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The Whore's Child: Stories Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,853 listener ratings
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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
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" This was a good read; ordinarily, I don't enjoy short stories, but this author never disappoints. "
— Barbara, 2/14/2014 -
" 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 -
" 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 -
" A good collection of short stories. "
— Sandy, 1/18/2014 -
" 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 -
" 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 -
" Um, I learned a lot about middle-aged men dating younger women and being writers. "
— Christine, 1/11/2014 -
" Wonderful wonderful stories. Beautiful moments. Yes, yes and yes. "
— Bridgit, 1/10/2014 -
" Nice collection of short stories. I'd read anything this author writes. "
— Doneen, 1/7/2014 -
" A great collection of short stories and wonderful characters. "
— Laurel, 12/31/2013 -
" 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 -
" Short stories. If this is an accurate sampling of Russo's writing style, I'll read more. "
— Sally, 11/29/2013 -
" One of my first book of short stories.Very interesting (my favorite review, haha). Need to try his pulitzer prize winner Empire Falls... "
— Amanda, 11/27/2013 -
" I enjoyed the title story and the last one, "The Mysteries of Linwood Hart", the best. The middle stories were all very similar in tone and setting and even now are beginning to blur together for me. "
— Elaine, 11/20/2013 -
" The best part of Richard Russo is knowing that when I was a young boy he made that movie Nobody's Fool with Melanie Griffith (while still hot). "
— Steven, 7/18/2013 -
" I love Richard Russo, but this book was not so generous to the humans as his others... nor as funny. "
— Peter, 5/3/2013 -
" The first short story in this book was awesome, the rest...not so much. "
— Maria, 4/20/2013 -
" I have to say that I like his novels better. I don't see the humor (dark as it is) in the short stories that I do in the novels and I don't feel very attached to the characters. Overall, not a bad read, but not an essential one either. "
— rinabeana, 3/5/2013 -
" This is what short stories should be. "
— Kim, 2/13/2013 -
" there are some perfect stories in here. perfect... "
— Laureen, 11/26/2012 -
" My first experience reading Richard Russo. I enjoyed this collection enough to read the whole thing in one sitting, but not enough for any of the stories--with the exception of "Monhegan Light"-- to stick out in my mind the next day. "
— jtabz, 9/1/2012 -
" The story "The Whore's Child" is worth the price of admission alone. Reminds me of "Our Lady's Tumbler," but the nun in this case is something of a Cinderella, with the shoe of the ugly sister on her foot, wrong side, bloody as the original Grimm's fairy tale had it. "
— Al, 5/27/2012 -
" a collection of short stories the first story which is the title of the book was my favorite of the book. "
— Dody, 3/21/2012 -
" Short stories at their best! I am always amazed at the insight of Richard Russo. He turns a simple subject into a subtle lesson. Wonderful reading. "
— Jemathomp, 12/31/2011 -
" A brilliant collection of short fiction. Many of the stories here are expanded into his published novels. It is interesting to see how an idea begins knowing how it later evolves. "
— Yeti, 12/10/2011 -
" I fucking hated Empire Falls, I don't care what any of you say, but I loved this book. And I don't even like short stories. "
— Emily, 11/15/2011 -
" The story "The Whore's Child" is worth the price of admission alone. Reminds me of "Our Lady's Tumbler," but the nun in this case is something of a Cinderella, with the shoe of the ugly sister on her foot, wrong side, bloody as the original Grimm's fairy tale had it. "
— Al, 9/27/2011 -
" A nice, thematically-linked collection though Russo does better within the space of a novel where he can more fully develop his characters. Most center on facing maturity (50s not 20s!), marriage, and paradox of knowing/not knowing someone (especially a spouse). "
— Josie, 7/12/2011 -
" This was a good read; ordinarily, I don't enjoy short stories, but this author never disappoints. "
— Barbara, 5/19/2011 -
" I thought it was okay while I was reading it. Enjoyed it much more when my friends discussed it at Book Club and made me think about each story. "
— Jane, 4/8/2011 -
" liked it enough to read some of his other books "
— Laurie, 3/19/2011 -
" A good collection of short stories. "
— Sandy, 1/29/2011 -
" Absolutely stunning collection of stories. I had the pleasure of seeing Russo read once, and he's great at that, too. "
— James, 12/9/2010 -
" A great collection of short stories and wonderful characters. "
— Laurel, 11/7/2010 -
" This is what short stories should be. "
— Kim, 10/1/2010
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.