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The Eternal Wonder
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
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Publisher's summary
A recently discovered novel written by Pearl S. Buck at the end of her life in 1973, The Eternal Wonder tells the coming-of-age story of Randolph Colfax (Rann for short), an extraordinarily gifted young man whose search for meaning and purpose leads him to New York, England, Paris, on a mission patrolling the DMZ in Korea that will change his life forever - and, ultimately, to love.
Rann falls for the beautiful and equally brilliant Stephanie Kung, who lives in Paris with her Chinese father and has not seen her American mother since she abandoned the family when Stephanie was six years old. Both Rann and Stephanie yearn for a sense of genuine identity. Rann feels plagued by his voracious intellectual curiosity and strives to integrate his life of the mind with his experience in the world. Stephanie struggles to reconcile the Chinese part of herself with her American and French selves. Separated for long periods of time, their final reunion leads to a conclusion that even Rann, in all his hard-earned wisdom, could never have imagined.
A moving and mesmerizing fictional exploration of the themes that meant so much to Pearl S. Buck in her life, this final work is perhaps her most personal and passionate and will no doubt appeal to the millions of listeners who have treasured her novels for generations.
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This exquisite, resonant novel by PEN/Faulkner winner James Salter is a brilliant portrait of a marriage by a contemporary American master. It is the story of Nedra and Viri, whose favored life is centered around dinners, ingenious games with their children, enviable friends, and near-perfect days passed skating on a frozen river or sunning on the beach.
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Unfathomable Font of Blue: Life's Serial Goodbyes
- By W Perry Hall on 04-18-19
By: James Salter
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The Fountainhead
- By: Ayn Rand
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
- Length: 32 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the 20th century's most challenging novels of ideas, The Fountainhead champions the cause of individualism through the story of a gifted young architect who defies the tyranny of conventional public opinion. The struggle for personal integrity in a world that values conformity above creativity is powerfully illustrated through three characters: Howard Roarke, a genius; Gail Wynand, a newspaper mogul and self-made millionaire; and Dominique Francon, a devastating beauty.
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The Fountainhead
- By Zachary on 06-04-10
By: Ayn Rand
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The Last Summer
- By: Judith Kinghorn
- Narrated by: Jane Wymark
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Clarissa is almost 17 when the spell of her childhood is broken. It is 1914, the beginning of a blissful, golden summer - and the end of an era. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, home from university and staying with his mother, the housekeeper, she is dazzled.
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The Last Summer Delivers
- By Carmen dela Cruz on 05-22-16
By: Judith Kinghorn
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Now, Voyager
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- By: Olive Higgins Prouty
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
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Boston blueblood Charlotte Vale has led an unhappy, sheltered life. Lonely, dowdy, repressed, and pushing 40, Charlotte finds salvation at a sanitarium, where she undergoes an emotional and physical transformation. After her extreme makeover, the new Charlotte tests her mettle by embarking on a cruise and finds herself in a torrid love affair with a married man which ends at the conclusion of the voyage. But only then can the real journey begin, as Charlotte is forced to navigate a new life for herself.
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The Inspiration for The Movie Classic
- By Susie on 12-17-12
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Of Human Bondage
- By: W. Somerset Maugham
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 28 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Of Human Bondage is one of the greatest novels of modern times, and it is certainly Maugham's greatest achievement. It was published in 1914, when Maugham was at the height of his creative powers. The story concerns Philip Carey, afflicted at birth with a club foot, and his passionate search for truth in a cruel world. We follow his growth to manhood, his educational progress, his first loves, and the wrenching tragedies and disappointments that life has in store for him. In some of the finest prose of the 20th century, Maugham has presented us with the timeless story of one man's search for the meaning of life.
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Greatly Unsettling
- By Michael on 10-04-14
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The Wife
- A Novel
- By: Meg Wolitzer
- Narrated by: Dawn Harvey
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The moment Joan Castleman decides to leave her husband, they are 35,000 feet above the ocean on a flight to Helsinki. Joan's husband, Joseph, is one of America's preeminent novelists, about to receive a prestigious international award, and Joan, who has spent 40 years subjugating her own literary talents to fan the flames of his career, has finally decided to stop.
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A bit of a downer
- By Jody Cox on 08-01-18
By: Meg Wolitzer
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Cold Hand in Mine
- By: Robert Aickman
- Narrated by: Reece Shearsmith
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Cold Hand in Mine stands as one of Aickman's best collections and contains eight stories that show off his powers as a 'strange story' writer to the full. The listener is introduced to a variety of characters, from a man who spends the night in a Hospice to a German aristocrat and a woman who sees an image of her own soul. There is also a nod to the conventional vampire story ("Pages from a Young Girl's Journal") but all the stories remain unconventional and inconclusive, which perhaps makes them all the more startling and intriguing.
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Aickman is unique
- By Stark on 08-19-23
By: Robert Aickman
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The Enchanted April
- By: Elizabeth von Arnim
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a journey of both escape and discovery for four exquisitely different women, a month of bliss and privacy for four weary souls. Their refuge on the Italian Riviera provides the perfect backdrop for a story about the search for spiritual harmony within and without.
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Excellent book, excellent narrator
- By Amazon Customer on 02-26-05
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The Enchanted Barn
- By: Grace Livingston Hill
- Narrated by: Anne Hancock
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Shirley Hollister is desperate. She, her ailing mother, and her four siblings are being forced out of their cramped city apartment. Where to go on her meager stenographer's salary? On a whim, she takes a trolley ride into the countryside and spies a barn: spacious, full of light, and surrounded by God's wondrous nature. Her new landlord, Sidney Graham, is intrigued by this lovely young woman and her plans to turn his abandoned barn into a home.
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charming and uplifting
- By Kristie Spencer on 06-28-18
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The Turmoil
- By: Booth Tarkington
- Narrated by: Harry Shaw
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
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Bigger, newer, faster. Demolish and rebuild, then demolish and rebuild again. Smoke, soot, and noise are the badges of prosperity, and growth is for growth's sake.
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Fast and heartwarming
- By dfjord on 08-06-24
By: Booth Tarkington
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Pavilion of Women
- By: Pearl S. Buck
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 15 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
On her 40th birthday, Madame Wu carries out a decision she has been planning for a long time: she tells her husband that after 24 years their physical life together is now over and she wishes him to take a second wife. The House of Wu, one of the oldest and most revered in China, is thrown into an uproar by her decision, but Madame Wu will not be dissuaded and arranges for a young country girl to come take her place in bed.
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Horrible narration!
- By ClearlyCrystalAnn on 06-17-15
By: Pearl S. Buck
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Young Peony is sold into a rich Chinese household as a bondmaid - an awkward role in which she is more a servant, but less a daughter. As she grows into a lovely, provocative young woman, Peony falls in love with the family's only son. However, tradition forbids them to wed. How she resolves her love for him and her devotion to her adoptive family unfolds in this profound tale, based on true events in China over a century ago.
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On her 40th birthday, Madame Wu carries out a decision she has been planning for a long time: she tells her husband that after 24 years their physical life together is now over and she wishes him to take a second wife. The House of Wu, one of the oldest and most revered in China, is thrown into an uproar by her decision, but Madame Wu will not be dissuaded and arranges for a young country girl to come take her place in bed.
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Horrible narration!
- By ClearlyCrystalAnn on 06-17-15
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Jews in China
- By Jean on 04-22-12
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- By ClearlyCrystalAnn on 06-17-15
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What listeners say about The Eternal Wonder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Gary F. Beck
- 07-13-23
Great look at human struggle with identity
A great look at prejudiced thinking; barriers we make for ourselves that limit our understanding of others. Pearl Buck is well experienced in cultural differences and looks beyond to the reality of peace that can come with appreciation of other’s values.
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Overall
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- Julie
- 09-04-22
Started out well
Interesting at the beginning
Boring in the middle
Tedious at the end
Would not recommend
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- Chin-Chin
- 09-30-16
Wow what a trip back in time.
What did you love best about The Eternal Wonder?
I love how the author Peal teaches you about certain aspects of life. If you don't know about living in New York or visiting other parts of the world, this book will get your mind clicking. This was a great way of showing the world through the eyes of a child prodigy. Some people are just ahead of their times but Pearl gives you insight of life and the people around you.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Eternal Wonder?
When Ran falls in love with an older woman and lives for months in another country with her. His first time out of the country. Love the details of how he explored in a new country and when his ah-ha moment came to move on with his life.
Which character – as performed by Aaron Abano – was your favorite?
Ran
Who was the most memorable character of The Eternal Wonder and why?
The college professor because it shows how people can get caught up intellectually and how dynamics of relationships can change with a turn of the hat.
Any additional comments?
I love how Pearl teaches you about life and opens your mind up to another world if you were never exposed. My first time reading one of her books working on reading the Good Earth Now. It was nice to visit her home in PA.
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- Ilene R Reid
- 12-17-23
Very glad it was found and published.
From what I have read about Pearl S Buck herself, I can see why her son said he thought a lot of how she described Rann was based on how she thought about herself.
I wish we could know what might have been changed if the book had been able to become her finished product, but I don’t have any worries that there would have been any significant or major changes.
Maybe some additions that it is a shame never had a chance to be added.
I do believe that she would be glad to know that it was indeed published.
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Overall
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- Darlene
- 02-19-23
Dismal
Can I return for exchange? This doesn’t sound like Pearl Buck wrote this. I cannot finish listening.
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- ann
- 12-05-23
Does not read like anything pearl Buck would write…sorry
I could not understand what was so important about the Rand person… everyone had money then they died.. can someone please get a job and work , the house slave sounded interesting!
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Overall
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- L. Lee
- 08-08-16
Awful
What disappointed you about The Eternal Wonder?
I have read and listened to many books by the author Pearl S Buck. This was either not written by her or was a very rough draft. Underdeveloped, overly wordy, repetitions, and just plain dull. It hadso much potential - but fell flat. I could not finish it. The narrator could not save. Maybe a good editor would have been able to do so.
What was most disappointing about Pearl S. Buck’s story?
See above
Which scene was your favorite?
Infant learning to walk
Any additional comments?
Hopefully this will not be anyone's introduction to Peal S. Buck. It is not representative of her work. If this is your first book by this author - go read/listen to "The Good Earth"
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7 people found this helpful