Play Audiobook Sample
We Were the Mulvaneys (Abridged) Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 40,893 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Acclaimed writer Joyce Carol Oate's novel of a family held captive by its own secrets.
Download and start listening now!
"Who doesn't love an Oprah Book Club book! Joyce Carol Oates has over 70 publications, which is intimidating when trying to pick which of hers to read first. This is a great choice for a newbie! After Steinbeck and Sedaris, she is my favorite author. "
— Lindsey (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
-
An Oprahu2019s Book Club Selection
We Were the Mulvaneys Listener Reviews
-
" Although this book had (a few) moments of beauty and clarity, it was a chore to read and an achievement to finish. "
— Rachael, 2/14/2014 -
" I love her writing style. This book was good but also very heart wrenching. "
— Abbigail, 2/5/2014 -
" Really well written. Something to sink your teeth into. And discuss. How could this have been avoided? "
— Libby, 2/4/2014 -
" This book was too long and wrapped up wayyy too easily at the end. "
— April, 1/29/2014 -
" didn't care much for this. "
— Becki, 1/28/2014 -
" Finished reading this novel the day our son was born --- I laughed and cried! A page turner; we all know folks from this family!! ENJOY! "
— Mrs., 1/19/2014 -
" instead of writing 1200 books, she should try to write one good one "
— Steven, 12/19/2013 -
" It took me forever to read this book. It is overly descriptive and there were no satisfying endings to the plot or subplots. None of the characters were very likeable except maybe the animals. "
— Heather, 12/12/2013 -
" I loved her depiction of difficult family life with all its pain and beauty. Glad I read it. "
— Bria, 11/6/2013 -
" Not overly memorable but I still recommend it. Good characters each presenting a host of, often very different feelings, each interesting and truthful in their own way. "
— Elhara, 11/6/2013 -
" Another book that will never leave you! "
— Joyce, 11/1/2013 -
" I felt the book needed to push more in ways of dramatics. the big reveal felt like a dud. "
— Lois, 5/28/2013 -
" My favorite book of all time. Read it now. "
— Heather, 4/8/2013 -
" A tragic story of the perfect family and how their lives change drastically by one event. Very moving. "
— Katrina, 11/27/2012 -
" This is a good readf as all tje books by Otes are. I would recommend tis book for evryone. nShyam "
— Shyam, 10/18/2012 -
" Being a fan of Oates's short stories, it's a stretch to do a 454 pg novel. But Oates is classic Oates, she never lets me down. She is my absolute favorite. "
— Treasa, 7/5/2012 -
" Really good book in my opinion. It is about the downfall of a prominent family after something terrible happens to a family member. "
— Kristi, 5/2/2012 -
" Interesting read. Lots of plot twist and turns, great book. "
— Dawn, 8/7/2011 -
" What a shocking book starts out with a happy family and what can happen when life steps in and chances everyone and everything! "
— +, 6/30/2011 -
" A heavy drama, but something that was really profound for me. A good read. "
— Sarah, 5/18/2011 -
" Heartbreaking story. I becamne so involved in this book - read it a couple of days. "
— Erin, 5/16/2011 -
" First novel I read by this author. I'm hooked! "
— Kim, 5/14/2011 -
" I found this book hard going. It was not upbeat and the family was weird and dysfunctional. It would be a good book club book though because I think it could spark a lot of discussion. Since I'm not currently in a book club, I'm glad I'm done with it. "
— Patty, 5/11/2011 -
" JCO takes us on a journey about the costs of keeping secrets. "
— Marti, 5/6/2011 -
" This book is beautifully written with strong characters but I really didn't like that the characters didn't seem to change/develop with time. The writing frequently made up for it, but what seemed like it would be a great family epic drama fell a little flat for me. "
— Sarah, 5/6/2011 -
" This was a great epic novel. I loved the Mulvananey family! This novel took me through an entire range of emotions. I was happy for the family, sad and sometimes mad at the characters. I highly recommend this read. Thanks Mary Beth! "
— Donna, 4/25/2011 -
" I've read other books by Oates too. Completely unmemorable; don't get why people think she is good. "
— Pat, 4/24/2011 -
" Very well written, but left me feeling sad. "
— Diane, 4/21/2011 -
" I did not like this. A real downer. A 16 year old gets date raped. This destroys her family. The "happy ending" was unrealistic. Yuck! "
— Cindy, 4/17/2011 -
" Sad but a good read. "
— Amy, 4/17/2011 -
" I read this book last month. I thought it was very good. I am enjoying reading more books by this author. No two books are the same. She is a very talented writer. One of america's best. This story is about a family trying to deal with a tragedy. "
— Dana, 4/8/2011
About Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of a National Humanities Medal awarded by President Barack Obama, the National Book Critics Circle’s Ivan Sandrof Life Achievement Award, the National Book Award in Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, the Prix Femina, the Cino Del Duca World Prize, and is a five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the bestsellers Blonde and We Were the Mulvaneys. She is the Roger S. Berlind ’52 Distinguished Professor of the Humanities Emerita at Princeton University and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2024 she won the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award given to “a master of the thriller and noir literary genre.”