Essays in Love
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Narrated by:
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James Wilby
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By:
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Alain de Botton
About this listen
Essays in Love is a stunningly original love story. Taking in Aristotle, Wittgenstein, history, religion and Groucho Marx, Alain de Botton charts the progress of a love affair from the first kiss to argument and reconciliation, from intimacy and tenderness to the onset of anxiety and heartbreak.
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My fiancé brought me tea and scrambled eggs in bed that morning, and we snuggled together, talking about buying our rings, and about our perfect wedding next year. Then we headed into town. He held my hand and gazed at the ring I liked best, a smile spreading slowly over his face. Then a glass of bubbly to celebrate. I felt flushed, excited and ready for the rest of my life with the man I loved. We race to get on the train home. It screams to a halt and I run towards its open doors. Made it. I think he’s right behind me — but when I turn around, he’s gone.
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Disappointing plot
- By TerriSweeta on 12-04-24
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The Answer Is No
- A Short Story
- By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
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Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
- By joey1603 on 12-01-24
By: Fredrik Backman, and others
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Starship Troopers
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
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Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids. Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job.
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The definitive version!
- By Kristopher G. Hesson on 10-03-24
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Dead Med
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
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When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
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Hmm
- By Morgan Meaux on 08-22-24
By: Freida McFadden
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What listeners say about Essays in Love
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- MM
- 02-22-18
Brilliantly plucks and weaves love's nuances
What did you love best about Essays in Love?
The story is engaging. There are really good points made, great references, and de Botton analyzes the nuances of falling in and out of love with the perspective and depth of someone who's lived a thousand lives. The narrator's voice is very attractive.
What does James Wilby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Great voice. Very warm and theatrical (not in an exaggerated way) at the same time.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes. It was so hard to even go to sleep. I had my Audible on sleep timer several times but didn't want to miss anything to grogginess. So I would relisten the same parts the next day. This book is so wise.
Any additional comments?
Definitely listen to this.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 11-04-20
Good story, poor narration
The narrator is too dramatic which unfortunately ruins some moments. I enjoyed the story though.
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- Colby L Mortensen
- 03-02-20
Unbearable
Unbearably profound in its complexity and depth. So attuned to the nuances of romances spells, and an amazing gift of disillusionment.
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- Alex
- 06-02-20
Thought provoking and well performed
I enjoyed this peek into the brain of a young man contemplating love and romance, and found it to be enlightening and relatable. The narrator keeps things moving along crisply, which is crucial since much of the book is comprised not of action but of musings. I look forward to listening to The Course of Love next.
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- Reem Alsmaiel
- 05-26-21
Enjoyable read
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I liked how it captured the man’s point of view throughout the relationship journey. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding love in all its stages.
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- beinbloom
- 07-03-24
a masterpiece!
it’s so clever. have listened many times over the years. love alain de botton and the narrator :)
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- Maria L. Lantin
- 05-07-12
Every relationship you've ever analyzed
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I wouldn't recommend this book to all my friends but I know that some of them would enjoy it as much as I did. It's for romantics that think too much sometimes. It's for realists that love to fall in love nevertheless.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Essays in Love?
There are many memorable moments...but perhaps what stands out now after a couple weeks is the way intimacy in the couple is revealed and lost. The fight scenes are funny in a "oh yeah, I've been there" kinda way.
Have you listened to any of James Wilby’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
It was my first James Wilby book and I enjoyed his reading very much.
Who was the most memorable character of Essays in Love and why?
I guess it was the main male character because he's so introspective to the point of absurdity but also insightful.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Andre Mendes
- 05-21-16
One day binge
Simply could not put this book down. There are so few stories, love stories fewer still, that capture real life so well. The book itself is a beautiful mix of philosophical topics with narrative that makes for such an enlightening and enjoyable listening experience. Very well performed, I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a realistic love story.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Lynn Labe
- 07-15-17
Good, later book is great
Good book with lots of insights, especially when you realise de Botton was 23 when he wrote it. Great narrator. Also recommend The Course of Love, which he wrote 2 decades later and is quite an amazing book.
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- Paula Nilsson
- 03-26-19
Analysis on what makes the "fall of angels" ; LOVE
Profound yet clear novel for the experienced or ignorant lad, when it comes to love relationships. Hence you can apply the majority of the given situations on ANY type of interpersonal relationships. Top-read for the enthusiast on Love and it's philosophy of everyday.
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