9780062006998
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Sourland audiobook

  • By: Joyce Carol Oates
  • Narrator: Coleen Marlo
  • Length: 14 hours 16 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: September 14, 2010
  • Language: English
  • (740 ratings)
(740 ratings)
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Regular Price: 31.99 USD

Sourland Audiobook Summary

Oates is a fearless writer.”

Los Angeles Times

“Oates is a master of the dark tale–stories of the hunted and the hunter, of violence, trauma, and deep psychic wounds.”

Booklist (starred review)

Sourland is a gripping, haunting, and intensely moving collection of short stories by Joyce Carol Oates, one of America’s preeminent authors. Unforgettable tales that re-imagine the meaning of loss–often through violent means–Sourland is yet another extraordinary read from the literary icon who has previously brought us The Gravedigger’s Daughter, Blonde, We Were the Mulvaneys, and numerous other classic works of contemporary fiction.

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Sourland Audiobook Narrator

Coleen Marlo is the narrator of Sourland audiobook that was written by Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of the National Medal of Humanities, the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Book Award, and the 2019 Jerusalem Prize, and has been several times nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. She has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers We Were the Mulvaneys; Blonde, which was nominated for the National Book Award; and the New York Times bestseller The Falls, which won the 2005 Prix Femina. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978.

About the Author(s) of Sourland

Joyce Carol Oates is the author of Sourland

Sourland Full Details

Narrator Coleen Marlo
Length 14 hours 16 minutes
Author Joyce Carol Oates
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date September 14, 2010
ISBN 9780062006998

Additional info

The publisher of the Sourland is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062006998.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Shel

June 09, 2011

Written after the death of her husband of 46 years, Joyce Carol Oates' A Widow's Story: A Memoir (2011) and Sourland: Stories (2010) cover similar ground. A thesis could be written, and considering Oates' prominence in American letters may well be, about how she uses the two different forms — short stories and memoir — to synthesize experiences, observations, emotions and images and transform them into literature.In A Widow's Story, the reader enters Oates' grieving — a harrowing, exhausting experience. When the reader puts the book aside — frequently — to take a break, to breathe it emphasizes the widow's plight — she has no ability to pause, no method of escape. Oates examines her personal grief intensely, but also comes to sees her state — one shared with other widows — as a kind of disease that must be lived through. Oates, who began writing her story as A Widow's Handbook, concludes that there is no profundity, no wisdom to be gained in grief, "...or, if there is...it's a wisdom one might do without." Instead, her advice boils down to a sentence, "...on the first anniversary of her husband's death the widow should think I kept myself alive."Sourland: Stories contain many of the same ideas and images as Oates' memoir — hospitals as memory pools, the vulnerability of the surviving spouse, oppressive suicidal thoughts, her survivor's guilt, the overwhelming death-duties, a posthumous life, her fear of learning something unexpected about her intimate companion after his death, and her sense of having a personal apocalypse. Widows are the protagonists of "Pumpkin-Head," "Probate" and "Sourland." Children whose fathers are dying in hospital suffer abuses in "The Beating" and "The Barter." Children with broken, distant parents are cast adrift in "Bonobo Momma" and "Lost Daddy."The protagonists are wounded, passive but highly observant protected women or children who share what Oates' calls the grieving person's inability to focus on, "the life of the more-than-personal, the greater-than-personal." This makes them vulnerable, easy victims. Instead of the nebulous grief and foggy fear of A Widow's Story, the stories offer tangible villains — spiders, snakes, and callous parents — and visible losses — amputations and deformities.The stories also bring experimentation and playfulness of language into the experiences. Sentences weave "a nightmare of mangled and thwarted movement." They are fragmented and filled with charged verbs or halted passive voice. In "The Story of the Stabbing," words convey the jerking movements of traffic. In "Donor Organ," a suicidal, obsession with death comes in a rush of thought without a single period (it conveys the sense of the survivor left behind — an ending without an ending). In "Amputee," the word 'and' is always '&' in Jane Erdley's girlish abbreviated voice.This playfulness and creativity breathes life and relief into the menaced experiences rendered in the cloistered, fearful perspective of Sourland: Stories' protagonists. "If I have lost the meaning of my life, and the love of my life, I might still find small treasured things amid the spilled and pilfered trash," Oates writes in A Widow's Story.In her stories, words become such redeeming treasure. I had the opportunity to see Oates at Seattle Arts and Lectures at Benaroya Hall answering questions about A Widow's Story. While I appreciated seeing the famed writer, it felt tragic. Oates has adapted a survival strategy of separating her writer persona, JCO, from her self. However, it was hard not to see cruelty in isolating a person on stage for an academic discussion of grieving her husband's death. Death and grief should be aired as part of our shared experience, but I wished this event had focused on Sourland: Stories instead.Often people turn to non-fiction to challenge themselves and to learn. We read non-fiction with an intent to pull knowledge from a source, but fiction — stories — well provoke thought and contemplation within ourselves. Stories may be the best way to explore some topics, particularly those that offer no definite, forthright conclusion. Frequently, in the human experience, there is no one conclusion to arrive at, nor can there be one singular guru or guide — knowledge comes via journey and discovery and stories provide ways to enter into experience from a variety of perspectives with compassion and empathy.A Widow's Story quotes:"Harrowing to think that our identities — the selves people believe they recognize in us: our "personalities" — are a matter of oxygen, water and food and sleep — deprived of just one of these our physical beings begin to alter almost immediately — soon, to others we are no longer "ourselves" — and yet, who else are we?""Utterly naive, futile, uninformed — to think that our species is exceptional.""When you sign on to be a wife, you are signing on to being a widow one day, possibly. When you sign on to be a writer you are signing on to any and all responses to your work.""For the woman is likely to outlive the man — and to be the chronicler of his life/death. The woman is the elegist. The woman is the repository of memory."Sourland: Stories quotes"Is there a soul is a question I ask myself when I am alone, I am afraid of my thoughts when I am alone." — "Bounty Hunter""The life we live in our bodies, it's so strange isn't it? You don't ever think how you got in. But you come to think obsessively how you'll be getting out." — "The Barter""She felt a stab of love for him—a stab of terror—for in love there is terror, at such times." — "Sourland""How do such things happen you ask & the answer is Quickly!" — "Amputee"Of note, Oates' references to science and science fiction: Ray Bradbury's "There will Come Soft Rains"H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine," the first of his Seven Scientific RomancesAsimov's Chronology of the WorldLibrarian Jane Erdley, the protagonist in the "The Amputee," meets her lover when he asks about James Tiptree

Apoorva

March 04, 2014

I'm going to do this story-wise.1. Pumpkin-Head: Woah. SO disturbing. It begins so ordinarily, and then WHAM.2. The Story of the Stabbing: Same incident, multiple versions. I've heard that before. 3. The Babysitter: Creepy. 4. Bonobo Momma: Whatever.5. Bitch: Pointless.6. Amputee: Really good until the end. What happened there?!7. The Beating: Disturbing again. So she chose not to tell anyone because she was so relieved to see her father alive.8. Bounty Hunter: I don't know what happened.9. The Barter: Hm. Not bad.

Margot

October 08, 2013

It's JCO. Of course I'm rating it five stars!

Dora

June 12, 2012

"Sourland" (Ecco: $25.99) is an apt title for the latest collection of short stories from Joyce Carol Oates, which includes tales of violence, murder, abuse, rape, beating, guilt, grief and a series of relationships -- some ordinary, others bizarre -- that invariably go sour. The loss of a spouse and the complicated ways in which guilt shapes the acts of the remaining spouse play an important role in these stories. These grieving women willingly step into the arms of monsters and misfits, instigating, provoking and often welcoming physical and sexual violence as an affirmation of their existence. They hurt, so they must exist, even if their husbands no longer do.In "Pumpkin-Head," a woman named Hadley, whose husband died a few days before, invites an "eccentric young molecular biologist," practically a stranger, into her home, rendering herself vulnerable to the punishment inflicted upon her. Unwilling to "agitate her visitor," and not wanting him "to sense how frightened she was," before long, Hadley finds herself in the clutches of her frightening guest, who "kissed and bit at her lips like a suddenly ravenous rodent. ... 'You like this, Hed-ley! This, you want. For this you asked me." Perhaps she did.In "Probate," her life cleaved in half and unrecognizable to herself, Adrienne is forced to pay a visit to Probate court. The thought occurs to her that "[t]he widow is one who comes swiftly to the knowledge Whatever harm comes to you, you deserve. For you are still alive." A shocking discovery in her husband's will, for the dead carry their own secrets, raises questions about the identity of her deceased husband -- was he the distinguished historian she believed him to be, or a dreadful pervert? -- unraveling Adrienne further and causing her to take such an irrational step, it begs the question: Has she gone mad?The recounting of "The Story of the Stabbing," as it travels from mouth to mouth, evolves wonderfully and horrifically, acquiring a life of its own, until the reality of the incident is lost, even to Madeleine, the witness. The story becomes too terrifying to be told and retold in the presence of Madeleine's innocent young daughter, especially since it is missing an ending -- not unlike every one of Oates' stories. "Did the stabbed man die? Was the killer caught?" Such answers are left to the reader to deduce.Sex is a violent and punishing affair in these stories, orgasm a certain death. In "Babysitter," a married mother meets with a man she'd rather not think of "as an individual with a name ... Only this once she would be unfaithful to her husband and children." Lovemaking and fighting become indistinguishable here, resulting in an unexpected confession of love to a stranger who acts like a murderer rather than a lover. "I am a woman who deserves harm," she thinks to herself, an explanation, perhaps, as to why she would allow such abuse.In "Bonobo Momma," the relationship of a gorgeous mother and her sickly daughter, who will never measure up to her mother's expectations, is rendered brilliantly, as is the heartbreaking ending to a day the daughter had long anticipated.In these stories, death does not herald the end of a dysfunctional relationship, but rather the birth of guilt, as in "Bitch," where a father happens to die on the day of his daughter's birthday: "As a girl she had loved her father but eventually she'd given up, as we do when our love is not returned"; still, she considers herself "a bitch to think such thoughts at such a time ... she deserved bad luck."In "Amputee," a librarian, whose state attracts a married man, struggles to hold onto her power and independence by refusing to express her love for him, instigating a cycle of luring men only to reject them. She lost her legs; she will not lose her power.The crowning jewel of these stories is the title story -- this, too, the tale of a widow, "the sole survivor of the wreckage at 299 Valley Drive," whose behavior proves even more peculiar, and inexplicable, than that of other women in these stories. The thought occurs to her that "[t]he husband might have advised her 'Be very careful Sophie. You will make mistakes in your posthumous life, I won't be there to correct.' " And mistakes she certainly commits. An especially foolish one catapults her into a nightmare from which it might be impossible to wake up. Three weeks after her husband's death, in answer to a cryptic invitation from a man she barely knew many years ago, she packs her bags and goes to him. Despite her understandable need to flee the house in which she once lived with her deceased husband -- "The surviving spouse inhabits a space not much larger than a grave" -- it's hard to imagine any woman in her right mind, even one as grief-stricken and desperate as Sophie, picking herself up and flying to Sourland, Minn., to spend time in the wilderness with a stranger. The monster she encounters and the strange events that ensue will cause Sophie to ask herself, "Why have I come here, am I mad!" This reader asked the same question, even if she couldn't help but turn one page after another to discover what happens next.These stories are not for the weak of heart. None of Oates' stories are. Those who dare to navigate the treacherous paths of "Sourland" and the lives of its inhabitants will be rewarded by a skillfully rendered cast of outlandish characters, Oates' trademark fascination with the unexpected that propels the story ahead, and the alarming twists and turns of events that have a way of souring and bruising the most normal of relationships.

Vivienne

February 14, 2012

A brutal read even by regular Oates standards. Each story was compelling and horrifying at the same time, many dealing with sudden widowhood. Several of these are going to haunt me for a while, mainly Lost Daddy, Sourland, Amputee and Honor Code. Oates never ceases to amaze me how she can so convincingly write from so many different perspectives.

Eddie

October 16, 2013

Joyce Carol Oates is awesome. This collection of "short stories" includes some things that I would probably not call stories, but character studies, vignettes or concept pieces. I love everything she has done and I love these, too. If you have not read Oates, I do not recommend this as a starting point. If you are a fan, this is highly recommended.

CM Alsop

October 27, 2017

(First, can someone explain “Probate Court” to me? Or the ending of “Pumpkin-head”?) Dark short stories. Most of them have weird sexual twists to them. I can understand if that isn’t your cup of tea. There was a spelling mistake on page 10. The protagonist’s name is Hadley and it’s misspelled once as Hardley. Terrible way to start off, but I didn’t notice anything else. Good stories I’ll never read again. Glad to have it off my shelf.

Julia

October 01, 2018

Holy smokes! This is definitely not one of those books you want to read before bed. I could only read one story per night and sometimes I honestly had to take days off and read something else to get my mind off of it. Brilliant writer. No doubt about it but man do her stories creep me out sometimes. By all means, dive right in but take caution because Joyce does not hold back.

Jean-Pascal

October 02, 2021

Certaines des nouvelles sont superbes, d'autres un peu moins. A mon sens, le travail éditorial est raté. Chaque nouvelle aurait pu être resituée et peut-être que cet amoncellement par moment indigeste (nouvelles glauques qui parfois se répètent) aurait gagné à être séparé en deux volumes. Il reste une grande leçon de littérature.

Christine

May 28, 2019

I really like Joyce Carol Oates and these stories are really well told. I actually gave up half way through not because she’s not good, but because I couldn’t take it any more !!!! As the name suggests these are all a bit dark and I found it a bit depressing.

DippingSauce

March 23, 2022

Hypnotic, darkly alluring, and biting, like a serpent.

Paul

June 05, 2020

Joyce carol Oates is master of the short story. This collection is packed with great stories and I was quite pleased with it.

Andy

November 20, 2019

Sourland is a fascinating collection of short works from Joyce Carol Oates. Written shortly before the passing of her husband, more than a few of the stories employ a hospital as a backdrop or starting point, with all of the stricken patients being men.I originally started "reading" Sourland by listening to the audiobook version, but there were quirks in Oates' writing I didn't notice until it was actually read to me aloud, and that's the way she repeats certain details several times in her stories, unnecessarily so. So I stopped listening and started reading, and the collection works better that way.I would still recommend Sourland, especially if you like Todd Solondz films that show normal people behaving abnormally. Oates is still a treasure and she has nothing but my sincere condolences for her grave loss.

Nanette

April 28, 2011

More provocative short stories from the prolific master of fiction, Joyce Carol Oates. Some of these were previously published in The New Yorker and other publications. Like much of Oates' fiction, most of these stories are dark, depressing, or just plain weird, which for me has always been part of her attraction. Little is resolved at the end of them, but they usually leave us with greater insight into the human condition, not to mention awe at the author's imagination and her ability to see so clearly and so deeply into her characters' heads. When reading Oates' books, I often think to myself, "How in the world does she come up with these plots?" They are often so unusual, yet somehow believable.The opening story, "Pumpkin-Head," is an example. It opens with a middle-aged recent widow, still in that confusing, post-funeral state of grief, rage, and helplessness, trying to fend off the unwanted attentions of a worker at the local co-op where she shops. He arrives at her house on evening wearing a carved pumpkin on his head (hence the title). It is meant to be a kind of joke, as well as a sort of courting token (when he steps on to her porch, he removes the pumpkin and gives it to her). Yet to the widow, the gesture is more troubling than funny, because the pumpkin's carved expression is frighteningly grotesque. The plot itself becomes grotesque.I wouldn't exactly call the stories in Sourland" fun to read. They are certainly not escapist or feel- good tales like, say, a romance that you know will end happily. I can understand why many people wouldn't like her subject matter. Yet I've always find myself drawn in by Oates' language, by the scenes she sets up, and by the characters, who invariably look at life in ways in which I can identify, albeit far more articulately and perceptively than me. Even though I know the ending will probably not be a happy one, I can't stop reading.

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