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Three Stages of Amazement: A Novel Audiobook
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(2.85) - 26 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A sweeping, richly compassionate novel about marriage, ambition, and the reclaiming of love—by the bestselling novelist and cofounder of Narrative magazine.
Many love stories end in marriage; rare is the love story that begins with one—already promised, already worn. Set in San Francisco during the first year of Obama’s presidency, Three Stages of Amazement deftly charts the struggles and triumphs of Lena Rusch and her husband Charlie Pepper, still believe they can have it all--sex, love, marriage, children, career, brilliance. But life delivers surprises and tests--a stillborn child, an economic crash, a ruthless business rival and the attentions of an old lover. Touched by tragedy and by ordinary hopes unmet, Lena and Charlie must face, for the first time in their lives, real limitation.
Fifteen years after her stunning debut, Rise the Euphrates, Carol Edgarian has created a panoramic and deeply moving story about business and family and the demands of love in our time. She takes readers on a spellbinding journey inside America today, with an unforgettable cast of characters including Cal Rusch, Lena’s uncle, a Silicon Valley titan, and Ivy, his socialite wife, who engender complication in the lives of all the people they touch: their grown children, business partners, friends, the servants and workers upon whom the glamorous life depends--and Lena, whose quest for grace is the pulse of this gorgeous novel.
As Lena and Charlie, Ivy and Cal, face the temptations of their youth and the fantasy of the redo, they discover that real life is the ultimate challenge. Told with eloquence and compassion, Three Stages of Amazement is a true thriller of the heart, a riveting story about confronting adversity, gaining wisdom, and finding great love.
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"I liked this book quite a bit. It runs along the similar lines as "Freedom", but I think it is a MUCH better book.The author has a great talent in sneaking in profound tidbits about life.The end wraps it all up and I never really knew the authors chosen path. "
— Laura (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Three Stages of Amazement is one of those books you read in a great rush and then buy for all of your friends—a big, generous novel that reminds us why living inside a novel for a few days is still and always will be one of the great human experiences.”
— Ann Packer, New York Times bestselling author -
“Generous and graceful and true.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Edgarian is in fine form, giving readers a well-told story with characters of great depth and complexity, but it is her crystalline writing and the unique narrative tone that elevates this the most.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Seventeen years after her successful first novel, Rise the Euphrates, Edgarian returns with another potent tale…The panoramic view Edgarian provides of a culture and people dealing with change is impressive.”
— Booklist -
“Edgarian spares no emotion in this big, lovely second novel about decent people falling apart under the demands that there be more than twenty-four hours in a day and more than parental determination to juggle life’s realities against the heart’s desire.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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Selected for the March 2011 Indie Next List
Three Stages of Amazement Listener Reviews
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" This book was really poorly written and very superficial. "
— Arielle, 6/29/2011 -
" There was a lot that I did not like about this book. But the author's grasp of medicine was hysterical! The mom kept giving her son vicodin. Her 5 year old son. "
— Carrie, 6/27/2011 -
" liked the story but probably because i am familiar with the bay area so it seems very real to me "
— Jen, 6/24/2011 -
" I would have given this 3 1/2 stars if I could. "
— Simone, 6/24/2011 -
" I had trouble getting past the mannered writing, but once I did I enjoyed this. A little soap operatic, but a good summer read. "
— Hannah, 6/22/2011 -
" Interesting use of language- some of the dialogues was quite unique. So unique, in fact, that I didnt' always get what they were trying to say.... But not a bad read overall. "
— Joan, 6/18/2011 -
" Book about the problems of the rich and super-rich in San Francisco. Doesn't particularly make you want to be one of them. "
— Lynn, 6/17/2011 -
" Bizarre story where minor incidents were told in detail and life-changing events were glossed over. More time was spent describing the silver than dealing with death and major illness.<br/><br/>I do not recommend it. "
— Ann, 6/14/2011 -
" Love this one. well written, great characters - plus a startup! "
— Betsy, 6/7/2011 -
" Very good- about a doctor that invented the robot for surgery and his drive and ambition took so much time from his family! "
— Susan, 6/5/2011 -
" Lame plot and lot's of spelling errors. "
— Kimberly, 6/4/2011 -
" This book would have been a better "Lifetime" TV movie. It kept my attention, but I didn't walk away with any big revealations. "
— Val, 5/16/2011
About Carol Edgarian
Carol Edgarian is author of the novels Three Stages of Amazement and the bestselling Rise the Euphrates, winner of the ANC Freedom Award. Her articles and essays have appeared in many national magazines, and she coedited the popular collection drawn from great writers’ diaries, The Writer’s Life: Intimate Thoughts on Work, Love, Inspiration, and Fame. She is cofounder, editor, and publisher of the nonprofit magazine Narrative and Narrative in the Schools, a program that encourages reading and writing in schools across America.
About Anne Twomey
Anne Twomey is an accomplished actress of both stage and screen. Her Broadway credits include Orpheus Descending with Vanessa Redgrave, To Grandmother’s House We Go, and Nuts, for which she received a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award. Her many television appearances include guest roles on Seinfeld, Law & Order: SVU, Spin City, and the Christopher Reeves’ movie-of-the-week Rear Window. She has also appeared in the films Picture Perfect and Orpheus Descending. Her audiobook narrations have won her five AudioFile Earphones Awards.