Play Audiobook Sample
The Man in the Empty Boat Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.10) - 117 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
Anxiety has always been part of Mark Salzman’s life: he was born into a family as nervous as rabbits, people with extra angst coded into their genes. As a young man he found solace through martial arts, meditation, tai chi, and rigorous writing schedules, but as he approaches midlife, he confronts a year of catastrophe. First Salzman suffers a crippling case of writer’s block; then a sudden family tragedy throws his life into chaos. Overwhelmed by terrifying panic attacks, the author begins a search for equanimity that ultimately leads to an epiphany from a most unexpected source.
Download and start listening now!
"A very personal tale of a successful person's insecurity, anxiety, and how he learns to finally let go and find comfort in life's unfolding events. Mark - I understand it took a lot to get there - for what it's worth I'm still paddling up stream. I'd love to sit and have a glass of wine with you."
— David (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“If there were a prize for most winning writer, Mark Salzman would cop it.”
— New York Times -
“The concreteness and economy of Salzman’s writing, his eye and ear for tiny resonant details… eventually yield their riches in a clear-eyed vision.”
— New York -
“Salzman is a gifted storyteller, able in short order to capture the look, feel, even the smell of everyday.”
— The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Man in the Empty Boat Listener Reviews
-
" You got to really like Mark Salzman ( which I do) to really enjoy the book and it fit with my middle age angst reading theme. A quick read but idiosyncratic "
— John, 1/8/2014 -
" Welcome back, Mark - some of us have missed you! "
— Toby, 1/2/2014 -
" This is one of my favorite authors, and I think this might be his most revealing, sad book yet. I just wish it didn't take so long between books! If you're thinking of reading his books, start with "Iron and Silk." "
— Lisa, 12/14/2013 -
" I loved this book! Salzman is an excellent writer of fiction so I hope he gets back to that, but this was a great interlude about his struggles with grief and anxiety, told with humor and grace. "
— Lisa, 11/29/2013 -
" Easy reading, smooth writing. A memoir that shows how a writer reaches a philosophy of life - man is an empty boat rocked, nudged, and moved by cosmic forces outside of his control. "
— Harvee, 6/16/2013 -
" I'm so glad to finally have more from Mark Salzman. This thin volume is thoughtful and full of humor. It's been a long time since I've seen a writer write so eloquently of writer's block. Much tragedy in this ultimately hope-filled book. "
— Mary, 6/10/2013 -
" I enjoyed the large number (relative to the size of the book)of good and noble people in this book. An overall inspiring read. "
— Miriam, 5/29/2013 -
" I have read other books by Mark Salzman and like his experience with Asian culture. This is a memoir. I enjoyed the insights he gains from the perspective of Eastern meditation. "
— Kay, 1/22/2013 -
" Really not as good as the talk it was based on. "
— Moira, 12/20/2012 -
" Fuuunnyy.... grasshopper! Good book with some awesome insight to anxiety, love, family and relationships in general. Glad I read this. "
— Kat, 10/25/2012 -
" If you have read Mark's other books some of this book's content you already know. If you haven't read any of his books I don't think this is the one to start with. "
— Elizabeth, 9/11/2012 -
" Engaging, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and well-written. Though I don't agree with all of the author's conclusions about life, his journey to arrive at those conclusions always kept my interest. His novel Lying Awake, to my mind, is his masterpiece. "
— Isabel, 7/3/2012 -
" Here Mark Salzman is not the fresh college graduate in China but a grown man with a wife, two daughters, writer's block, and a mess of anxieties. By the end, he's learned some things about how to face life. I liked spending time with him. "
— Mary, 4/15/2012
About Mark Salzman
Mark Salzman is an award-winning novelist and memoirist. The son of a social worker and a music teacher, he grew up in Connecticut and studied Chinese language and philosophy at Yale. After college he spent two years in China, learning martial arts from some of China’s most renowned teachers, an experience he documented in his bestselling memoir Iron & Silk. His other books include The Laughing Sutra, Lost in Place, The Soloist, and Lying Awake. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, director Jessica Yu, and their two daughters.
About Holter Graham
Holter Graham, winner of three of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voice of the Year awards, is a stage, television, and screen actor. He has recorded numerous audiobooks and earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actor, his film credits include Fly Away Home, Maximum Overdrive, Hairspray, and The Diversion, a short film which he acted in and produced. On television, he has appeared in Army Wives, Damages, As the World Turns, Rescue Me, Law & Order, and New York Undercover. He received a BA degree from Skidmore College and an MFA from Vermont College.