Play Audiobook Sample
Zermatt Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(2.99) - 98 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
In this sequel to his acclaimed novel Portofino, Frank Schaeffer's memorable young narrator, Calvin Becker, returns in a story that is a coming-of-age gem.
It is 1966, and Calvin is fourteen, torn between his naturally volcanic sexual curiosity and a fundamentalist family so strict that he has never seen a movie, watched television, or danced—and has to hide his five copies of Mad magazine in the attic. Ralph and Elsa Becker, Reformed Presbyterian missionaries from Kansas, are stationed in Switzerland and on a modest ski vacation with their three children: tyrannical eighteen-year-old Janet, angelic Rachael, and the irrepressible Calvin.But at the Hotel Riffelberg, a supposed safe haven from the sinners listening to jazz far below in Zermatt, Calvin nevertheless falls into the hands of Eva, a young waitress who, while bringing him breakfast each morning, begins Calvin's initiation. Even so, it is only after his mother catches him in the act (or so she thinks) that Calvin's real education begins. The resulting family meltdown builds to a climax destined to push Calvin's childhood into the past.
Download and start listening now!
"Laugh out loud funny in parts, too tragic for words in others... I have no idea how Frank Schaeffer turned out sane, because his family was anything but. If you grew up in a Fundamentalist household, you'll recognize an awful lot in this story."
— Bobby (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Not since Huck Finn has American literature been graced with a character as irresistible as Calvin Dort Becker.”
— Andre Dubus III, New York Times bestselling author -
“In a painfully believable performance, Lloyd James suffers Calvin’s adolescent misery…James’ performance combines pathos with comedy, making the ingenuous, if not-so-innocent, Calvin a character to remember.”
— AudioFile -
“Comedy and tragedy blend flawlessly in this extraordinary novel…This is coming-of-age literature for all ages. Narrator James is pure perfection…Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal
Zermatt Listener Reviews
-
" Sex, sin and salvation all contribute to the pubescent awakening of our young narrator, Calvin Becker, on the ski slopes of Zermatt. A sometimes fun, sometimes sad look at this vacationing fundamentalist missionary family, last seen in 'Portofino', the first of this rather entertaining trilogy. "
— Doris, 8/23/2013 -
" The sequel to Portofino, it had a weak ending and seemed to go now where after the middle of the book. Still, as someone who was raised in a fundamentalist family, the language is a too familiar. I empathized with Calvin, all the lying and pretending, just to lead a normal life. "
— Kathleen, 6/29/2012 -
" Where Portofino was funny, Zermatt was just plain scary. A real cautionary tale about the mental illness inherent in fundamentalist religious practices. "
— Anne, 3/25/2012 -
" I didn't find the sequel as fun and entertaining as Portofino "
— Keri, 3/20/2012 -
" The last in the Calvin Becker trilogy - really a funny series. Great characters and a hilarious commentary on born-again Christians. "
— Chris, 9/15/2011 -
" This was okay. It was fun to revisit Calvin and his family, but it is not the masterpiece that Portofino is. "
— Karyn, 8/29/2011 -
" I like this one the least of the Portofino trilogy. See my review for Portofino. "
— Elizabeth, 7/22/2011 -
" Where Portofino was funny, Zermatt was just plain scary. A real cautionary tale about the mental illness inherent in fundamentalist religious practices. "
— Anne, 4/6/2011 -
" The last in the Calvin Becker trilogy - really a funny series. Great characters and a hilarious commentary on born-again Christians. "
— Chris, 12/8/2009 -
" This was okay. It was fun to revisit Calvin and his family, but it is not the masterpiece that Portofino is. "
— Karyn, 3/1/2009 -
" The sequel to Portofino, it had a weak ending and seemed to go now where after the middle of the book. Still, as someone who was raised in a fundamentalist family, the language is a too familiar. I empathized with Calvin, all the lying and pretending, just to lead a normal life. "
— Kathleen, 1/24/2009 -
" I didn't find the sequel as fun and entertaining as Portofino "
— Keri, 4/15/2008 -
" I like this one the least of the Portofino trilogy. See my review for Portofino. "
— Elizabeth, 10/11/2007
About Frank Schaeffer
Frank Sshaeffer is the author of two other novels, Saving Grandma and Portofino. In addition, he and his son, John, have coauthored the New York Times best-seller Keeping Faith: A Father-Son Story about Love and the United States Marine Corps.
About Lloyd James
Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been a working professional actor in theater, film, television, and voice-overs for more than thirty years. He has narrated over one thousand audiobooks and won numerous Earphones Awards and nominations for the Audie Award and the Voice Arts Award. He holds a BFA degree in acting from Santa Fe University, New Mexico.