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Winter’s Tale Audiobook
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(4.00) - 7,334 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A #1 New York Times Bestseller: Mark Helprin’s masterpiece transports you to New York of the Belle Epoque, to a city clarified by a siege of unprecedented snows…
A Winter’s Tale is a major motion picture starring Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, and Jennifer Connelly.
This is a book about the beauty and complexity of the human soul, about God, love, and justice, and yet you can lose yourself in it as if it were a dream. You will be transported to New York of the Belle Epoque, to a city clarified by a siege of unprecedented winters. One night, Peter Lake—orphan, master-mechanic, and master second-story man—attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the affair between the middle-aged Irish burglar and Beverly Penn, a young girl who is dying. Because of a love that at first he cannot fully understand, Peter, a simple and uneducated man, will be driven "to stop time and bring back the dead." His great struggle, in a city ever alight with its own energy and beset by winter, is a truly beautiful and extraordinary story.
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"stunning. essentially, a love letter to new york; both an indictment of its virtues and an exultation of its myriad flaws. every word, passage and character, like the citizens of the city itself, stumbles toward something transcendent, part of a larger plan that only history can ever know for sure."
— Adam (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Is it not astonishing that a work so rooted in fantasy, filled with narrative high jinks and comic flights, stands forth centrally as a moral discourse?”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Helprin’s book is breathtaking…Helprin is splendid, a major talent…funnier and shrewder than Thomas Wolfe and much more accurate in his poetic exuberance.”
— Los Angeles Times Book Review -
“This novel stretches the boundaries of contemporary literature. It is a gifted writer’s love affair with the language.”
— Newsday -
“Narrator Oliver Wyman’s art transcends this brilliant work with his unflagging spirit, awe, wonder, and range of literally dozens of distinctive voices. His remarkable versatility celebrates vocal depth—in characters who range from Dickensian presences to the airy breathiness of gentle souls. He is the harmonious complement to Helprin’s kaleidoscopic imagination, and acknowledges the book’s grace and wit with every utterance.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A USA Today bestseller,September 2012
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
Winter’s Tale Listener Reviews
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" Started with mind-boggling beauty and self-assuredness. Wandered into postmodern-ish pseudo physics bullshit midway through. "
— Kitson, 2/19/2014 -
" This was the first one I read.Absolutely astounding texture and detail from such a young writer. "
— Jeff, 2/9/2014 -
" This is a book I would never have otherwise read. It's a long bad boy and is sometimes hard to get through, but it was actually pretty good and I feel pretty dang smart for having read it. It's an interesting look at NY over the ages. "
— Megan, 2/6/2014 -
" A book that read pretty quickly despite its length. I loved the description of the city and the various machines. This book did confuse me quite a bit. I wasn't sure what time period it was supposed to take place in and there are two time periods mentioned, but with no real dates. I also didn't like how Beverly fell in love with Peter almost instantly and had sex with him right away. There was too much falling in love way way way too quickly. "
— Natasha, 1/25/2014 -
" One of my favorite books of all time. Highly recommend reading this during the snowy winter. Fantasy plus city plus characters that become your friends = pure pleasure read. "
— Sharon, 1/23/2014 -
" Beautiful descriptions of winter and the inner workings of New York. The first part was great. "
— Chris, 1/19/2014 -
" Loved and recommend it. Awesome magical realism. A truly beautiful book. "
— Chris, 1/17/2014 -
" I think this was one of the best books I ever read. Once I started, I just could not put it down. Beverly and Peter will live in my mind forever! "
— Shannon, 1/1/2014 -
" Descriptive, detailed book which I enjoyed very much. The only reason I didn't give it 5stars: the ending was a bit weak. "
— Ellen, 12/15/2013 -
" I read this book over 10 years ago and I remember it being one I had to read, put down for a couple months and then finish reading (several times) I liked it but it was long, and sometimes wordy! "
— Becky, 12/10/2013 -
" Don't let the length and the flying horse deter you. This book is well worth reading, as is most every work of fiction by Mark Helprin. (Too bad about his non-fiction.) "
— Meghan, 12/7/2013 -
" One of the all time greatest books I've ever read. Seriously makes you stand in awe of what is possible with the written word. That's all I'm gonna say. "
— Aaron, 11/27/2013 -
" the first author we ever met with at CITYterm...what an amazing first 300 pages "
— David, 8/19/2013 -
" An excellent book... a bit of a slog in parts, but definitely worth it. Beautifully realized characters, beautiful language in general. Lovely. "
— Nikki, 5/6/2013 -
" One of my all-time favorites "
— Harry, 3/15/2013 -
" I could not remember the name of this book for the life of me! I just remember that I loved it! Perfect book for a long winter's night (or two). "
— Lisa, 2/25/2013 -
" Finished reading this today. I want some of the drugs Helprin was on when he imagined this one! Whew! "
— Emily, 11/24/2012 -
" One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. "
— Anne, 8/6/2012 -
" One of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. "
— Kate, 6/12/2012 -
" I re-read this every winter. It's magically delicious. "
— Kerri, 1/3/2012 -
" Pretty much a perfect book. "
— Michael, 9/1/2011 -
" I am very fond of this book despite its ultra-conservative author. But am depressed by the news that a film is under production starring Russell Crowe as Peter. Crap! "
— Sarah, 7/29/2011 -
" I love this book - a fantasy about New York, just incredible. "
— Ruth, 6/28/2011 -
" Loses half of its charm in the translation. Ps: the devil is in the descriptions (how would they transfer those to the big screen?!) "
— Alex, 5/17/2011 -
" This guy is one of the most gifted writers I have ever read. Poetic, lyrical, insightful. I can't even remember how many times I stopped to savor and re-read a beautifully crafted section. Damn, damn damn, this man can WRITE! "
— CCC, 5/14/2011 -
" Read this book eons ago and it still remains one of my top 10 all time favorites. "
— Beth, 5/10/2011 -
" One of the most beautiful books i ever read - the visions of NY are spell-binding. "
— Kelly, 5/4/2011 -
" Just reread this book for the third time and found even more that I had missed before. "
— Asproreps, 4/14/2011 -
" A fantasy that is set in a familiar setting - I am a sucker for that. Especially, since the book is well written. New York City. The Hudson River. The mudflats of New Jersey. Upstate New York. (sigh.....) "
— Ants, 4/11/2011 -
" I will never forget reading this novel. It's language captivated me from the start and made me love the story. I read it years ago, but it still informs me, and the writer I aspire to be. "
— Tom, 3/28/2011 -
" Unbelievably good writing descriptively. I'd think, "this writing is just beautiful . . . but how long is this story going to last." Worth 4 stars for the writing at the descriptive level. Minus 1, maybe more, for unnecessary duration. "
— doug, 3/10/2011 -
" wonderful, fabulous, wished it would never end! "
— Patricia, 3/1/2011
About Mark Helprin
Mark Helprin is the internationally acclaimed author of numerous works, including the New York Times bestsellers Winter’s Tale, In Sunlight and in Shadow, and Swan Lake.
About Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman is an actor and award-winning audiobook narrator. He has won five Audie Awards from the Audio Publisher’s Association, fourteen Earphone Awards, and two Listen Up Awards from Publisher’s Weekly. He was named a 2008 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture by AudioFile magazine. He has appeared on stage as well as in film and television, and he is a veteran voice actor who can be heard in numerous cartoons and video games. He is one of the founders of New York City’s Collective Unconscious theater, and his performances include the award-winning “reality play” Charlie Victor Romeo and A. R. McElhinney’s cult classic film A Chronicle of Corpses.