There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say
Paula Poundstone, , read by the author. . HighBridge Audio, $29.95 (450pp) ISBN 978-1-59887-071-8
The intentionally disjointed structure of this audiobook—Poundstone presenting biographies of seven historical figures, including Joan of Arc, Helen Keller and Abraham Lincoln, with each fact launching her into a tangent about her own life—works particularly well on audio. Poundstone sounds like she's chatting naturally and keeps remembering other things she wants to say. She's frank, funny and immensely likable. Her autobiographical stories are often harrowing: she was convicted of driving while intoxicated with her three adopted children in the car, and lost custody of them for a year. Her pain at the memory is obvious, but she leavens the subject matter with plenty of black humor and irony: noting that she was court-ordered on television to attend Alcoholics Anonymous, she comments, "That pretty much blows the hell out of the second A." There are many quotable one-liners, amid Poundstone's self-deprecating humor. By turns funny and poignant, this is a book that shines on audio.
Reviewed on: 01/29/2007
Genre: Audio
Compact Disc - 978-1-6651-6784-0
Compact Disc - 978-1-6651-6786-4
MP3 CD - 978-1-6651-6785-7
Other - 1 pages - 978-1-59887-484-6
Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-60252-517-7
