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Paris Stories

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About this listen

 Mavis Gallant is an undisputed master of the short story whose peerless prose captures the range of human experience while evoking time and place with unequaled skill. This new collection of 15 of Gallant's stories, edited by best-selling author Michael Ondaatje, gathers the best of her many stories set in Europe and Paris, where Gallant has long lived.

Mysterious, funny, insightful, and heartbreaking, these are tales of expatriates and exiles, wise children and straying saints. They compose a secret history, both intimate and panoramic, of modern times, and offer a kaleidoscopic impression of the world within a world that is Paris.

©2002 Michael Ondaatje (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc. Anthologies & Short Stories Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Psychological Short Stories Women's Fiction

Critic reviews

"Mavis Gallant writes some of the most superbly crafted and perceptive stories of our time." ( Globe and Mail)
"Mavis Gallant's finely honed prose captures the small details that illuminate a life." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Ms. Gallant...has dared to drift in a disorienting century, always trusting her own imaginative compass. Her fiction, never fooled into trying to keep up with history, will last a long time." ( New York Times)
All stars
Most relevant
I suggest subsequent listeners find an alternative to this audiobook in order to enjoy the wonderful writing of Mavis Gallant. Unfortunately, both performances damage ones enjoyment of her writing. It was difficult to complete this book. Eventually I had to skip any story read by the male reader entirely. The female reader was barely tolerable although I got used to her somewhat.

Performances Damage Actual Writing

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Would you listen to Paris Stories again? Why?

I am a big fan of Mavis Gallant, her writing is incomparable - I was pleased to discover Paris Stories had been turned into an audio book. The performance, however, is just a bit over the top for Gallant- this is especially true in the Ice Wagon Going Down the Street. Gallant deserves a much more subtle reader/performer, one that teases out the subtext of her writing. Compare these recordings to writer Margaret Atwood reading Gallant's Voices Lost in the Snow in a New Yorker podcast and you'll see the difference!

What other book might you compare Paris Stories to, and why?

Dear Life

What three words best describe Lorna Raver and Yuri Rasovsky ’s voice?

Over the top

Flawless writing, performance ok

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Superb stories that are both revealing and very funny. Brilliantly narrated by Lorna Raver and Yuri Rasovsky. The recording was a tad quiet but it's not a deal breaker.
Highly recommend. Extremely enjoyable.

Pure listening pleasure

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