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The Suicide Run: Five Tales of the Marine Corps Audiobook
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(3.13) - 100 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Before writing his memoir of madness, Darkness Visible, William Styron was best known for his ambitious works of fiction–including The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie’s Choice. Styron also created personal but no less powerful tales based on his real-life experiences as a U.S. Marine. The Suicide Run collects five of these meticulously rendered narratives. One of them–“Elobey, Annobón, and Corisco”–is published here for the first time. In “Blankenship,” written in 1953, Styron draws on his stint as a guard at a stateside military prison at the end of World War II. “Marriott, the Marine” and “The Suicide Run”–which Styron composed in the early 1970s as part of an intended novel that he set aside to write Sophie’s Choice–depict the surreal experience of being conscripted a second time, after World War II, to serve in the Korean War. “My Father’s House” captures the isolation and frustration of a soldier trying to become a civilian again. In “Elobey, Annobón, and Corisco,” written late in Styron’s life, a soldier attempts to exorcise the dread of an approaching battle by daydreaming about far-off islands, visited vicariously through his childhood stamp collection. Perhaps the last volume from one of literature’s greatest voices, The Suicide Run brings to life the drama, inhumanity, absurdity, and heroism that forever changed the men who served in the Marine Corps.
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"I'm not a war story buff, and I've never read anything by Styron before, but clearly I was missing out. The stories were riveting. Styron's characters have depth that is missing in most short stories, and the stories themselves are self-contained gems with picturesque prose. He inspires me to write."
— Missives (4 out of 5 stars)
The Suicide Run Listener Reviews
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" Charming and engrossing with an edge since it took place during WWII for the most part. "
— Chris, 6/30/2013 -
" While not my favorite Styron work, it was an enjoyable and quick read. My only criticism is that the stories seemed to not quite reach their conclusion. Of course since they were published posthumously... "
— Lane, 2/4/2013 -
" A terrific book in an understated way. Nothing earth shattering but I felt like I was there through it all. Sparse of word, deep in significance. I'm gonna continue reading more of him. I thought Sophie's Choice was excellent "
— John, 10/26/2012 -
" Excellent stories of what it is like to serve in the military - though he didn't like the life much himself when he was in. Of course, the Korean War was not a great time to serve. Easier to read, and oddly more upbeat than "Sophie's Choice" or Confessions on "Nat Turner." "
— Helen-Louise, 10/15/2012 -
" I was going to give this one 3 stars, as I admired the craft of the first three stories but found myself only mildly engaged. But the beautiful, vivid "My Father's House," apparently the beginning to an unfinished novel, is one of the best short stories I have ever read. "
— Tommy, 8/18/2012 -
" This is a memoir, and has little of direct combat stories. Styron's writing is superb, and this book encouraged me to want to read other works of his. The stories are unveven in terms of interest, but "The Suicide Run" is hilarious. "
— John, 7/29/2012 -
" Great great writing. There are three long stories here, all early works. I like them better than some of the longer things I've read. Just terrific. "
— Paul, 5/8/2012 -
" realities of soldiering. "
— Don, 11/22/2011 -
" 5 tales of the Marine Corps, the best being the opening section of an abandoned novel, 'My Father's House'. Wish he hadn't abandoned it. "
— Steve, 10/12/2011 -
" Great great writing. There are three long stories here, all early works. I like them better than some of the longer things I've read. Just terrific. "
— Paul, 3/28/2011 -
" This is a memoir, and has little of direct combat stories. Styron's writing is superb, and this book encouraged me to want to read other works of his. The stories are unveven in terms of interest, but "The Suicide Run" is hilarious. "
— John, 3/26/2011 -
" One of the stories, "My Father's House", is set in a location not far from where my family had a "river cottage" when I was very young. The description of the environs brings back a few memories.... "
— Tom, 2/24/2011 -
" Charming and engrossing with an edge since it took place during WWII for the most part. "
— Chris, 10/4/2010
About William Styron
William Styron (1925–2006) was the author of several bestselling and award-winning books, including Lie Down in Darkness, which won the 1951 Prix de Rome of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, The Confessions of Nat Turner, which won the 1968 Pulitzer Prize, and Sophie’s Choice, which won the 1980 National Book Award.
About Mark Deakins
Mark Deakins is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and actor whose television appearances include Head Case, Star Trek: Voyager, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His film credits include Intervention, Star Trek: Insurrection, and The Devil’s Advocate. He wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Smith Interviews.