Few storytellers in America write with such unerring insight and honesty as Armistead Maupin. Now he has given us his most ambitious and daringly imaginative work, The Night Listener, a novel as spoken-word serial, including an original musical score.
Gabriel Noone is a fabulist, a writer whose late-night radio tales have brought him into the homes of millions. In the midst of a painful, unwanted separation from his longtime love, Gabriel reads the extraordinary memoir of Pete Lomax, an ailing thirteen-year-old boy who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his parents. Pete is not only a gifted diarist but also a devoted listener of Gabriel's show. And thus begins an extraordinary phone friendship.
Then, out of the blue, troubling new questions arise, exploding Gabriel's comfortable assumptions and causing his ordered existence to spin wildly out of control. As he walks a vertiginous line between truth and illusion, he is finally forced to confront all his relationships -- familial, romantic, and erotic.
This unprecedented audio project is as thought-provoking as it is mesmeric. The Night Listener is a meditation on the power of voices and the faith we place in them, and an extraordinary audio experience from an American literary icon.
So well crafted and read; don't be mislead by concerns about the conclusions. How the author gets there is so stimulating and a provocative listen!
Profound
Written by T Morrell from Woodside, NY
on June 20th, 2008
Book Rating: 4/5
Profound and keeps you on the edge of your seat once the story gets going. I was completely and pleasantly surprised by the emotion, some of it very uncomfortable, that this book stirred in me. I very much recommend particularly as an audiobook!
The Night Listener
Written by Bob S on April 26th, 2007
Book Rating: 4/5
Armistead Maupin develops a strong central character, Gabriel Noone, in this fascinating tale of loneliness. I really felt the emptiness of Gabriel, which longed to be filled by something of meaning. His lover has moved out and Gabriel is trying to find some inspiration to write. It is through talking and listening to a thirteen year old boy that Gabriel is able to develop some inspiration to write once again. Gabriel's relationship with his father is strongly developed. Despite a somewhat unsatisfying ending, this book, nicely read by Armistead, will have you guessing about two particular characters who influence Gabriel very strongly. Recommended!
Terrible Writing
Written by Johnny Chapman on January 11th, 2007
Book Rating: 1/5
This book should come with an R-rating. There was so much time spent describing everything but the main storyline, that I thought I was going to have to just stop. But I kept going as I did find the overall storyline rather interesting and thought I'd give the author a chance. I was eventually left hanging for a conclusion. I had the feeling the author just didn't know how to give the audience an adequate ending. Perhaps he should have dedicated more thought towards the main story line, and less towards all the useless, graphic life history of the main character. Even with all of the main character descriptors and flash-backs, Gabriel Noone seemed to be the type of pathetic person that doesn't really exist. Gabriel is such a flip-flop. It seemed to be a cop-out by the author in order to keep the reader interested. Some people will say they like it just because they feel that's what they should say. I won't be reading any more Maupin. You may actually enjoy it. I did not.
