Tommy's Tale Audiobook By Alan Cumming cover art

Tommy's Tale

A Novel

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Tommy's Tale

By: Alan Cumming
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
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About this listen

Tommy is 29, lives and loves in London, and has a morbid fear of the "C" word (commitment), the "B" word (boyfriend), and the "F" word (forgetting to call his drug dealer before the weekend). But when he begins to feel the urge to become a father, and the pressure from his boyfriend to make a real commitment to their relationship, Tommy starts to wonder if his chosen lifestyle can ever make him happy.

Faced with the choice between maintaining his hedonistic, drugged-out, and admittedly fabulous existence or chucking it all in favor of a far more sensitive, fulfilling, and - let's face it - slightly more staid lifestyle, Tommy finds himself in a true quandary. Through a series of adventures and misadventures that lead him from London nightspots to New York bedrooms and back, our boy Tommy manages to answer some of life's most pressing questions - even those he never thought to ask.

©2002 Alan Cumming (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers
Literature & Fiction Funny Witty Inspiring England

What listeners say about Tommy's Tale

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LOVE IT!!

Dear Alan Cummings,

Please write more novels! Write them, narrate them & keep them coming!

Sincerely,
Carla

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Alan Cumming narrates a novel by Allan Cumming

I am a big fan of Alan Cumming the author, and I loved this audiobook where he narrates his own novel.

I liked the overall story but rated it down somewhat for the all the drug use. I know that people use drugs, but at times this story felt like that was was all that was going on.

I highly enjoyed the fact that this was a story where gay characters can have a happy ending.

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2 people found this helpful

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Alan Cumming - So good

This is a fun baudy coming of age at 29 tale . And listening to Alan Cumming narrate is a joy.

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Tommy’s Tale(s)

I have to admit; I read this before I listened to it, and struggled a bit reading through it. Alan’s others books flew by, but this one…I’m chalking it up to not being in the right frame of mind. With that said, I LOVED THE AUDIOBOOK! Alan brought sweet Tommy to life. He admits that this is a thinly veiled account of a period in his life and all I can respond with is “Oh my!” It was difficult hearing Tommy struggling (all in the name of fun) with dangerous and self destructive behavior knowing that there are elements of this from Alan’s life. Yes! I’m a big sappy fan, so I took this book to heart. Tommy is a wonderful coming of age story, and it takes a load of frolicking angst getting there. It’s worth it though! If you haven’t yet listened to his two follow up books, do so. It’s an Illuminating and insightful look into an Uber talented man.

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What fun.

I had so much fun listening to this book. The acting and chaos i. Tommy's life was entertaining to listen to.

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Really enjoyed it.

Let me state this first: if you are put off by drug use and/or sex (both hetero and homo, both intimate and anonymous), you will not like this book. I am put off by neither, and I really enjoyed it.

As the summary says, the book follows a few months in the life of a 29 year-old self-proclaimed party boy in London. There are clubs, drugs, parties, and some seriously seedy behavior in the disabled loo. You'll learn about lampshade design, hangover avoidance, the power of baths, and the emotional blackmail of a particularly precocious child.

I think Alan Cumming is the best (or certainly one of the best) book readers out there, and if you enjoy him as an actor, performer, activist, and human, you will likely enjoy this book, too. I'll admit my bias here — I adore him — and I loved Tommy's Tale.

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Great Listen!

I always love Alan Cumming, and this book made me feel no differently.I like how unabashedly written it is.

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Praises abundant for Alan Cumming

I was very, very lucky to see Alan Cumming twice in the late 90's production of Cabaret on Broadway. So having that visual memory of his beautiful, sweet but naughty, mischievous face is perfect when listening to his reading. Tommy's Tale is both sad, dark and witty all at the same time. Tommy's experiences with sex and drugs is explained in an honest, lovable approach. And hearing his narration is a must. I can't praise it enough.

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It is so us

What made the experience of listening to Tommy's Tale the most enjoyable?

My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing

What did you like best about this story?

Was its ramblings.

Have you listened to any of Alan Cumming’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No and Alan will be Cumming again very soon to my ears.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My cheeks hurt

Any additional comments?

First of all thank god for the UK. I swear if we didn't have the British I think as Americans we would walk around all day with a broom sticks up are bum. I needed this book bad. I mean really bad. The wife and I were trying to find something new (I mean NEW) to listen to. We cam across Alan Cummings book. We listen to it a bit and said that's the one. I needed something that was going to throw me back into humanity and it seams a good art performance always does the trick for me. Its like listing to train wreck and I love train wrecks.This book isn't for everybody but neither is Clock Work Orange, but those you pay money to go see, "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf." will love it. Which I believe has nothing but drinking though the whole play. (Replying to comment about the over use of drugs in the book.)But this is what I love about this book. It made my cheeks hurt. Because, I know these people and places. But most of all I know that, "little boy." and he's right. If you think this book is about coming of age, drugs, sex and homosexuality. Your wrong. Those are the props on the stage. Its about a little boy name, "Tommy" he explained it in the first chapter.Alan Cumming is more than welcome to come over for dinner, but Malcolm Gladwell will need to move over a bit.

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thank you... I needed that

So refreshing to have a truly, madly, deeply, fun and sexy, ugly and beautiful bisexual romp that is unabashed in the strange middle.ground we often find ourselves in.

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