
The Destiny Thief
Essays on Writing, Writers and Life
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Narrated by:
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Richard Russo
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By:
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Richard Russo
"It turns out that Russo the nonfiction writer is a lot like Russo the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. He is affably disagreeable, wry, idiosyncratic, vulnerably bighearted, a craftsman of lubricated sentences." (Jay Fielden, New York Times Book Review)
A master of the novel, short story, and memoir, the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Everybody's Fool now gives us his very first collection of personal essays, ranging throughout writing and reading and living.
In these nine essays, Richard Russo provides insight into his life as a writer, teacher, friend, and reader. From a commencement speech he gave at Colby College, to the story of how an oddly placed toilet made him reevaluate the purpose of humor in art and life, to a comprehensive analysis of Mark Twain's value, to his harrowing journey accompanying a dear friend as she pursued gender-reassignment surgery, The Destiny Thief reflects the broad interests and experiences of one of America's most beloved authors. Warm, funny, wise, and poignant, the essays included here traverse Russo's writing life, expanding our understanding of who he is and how his singular, incredibly generous mind works. An utter joy to listen to, they give deep insight into the creative process from the prospective of one of our greatest writers.
©2018 Richard Russo (P)2018 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Russo's timing, wit, and delivery animate this memoir.... Fans and emerging writers will find much to appreciate in his perspectives." (AudioFile)
"Readers who come to this book in search of the storyteller they know from Russo's fiction will be well-rewarded.... [He] proves to be a familiar presence - thoughtful, funny, endearing - and surprising, as well.... Russo delivers the cozy intelligence and comic savvy that readers have come to admire." (Joan Silverman, Portland Press Herald)
"Captivating...generous-hearted essays on writing and life [that] fully display Russo's trademark warmth and wit, and are marked by a fair dose of unpretentious wisdom and a genuineness that sometimes borders on self-effacement.... The Destiny Thief puzzles with the mysteries of what good writing is and what good living is." (Robert Weibezahl, BookPage)
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If I write, it is private and for me. Even so, writing well is hard work. Instead of going into things like active vs passive voice, Russo talks about what the writer is trying to say. That, in and of itself is often a mystery that only gets revealed in failure and re-starting. His effort reveals insight that wasn’t there at the beginning of his work.
He uses Dickens as an illustration of a writer becoming an author. There is, to my thinking m, a huge chasm between the two. This book looks into that chasm without staring into the abyss.
Could Be A Primer For Readers
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Required (reading), listening!
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As good as his novels, highly recommend!
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Russo is a genius!
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The Destiny Thief
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Excellent All Around, But...
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Richard Russo cannot write a bad book
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Russo's realm
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I read and loved EMPIRE FALLS and Everybody's Fool but had no idea this was the same Richard Russo. Although I am not generally a fan of authors reading their own work, I have to say Mr. Russo's acting chops came into play here as his narration was superb. He sounded as if he was reading someone elses work, not his own.
Fans of CSI MIAMI will appreciate how little Mr. Russo mentions that show or NYPD BLUE. It shows his confidence as a writer has peaked. He does not have to dig up his past acting credits to stir the listener. He relies, instead, on his writing talent to share his insights on a craft he has so tightly honed on his days away from the acting spotlight.
Bravo, Mr. Russo. Bravo!
HE MADE THE RIGHT MOVE
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