This week we listen to a lengthy collection of short stories and a couple of memoirs by extraordinary women. All titles are available from local booksellers and libraries.
The Best American Short Stories
Curtis Sittenfeld; edited by Heidi Pitlor; various readers, Sittenfeld reads the introduction
HMH Audio; 16 hours and 18 minutes; $44.99 / www.audible.com, $19.60
Sittenfeld, this year’s editor of the annual publication, begins with a lengthy insight into her choices for this collection, culled from magazines and literary journals, that is a bit unpolished but gives us insight into why each was chosen. Topics range from Venezuelan street children to a mystical godmother, from a French businessman who thinks he’s outwitted (don’t be too sure) an elderly lady while grasping for her lovely apartment to a Chinese demon that acts more human (and humanely) than she ought. Seasoned narrators invoke an array of voices, accents, and intonations as they lead us through other worlds, relationships, and lifestyles. Grade: A-
Sissy Spacek: My Extraordinary Ordinary Life
Sissy Spacek with Maryanne Vollers; read by Spacek
Hyperion Audio; nine hours and 46 minutes / www.audible.com, $32.51
Aside from some ho-hum family history, this memoir of a Quitman, Texas girl aspiring to become a rock star is brisk and absorbing. Spacek, who instead took home an Oscar for portraying Loretta Lynn, has an upbeat and innate sweetness that resonates here, tempered by a surprisingly sassy humor. She details her work with famous directors such as Terrence Malick and reveals just enough of her life to leave us satisfied, but never uncomfortable. Spacek narrates with an engaging, easy manner, giving us the sense this is a woman who knows who she is and, at 62, has navigated life with much grace. Grade: A-
Carole King: A Natural Woman
Carole King; read by King
Hachette Audio; 14 hours and 12 minutes / www.audible.com, $22.80
While the minutiae of Carole King’s life is as boring as anyone else’s, the juicy bits in her memoir are more surprising than one expects. Unhappily, she glosses over topics that deserve much more attention and insight, and spends far too long on a legal dispute over the rights to a road. Still, at 70, she is an impressive mimic, and the audiobook is enhanced by snippets of her singing. A positive is that she isn’t bitter, but remains upbeat and optimistic. However, listeners yearning to know why King married wildly inappropriate men, or the effects of those four marriages on her four kids, must look elsewhere. Grade: B
