
Half a Life
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Darin Strauss
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By:
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Darin Strauss
National Book Critics Circle Award, Autobiography, 2011
In this powerful, unforgettable memoir, acclaimed novelist Darin Strauss examines the far-reaching consequences of the tragic moment that has shadowed his whole life. In his last month of high school, he was behind the wheel of his dad's Oldsmobile, driving with friends, heading off to play mini-golf. Then: a classmate swerved in front of his car. The collision resulted in her death.
With piercing insight and stark prose, Darin Strauss leads us on a deeply personal, immediate, and emotional journey - graduating high school, going away to college, starting his writing career, falling in love with his future wife, becoming a father. Along the way, he takes a hard look at loss and guilt, maturity and accountability, hope and, at last, acceptance. The result is a staggering, uplifting tour de force.
Look for special features inside, including an interview with Colum McCann.
©2011 Darin Strauss (P)2011 Random HouseListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
“Darin Strauss has spent a good part of his adult life reliving, regretting and reflecting on a single, split-second incident. Half a Life is a starkly honest account of that fateful moment and his life thereafter . . . penetrating, thought-provoking.”—The Washington Post
“A book that inspires admiration, sentence by sentence . . . This is a memoir in its finest form, a fully imagined and bittersweet book that transcends a single misstep.”—Chicago Tribune
“Painfully raw and beautifully written.”—Los Angeles Times
“A remarkable, beyond-brave memoir.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Lyrical and haunting.”—San Francisco Chronicle
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND THE PLAIN DEALER
From the Trade Paperback edition.
In the wrong place at the wrong time
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Where does Half a Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Hearing Darin narrate his own story added to the power of his extraordinary emotional honesty. I could hear him trying to tell it just the way it happened, and how his life has been shaped by the one split second incident. It resonates with an urgency to communicate the complete truth in so far as it can be remembered and told.What was one of the most memorable moments of Half a Life?
There were so many, but I think that the occasion when Darin goes to visit the parents of the girl he inadvertently killed, has stayed with me and moved me one of the most. Darin was so courageous in his efforts as a young man whose life has been up ended, to try to interpret and follow through with what he felt was the right thing to do, no matter what the personal cost. As he describes the visit of his younger self it is impossible not to feel some of the pain of those present.Which scene was your favorite?
The social mine field of the school reunion ten years on was brilliantly portrayed.Any additional comments?
Aside from the power and impact of the events in the book, I found it to be beautifully written. Darin is a writer who I hadn't yet discovered. I was spell bound with his descriptions and the overall quality of writing. I think that while the book may be a step along the path towards his personal healing and journey, it is a gift to the rest of us. I hope to take lessons from it.Penance Finally And Thankfully Meets With Peace
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authentic performance
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Excellent writer
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Confused
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What disappointed you about Half a Life?
It was very difficult to follow the story with the plain, flat voiceWhat was most disappointing about Darin Strauss’s story?
Every time I tried to listen to the story I had to change to other, could not stand long time.Would you be willing to try another one of Darin Strauss’s performances?
NoTerrible narrator
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its brevity works in its favor
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This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
People that like to live in the past and whine. He killed someone by accident - now he rakes in the dough whinning about it. Sorry I am too busy for your sad life. I would rather have read about the real victimHas Half a Life turned you off from other books in this genre?
Oh YesWould you listen to another book narrated by Darin Strauss?
No thanks - he has a way of ruining your dayWhat character would you cut from Half a Life?
DarinAny additional comments?
Don't waste your time unless you like to wallow in miseryGet a Life
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Skip it
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