly Good Family, Game Control, Double Fault, The Female of the Species, Checker and the Derailleurs, and Ordinary Decent Criminals. She is widely published as a journalist, writing features, columns, op-eds, and book reviews for the London Guardian, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Economist, Marie Claire, and many other publications. She is frequently interviewed on television, radio, and in print media.
About Edoardo Ballerini
Edoardo Ballerini, an American actor, director, film producer, and multiaward–winning narrator. He has won several Audie Awards for best narration, including for 2019’s Best Male Narrator of the Year. He was named by Booklist as winner of their 2023 Voice of Choice Award, and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, from classics to modern masters, from bestsellers to the inspirational, from Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners to spine-tingling series, and much more. In television and film, he is best known for his roles in A Murder at the End of the World, The Sopranos, 24, I Shot Andy Warhol, Dinner Rush, and Romeo Must Die. He is also trained in theater and continues to do much work on stage.