The Coen Brothers Audiobook By Adam Nayman cover art

The Coen Brothers

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The Coen Brothers

By: Adam Nayman
Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
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A playfully critical journey through the Coen brothers' filmography

From such cult hits as Raising Arizona (1987) and The Big Lebowski (1998) to major critical darlings Fargo (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Ethan and Joel Coen have cultivated a bleakly comical, instantly recognizable voice in modern American cinema.

In The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together, film critic Adam Nayman carefully sifts through their complex cinematic universe in an effort to plot, as he puts it, "some Grand Unified Theory of Coen-ness." The book combines critical text - biography, close film analysis, and enlightening interviews with key Coen collaborators - with a visual aesthetic that honors the Coens' singular mix of darkness and levity. Featuring hard insight, this book will be the definitive exploration of the Coen brothers' oeuvre.

©2018 Adam Nayman (P)2018 Random House Audio Art Direction & Production Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism Celebrity
Insightful Analysis • Thematic Connectivity • Deep Exploration • Chronological Breakdown • Valuable Interpretation
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I could have done without several of the interviews, but the deep analysis of the Coens’ filmography, told largely film by film in chronological order, was insightful and rewarding. Even when I disagreed with the author’s interpretation of something (which was rare) I still have to acknowledge that he gave me the tools to make my own meaning out of these beloved films.

I Wish Every Director Got A Book Like This

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Excellent if you're looking for a synopsis and critique of the Coen brothers films, but unfortunately I was hoping that this would be as much anecdote as analysis. I think the stories behind the making of the films would have been of more interest to me than an in-depth review of the films.

Very well done but...

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A fantastic depiction inside the minds of two of the best America filmmakers ever! And yes, this book really does tie all the movies together!

Inside Joel and Ethan

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I love the Coen Brother's films and this book takes that love and turns it into reason. There are details that are explained in this book that focuses my attention on why I love certain films and certain scenes so much. I wish there were more books that detailed the ins and outs of films and director's filmography and their choices the way this one does

Illuminate The Details

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This book details a lot of information about their films and how they go about making them I really enjoyed listening to the book.

If you are a Coen Brothers movie fan

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Incredible detail, insightful thematic connectivity between the films, and interesting interviews with many of their collaborators

Amazing and fun analysis

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For fans like myself, I think most of the information and analysis of the Coen Brothers' films is fairly well understood, but some of the insights could be useful for a newcomer. There are a few tidbits of myths and myth-busting, but the bulk of the book consists of the synopses, themes and threads running through their films. While that may at first seem tedious or academic, let me state categorically, it's not. After every segment, I desperately wanted to go back and watch each film again. Every.Single.Time. (Yes, even including Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty!). And I learned to enjoy the gimmick of listing the percentage of constituent parts of the films upon their introduction. It's well worth the time for fans of the Coen Brothers. And for those people who claim that they *don't get* the Coens' films, even after multiple viewings, it may help guide them into a new appreciation.

Brilliant companion!

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Simply put - if you enjoy the movies, you will enjoy this book. The author definitely goes deep and takes the reader on a big picture thematic journey through the Coen brothers films as well as a vastly entertaining meta journey.

For those of us mere mortals that can only see 1 or 2 levels deep in the Coen brothers films but, nonetheless enjoy them immensely, the insights in this book allow us to enjoys the films, and the careers, on many new levels.

Highly recommended!

A real treat for Coen Brothers Fans

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Deep look into the Coen Brothers movies. Breakdown of each film, and thought process. Interviews with some of the crew. Narrated cold and slow. If you like their movies, you'll enjoy this book.

The Dude Abides

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This book is basically a deep dive into the movies of the Coen Bros. It includes overviews, interviews, and examines how the themes from the movies overlap and reappear in one another. It’s a good listen as long as you have seen the movies. If you haven’t, you would be best served to watch them all before starting this book.

If you like the movies you’ll like the book

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