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Tony and Susan Audiobook
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(3.00) - 527 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Fifteen years ago, Susan Morrow left her first husband, Edward Sheffield, an unpublished writer. Now, she's enduring middle class suburbia as a doctor's wife, when out of the blue she receives a package containing the manuscript of her ex-husband's first novel. He writes asking her to read the book; she was always his best critic, he says.
As Susan reads, she is drawn into the fictional life of Tony Hastings, a math professor driving his family to their summer house in Maine. And as we read with her, we too become lost in Sheffield's thriller. As the Hastings' ordinary, civilized lives are disastrously, violently sent off course, Susan is plunged back into the past, forced to confront the darkness that inhabits her, and driven to name the fear that gnaws at her future and will change her life.
Tony and Susan is a dazzling, eerie, riveting novel about fear and regret, blood and revenge, marriage and creativity. It is simply one of a kind. "A superb and thrilling novel...extrodinary." -- Ian McEwan
"Compelling...mesmerizing...absolutely irresistible."--New York Times
"A perfect and literary puzzle, an irresistible tale anout marriage and murder, both thriling and moving." -- Scott Turow
"A page-turner of a literary thriller." -- Sara Waters
"Beautifully written, perfectly paced, impressively clever, and ultimately shocking in a way you never see coming." -- Nelson DeMille
"Absolutely terrifying, beautiful, and appalling. Parts of it shocked me, and I am not easily shocked." -- Ruth Rendell
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"I received Tony and Susan through one of the giveaways on Goodreads and found it to be a very good read. A story within a story and the twists and turns were never what I expected. It kept me interested and wondering right up to the last words. "
— Nannie (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Marvellously written—the last thing you would expect in a story of blood and revenge. Beautiful.”
— Saul Bellow, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“Compelling…Mesmerizing…Absolutely irresistible.”
— New York Times -
“A masterpiece…A brilliant, brainy novel full of thrills…Wright is a wonderful storyteller.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Wright demonstrates that macho posturing, cruelty, and the refusal of individual responsibility infect both sexes and all classes. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Narrators Lorelei King and Peter Marinker deliver compelling performances of this story-within-a-story…King’s methodical delivery in portraying Susan serves as a sharp contrast to the syncopated, multiple rhythms Marinker adopts to capture the personalities of the characters in the ex-husband’s novel. His narration moves from a teenager’s brazen frankness to a father’s languid and measured words and the raspy tones of savage malcontents. As the story progresses, Marinker’s delivery makes the ensuing violence palpable. In the end, listeners will find themselves wondering just how thin the line is between barbarism and humanity.”
— AudioFile -
Marvellously written --the last thing you would expect in a story of blood and revenge. Beautiful.
— Saul Bellow -
Compelling...Mesmerizing...Absolutely irresistible.
— The New York Times -
A masterpiece...A brilliant, brainy novel full of thrills...It would be easy to say that his critical intelligence dominates Tony and Susan, but Wright is a wonderful storyteller, a wonderful novelist...Tony and Susan makes one hunger to read more of Wright's work.
— Chicago-Sun Times -
Absorbing, terrifying, beautiful . . . unforgettable.
— Ruth Rendell -
A brilliant novel...Astute, cunning and thrilling in equal measure...deserves to be found by a whole new generation of readers
— Independent (UK) -
My favorite novel of 2010 would have been my favorite novel of 1993 -- if only I had known about it...Wright died at the age of 80; in 2010 TONY AND SUSAN returns to print as his stunning literary legacy.
— Min Jin Lee, The Times (UK) -
Marvellously written --the last thing you would expect in a story of blood and revenge. Beautiful."
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A masterpiece...A brilliant, brainy novel full of thrills...It would be easy to say that his critical intelligence dominates Tony and Susan, but Wright is a wonderful storyteller, a wonderful novelist...Tony and Susan makes one hunger to read more of Wright's work. "
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Absorbing, terrifying, beautiful . . . unforgettable."
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Compelling...Mesmerizing...Absolutely irresistible."
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My favorite novel of 2010 would have been my favorite novel of 1993 -- if only I had known about it...Wright died at the age of 80; in 2010 TONY AND SUSAN returns to print as his stunning literary legacy."
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A brilliant novel...Astute, cunning and thrilling in equal measure...deserves to be found by a whole new generation of readers"
Tony and Susan Listener Reviews
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" Very engaging at the beginning but then loses its grip. Perhaps the lackluster ending is a mirror of Susan's pathetic life. "
— Jennifer, 2/16/2014 -
" This book deserves 5 stars for the quality of the writing, but unfortunately, the last third or so let me down, because it definitely was not as satisfying or as climactic as I'd been led to believe it would be by what came before. That's not to say it's not worth reading. This is definitely a thriller as well as an exploration of marriage, and both stories within the story are well-done and stick with you in a haunting, eerie sort of way. I couldn't put this down once I started it, and put off doing homework to finish! (Note: my parents' names are Tony and Susan, as are my bosses at work, which is what initially drew me to this, I hadn't realized the book was a re-release getting quite a bit of publicity). The prose here is both odd and different as well as intuitive and natural.... hard to describe, but this is a really curious and unique read. "
— Kasandra, 2/15/2014 -
" I don't get it!! At all!! Did Tony kill his family? Was Tony really Edward. Susan is a weirdo, does she really have a husband and kids?? Did not like it at all!! Sorry!!!! "
— Terri, 2/11/2014 -
" I started this book with some trepidation as I feared it was going to be nothing but pure intellectual masturbation. Happily it turned out to be quite a nice little crime novel as well as a book within a book, for which i admit, I am a big sucker. Nicely paced thriller, not too "novel-y" - look forward to exploring Wright's other work. "
— The, 2/2/2014 -
" The thriller part of this book within a book kept me reading. The way words were used to convey the state of mind of Tony was brilliant. However I felt the story line was a bit contrived at times. Susan, the reader, really didn't grab me at all. "
— Rosemary, 1/20/2014 -
" The blurb on the cover of "Tony and Susan" from Saul Bellow initially caught my attention given that he'd been dead six years at the time the book arrived. Turns out this is reissue of a book Bellow, and others, loved on arrival in 1993 but which never found an audience. Which is too bad, because it's a strong novel, a literary mystery that doesn't end well for many of the characters. That's life! Or death. Hmm. 2011/7 "
— Peter, 1/19/2014 -
" 3.5 Very absorbing at the beginning though not so towards the end. An interesting story within a story. "
— Grace, 1/15/2014 -
" Tightly written narrative rendered even more compelling by reading the reader's journey as she discovers the story with the story. Breathtakingly suspenseful. "
— Victoria, 1/15/2014 -
" This is one of my favorite books. "
— Dan, 12/25/2013 -
" gave up on this and I very rarely do give up on books ! sorry "
— Sarah, 11/10/2013 -
" The concept works. It's both a book about marriage and a triller. "
— wintermute314, 11/6/2013 -
" Not sure if it's fair for me to rate this as I gave up on reading it at about page 100 "
— Tamara, 6/21/2013 -
" Both Tony and Susan annoyed me. Disappointing ending that had me scratching my head. "
— Vikki, 6/18/2013 -
" This book does a deepness essay about the violence and violent feelings; It starts letting you breathless with all the action and suspence. Then, after, it gives a focus in the complexity of human's bad feelings and actions. "
— Lucas, 9/10/2012 -
" Tedious poorly written drivel. "
— Calvin, 7/24/2012 -
" Not sure of the point of the story-within-a-story. I liked Tony's story much better than Susan's. Anyway - enjoyably written - the plot grips you at a point. "
— Helen, 2/18/2012 -
" I liked it. Very different and kind of scary. Strange ending though. "
— Susan, 12/25/2011 -
" a pretty good yarn, a story in a story. "
— Andrea, 12/10/2011 -
" This book does a deepness essay about the violence and violent feelings; It starts letting you breathless with all the action and suspence, after it gives a focus in the complexity of human's bad feelings and actions. <br/> "
— Lucas, 10/25/2011 -
" Not sure of the point of the story-within-a-story. I liked Tony's story much better than Susan's. Anyway - enjoyably written - the plot grips you at a point. "
— Helen, 10/17/2011 -
" Very engaging at the beginning but then loses its grip. Perhaps the lackluster ending is a mirror of Susan's pathetic life. "
— Jennifer, 10/12/2011 -
" Truly a shame that a book written over 2 decades ago is now getting the recognition it deserves. Austin Wright has written a gripping tale of lust, sadness and revenge. One that resonates afterwards. "
— Kevin, 9/19/2011 -
" Both Tony and Susan annoyed me. Disappointing ending that had me scratching my head. "
— Vikki, 9/13/2011 -
" This book was brilliant, couldn't put it down! "
— Fiona, 8/27/2011 -
" Very ordinary....but interesting how it is two stories running alongside each other....but I wouldn't bother if I were you...there are much better books out there! "
— Lisa, 8/2/2011
About Austin Wright
Austin Wright (1922–2003) was born in New York. He was a novelist and academic, for many years professor emeritus of English at the University of Cincinnati. He lived with his wife and daughters in Cincinnati.
About the Narrators
Lorelei King is an award-winning narrator and an actress of stage, film, and television. She also works extensively in radio, including award-winning voiceover work. She has narrated more than eighty audiobooks, earning eleven AudioFile Earphones Awards and twice winning the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration.
Peter Marinker is a highly experienced stage actor whose credits include The Big Idea, Easy Access, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Merchant of Venice at the Old Vic. On television he has appeared in Bugs, Bodyguards, and Casualty, while his films include Event Horizon, Judge Dredd, The Russia House, and The Emerald Forest.