The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler

Unabridged Audio Version

I haven't read an Anne Tyler novel in decades and truth be told, I can't remember which title it was that I read all those years ago!!

Anyway, I decided to try another novel by Anne Tyler and listened to the unabridged audio version of the The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler and narrated by Kirby Heyborne. Playing time for The Beginner's Goodbye is approximately 6 hours, 12 minutes.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started listening to The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler. I can say right off the bat that I was blown away by the narration that Kirby Heyborne gave for this novel... A good narrator makes all the difference in the world when listening to an audiobook. Audio quality was also great for this novel as well.

As far as the storyline goes, I enjoyed reading The Beginner's Goodbye very much. I also liked the characters and how the story unfolded. I think the only issue I had with The Beginner's Goodbye was that it was a bit slow in parts. Otherwise it was a good read.

The following is the publisher's summary from Audible:

Anne Tyler gives us a wise, haunting, and deeply moving new novel in which she explores how a middle-aged man, torn apart by the death of his wife, is gradually restored by her frequent appearances: in their house, on the roadway, in the market.

Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron spent his childhood fending off a sister who wants to manage him. So when he meets Dorothy, a plain, outspoken, self-dependent young woman, she is like a breath of fresh air. Unhesitatingly he marries her, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage. But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy's unexpected appearances from the dead help him to live in the moment and to find some peace.

Gradually he discovers, as he works in the family's vanity-publishing business, turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trials of life, that maybe for this beginner there is a way of saying goodbye.

A beautiful, subtle exploration of loss and recovery, pierced throughout with Anne Tyler's humor, wisdom, and always-penetrating look at human foibles.

I'm giving The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler a rating of 7 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!