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The Whore's Child: Stories Audiobook

The Whores Child: Stories Audiobook, by Richard Russo Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Various , various narrators Publisher: Random House Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 4.50 hours at 1.5x Speed 3.38 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: October 2011 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9780307967428

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

71

Longest Chapter Length:

09:27 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

24 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

05:43 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

16

Publisher Description

To this irresistible debut collection of short stories, Richard Russo brings the same bittersweet wit, deep knowledge of human nature, and spellbinding narrative gifts that distinguish his best-selling novels. His themes are the imperfect bargains of marriage; the discoveries and disillusionments of childhood;the unwinnable battles men and women insist on fighting with the past. A cynical Hollywood moviemaker confronts his dead wife’s lover and abruptly realizes the depth of his own passion. As his parents’ marriage disintegrates, a precocious fifth-grader distracts himself with meditations on baseball, spaghetti, and his place in the universe. And in the title story, an elderly nun enters a college creative writing class and plays havoc with its tidy notions of fact and fiction. The Whore’s Child is further proof that Russo is one of the finest writers we have, unsparingly truthful yet hugely compassionate. “The Whore’s Child,” read by Mark Bramhall “Monhegan Light,” read by Robertson Dean “The Farther You Go,” read by Arthur Morey “Joy Ride,” read by Lincoln Hoppe “Buoyancy,” read by Stefan Rudnicki “Poison,” read by Fred Sanders “The Mysteries of Linwood Hart,” read by John Rubinstein

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"I zipped through this book of stories and I like the Russo I find here. Better than the last two novels, for sure. Much more like Empire Falls and Straight Man, with some of the same characters from those books reappearing. Though not all the stories gripped me, the collection as a whole is even. Really liked the title tale and Poison especially. One thing I'll say about Russo: the man knows how to finish. So many writers don't know how to stop, but Russo always gives good climax."

— Deidre (4 out of 5 stars)

The Whore's Child Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.657142857142857 out of 53.657142857142857 out of 53.657142857142857 out of 53.657142857142857 out of 53.657142857142857 out of 5 (3.66)
5 Stars: 8
4 Stars: 10
3 Stars: 14
2 Stars: 3
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
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2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
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Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " This was a good read; ordinarily, I don't enjoy short stories, but this author never disappoints. "

    — Barbara, 2/14/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A collection of five short stories written by Richard Russo--I enjoyed reading those although a majority of them are told from the kind of annoying perspective of middle-aged men who are at odds with aspects of their life. I mean, who isn't, right? But still--it was often hard to be empathetic. Maybe my own fatal flaw that I have to like the characters to like the book... "

    — Megan, 2/13/2014
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Richard Russo is the great author of Empire Falls, but everything else I've read from him has fallen short. Some of these stories are worthwhile, but most were about the same thing: a 50 year old man, his wife or his ex-wife, his children, his sexual thoughts, taking a trip...most are writers or professors. Most of the stories are about Richard Russo. That can get tiresome. I was going to read highly acclaimed Bridge of Sighs by him, but that was his last chance with me. He could never top Empire Falls, sorry, but not everyone writes even one masterpiece in his life. "

    — Sunny, 2/3/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A good collection of short stories. "

    — Sandy, 1/18/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Short stoy collection was good, but I miss the in-depth I get from his novels. All stories were well crafted and well told. I like the simplicity-- the story's revolve on characters, not plot. Stories were: The Whore's Child, Monhegan Light, The Farther You Go, Joy Ride, Buoyancy, Poison and The Mysteries of Linwood Hart "

    — Jessica, 1/18/2014
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " These are short stories by the well known author, Richard Ruso whose full length stories I have enjoyed. But the stories do not have fully drawn characters---a fault of using the short story for what might have been a good tale. "

    — Tinytextiles, 1/12/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Um, I learned a lot about middle-aged men dating younger women and being writers. "

    — Christine, 1/11/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Wonderful wonderful stories. Beautiful moments. Yes, yes and yes. "

    — Bridgit, 1/10/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " Nice collection of short stories. I'd read anything this author writes. "

    — Doneen, 1/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A great collection of short stories and wonderful characters. "

    — Laurel, 12/31/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Narration Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 Story Rating: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5

    " A book of short stories. I really enjoyed most all of the stories. I have read several books by Richard Russo and enjoyed all of them. I suggest you give it a try. "

    — Karla, 12/27/2013

About Richard Russo

Richard Russo is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, two collections of stories, and the memoir Elsewhere. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which, like Nobody’s Fool, won multiple awards for its screen adaptation, and in 2023 his novel Straight Man was adapted into the television series Lucky Hank. In 2017, he received France’s Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine.

About Various

Téa Obreht was born in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia in 1985 and has lived in the United States since the age of twelve. Her writing has been published in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Harper’s, and the Guardian, and has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. She has been named by the New Yorker as one of the twenty best American fiction writers under forty. She lives in New York.