
An Available Man
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Fred Sullivan
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By:
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Hilma Wolitzer
About this listen
When Edward Schuyler - a modest and bookish 62-year-old science teacher - is widowed, he finds himself ambushed by female attention. There are plenty of unattached women around, but a healthy, handsome, available man is a rare and desirable creature. Edward receives phone calls from widows seeking love, or at least lunch, while well-meaning friends try to set him up at dinner parties.
The problem is that Edward doesn’t feel available. He’s still mourning his beloved wife, Bee, and prefers solitude and the familiar routine of work, gardening, and bird-watching. But then his stepchildren surprise him by placing a personal ad in The New York Review of Books on his behalf.
Soon the letters flood in, and Edward is torn between his loyalty to Bee’s memory and his growing longing for connection. Gradually, reluctantly, he begins dating (“dating after death”, as one correspondent puts it), and his encounters are variously startling, comical, and sad. Just when Edward thinks he has the game figured out, a chance meeting proves that love always arrives when it’s least expected.
©2012 Hilma Wolitzer. All rights reserved. (P)2012 AudioGoListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Wolitzer [writes] of the pain of losing a partner and its aftermath...with remarkable insight, grace, and humor. A warm, keenly incisive view of life’s vicissitudes by a writer too seldom heard from.” (Booklist)
“Families are Wolitzer’s turf, and she’s an observant and often humorous chronicler of domesticity and the stuff that comes with it: illness, loss, boredom, crankiness, and, on good days, love.” (Publishers Weekly)
“I absolutely loved An Available Man (and not, I swear, because I’m partial to widowers). For a start, Edward Schuyler is someone I desperately wish I could invite to my next dinner party (and not, I swear, because there are half a dozen women I’d like him to meet). This is a book to savor page by page, filled with astute detail, both comic and mournful, about what it’s like to be middle-aged and lonely yet not give up on the search for love.” (Julia Glass, author of The Widower’s Tale and the National Book Award-winning Three Junes)
Beautifully written
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I feel that this book will have strong appeal to many widows and widowers, however, not my favorite book. I consider it an "ok" novel.
Romantic Midlife Novel
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If you could sum up An Available Man in three words, what would they be?
tender, touching, memorableWhat other book might you compare An Available Man to and why?
If I Stay, I think that's the title. Both books deal with life and loss and the opportunities to live again. This book about a widower in his 60s, the other about a teenage girl in a serious accident.Which scene was your favorite?
The scenes on Martha's Vineyard as he starts to live again, weighs possibilities, and pitfalls.If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
He's such a nice man that I don't think Hollywood would be the right market for this. A stage play.Any additional comments?
Wonderful narrator. This book would seem more likeA Fortunate Man
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If you could sum up An Available Man in three words, what would they be?
Coming to termsAny additional comments?
I imagine you have to be a certain age and at a certain point in your life to enjoy this, but if you have ever been in a deep, long-lasting relationship you will find yourself relating to Edward and his joys and missteps.Very satisfying
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Lovely book, easy read, wonderful characters
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A Poignant Story of Love, Loss, and Moving Forward
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Perfect for the gym!
Pleasant Listen
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a nice read
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Would you try another book from Hilma Wolitzer and/or Fred Sullivan?
Yes, I would. I liked the book and the narrator was fine. Didn't love it but didn't hate it either. Just in the middle.How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
She didn't make Ollie a very likeable character to me so I was bummed when he ended up with her.Did Fred Sullivan do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
An adequate job. I personally don't like male narrators trying to do feminine voices.Entertaining and enjoyable
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
The story moved along nicely and the narrator was goodWhat was one of the most memorable moments of An Available Man?
The first time Ollie and Edward met at her cousins partyHave you listened to any of Fred Sullivan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
nosweet story
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