A Summons to Memphis Audiobook By Peter Taylor cover art

A Summons to Memphis

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A Summons to Memphis

By: Peter Taylor
Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
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Born in 1917, Tennessee author Peter Taylor won the Pulitzer Prize for this exceptional work of literature. The well-to-do Carver family moves to Memphis from Nashville, where they become embroiled in a domestic dispute over the widower patriarch's decision to remarry.©1986 Peter Taylor (P)2008 Recorded Books,LLC Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological

Critic reviews

"A beautiful, ironic novel..." ( New York Times Book Review)
"Every inch the classic." ( Kirkus Reviews )
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An interesting read; sad for it to end but also happy for it to be over. Very thought-provoking. Mindful of many things. Well worth the read.

Enjoyed

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Taylor's tale of a Tennessee family engaged me in ways that most novels about upper middle class to wealthy people typically don't, especially many of the earlier Pulitzers. Boyd Gaines possesses a warm baritone voice that's easy to listen to.

Entertaining and enjoyable

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I read this novel years ago, but got so much more from this audio book. The reader was first rate, easily guiding us to the themes and meaning of this story of father and son, brother and sisters, the Old and the crass South. Truly rich, and beautifully written, this book deserves more attention. It is an American classic, in my opinion.

Wonderful book & Wonderful listen

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The story in this book was not really bad, but it just never developed into somthing you care about. The main character was selfish and boring, he did not really care about anythign in life, and so I did not really care about him. There was such promise, but nothing ever developed beyond the surface. The main character hears that father and sisters interefered with the one love of his life, therefore ruining his ability to really love for the rest of his life and what does he do...nothing. Nothing is about what sums up the plot development of the book.

Not at all interesting

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I am dumbfounded as to how this book won a Pulitzer Prize. I can only conjecture that Peter Taylor's powerful friends persuaded the powers that be to give him the award as a prize for his total career. Nothing much happens in this completely humorless book. And I am at a loss to explain why the reader chose to narrate the book without a trace of the Nashville/Memphis accent of the book's narrator.

Summons to Boredom

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Can’t say I loved this book at all. I’ve read many Pulitzer winners and can always see how they won. Not so on this one. I didn’t hate it - but I do wish I’d used my choice for a better book.

Not my Fav

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This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I kept thinking it would get better but it never did. I got about halfway through then gave up. I returned it and got something else.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The narrator was good, I'm from the South so I enjoyed the accent but I just couldn't get interested.

This was boring, I didn't finish it

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