Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Commonwealth
- Author: Ann Patchett
- Narrator: Hope Davis
- Length: 10:35:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 13/09/2016
- Publisher: HarperAudio
- Genre: Fiction & Literature, Literary Fiction, Coming of Age, Family Life
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
As I wound through the mountain roads of Oaxaca last summer, the opening chapters of “Commonwealth” filled my rental car with the same golden light that filters through the novel’s California christening scene. Ann Patchett’s masterpiece, brought to life by Hope Davis’s nuanced narration, became my travel companion through those winding roads – much like the way this story winds through fifty years of family history with equal parts tenderness and precision.
“”The Story That Unfolds Like a Well-Worn Map””
Patchett’s novel begins with that fateful kiss at a baptism party – an act as simple and devastating as pulling a single thread from a tapestry. What follows is the unraveling and reweaving of two families across decades, told with the quiet authority of someone who understands that the most profound earthquakes often begin as barely perceptible tremors. The story moves between Virginia summers and Los Angeles winters, between childhood mischief and adult reckoning, with the same fluidity I’ve observed in families I’ve stayed with from Patagonia to Portugal.
“”Hope Davis’s Narration: A Storyteller’s Gift””
Davis’s performance reminds me of those evenings in Oaxaca with Abuela Rosa – she understands the power of silence between words, the way a well-placed pause can carry more meaning than a paragraph. Her voice shifts effortlessly between characters: Bert’s quiet desperation, Franny’s wry intelligence, the collective voice of the children that feels like sunlight through tree leaves. There’s a particular moment when she voices young Albie – that mix of bravado and vulnerability – that made me pull over my car just to listen properly, the way you might stop to watch an especially beautiful sunset.
“”Themes That Resonate Across Borders””
What struck me most, as someone who’s spent years collecting family stories from around the world, is how Patchett captures the universal particularities of family dynamics. The way siblings develop their own mythology (those Virginia summers reminded me of stories my Cuban abuelo told about his childhood in Camagüey). The quiet betrayals that shape us more than the loud ones (I thought of a family in Crete who’d explained their decades-long feud started over a single unreturned cooking pot). And most profoundly – the question of who owns our stories, especially when Franny shares her family history with her famous lover, only to see it transformed into fiction beyond her control.
“”Audio Experience: More Than Just Narration””
The production quality enhances the intimate nature of the story. Davis’s voice has a texture that feels like well-loved linen – smooth but with just enough grain to keep it interesting. The pacing is perfect for a story that spans generations; she knows when to linger on a poignant moment and when to move briskly through the mundane. I particularly appreciated how she handled the time jumps – her subtle tonal shifts helped orient me in each new era without needing the crutch of ‘In 1982…’ exposition.
“”Moments That Lingered””
Several scenes stayed with me long after listening:
– The lemon gin disaster that becomes family legend (I laughed aloud while hiking in Chile, earning strange looks from passing hikers)
– Franny’s quiet realization about her father’s flaws (Davis delivers this with such delicate heartbreak)
– The final reunion scene that made me pull over to wipe my eyes (somewhere between Puebla and Veracruz)
“”For Whom This Audiobook Shines””
This will resonate most with listeners who:
– Appreciate character-driven narratives that unfold like slow, meaningful travels
– Enjoy complex family dynamics portrayed without easy villains or heroes
– Value narration that enhances rather than distracts from the prose
“”A Few Considerations””
Patchett’s deliberate pacing might frustrate those craving high drama – this is a story about the quiet tectonic shifts of ordinary lives. And while Davis’s understated approach is masterful, listeners who prefer highly differentiated character voices might want a sample first.
“”Final Impressions””
“Commonwealth” as an audiobook feels like being told a secret family history by your wisest relative. It’s the kind of story that makes you look differently at your own family’s quirks and legends. As someone who’s spent a lifetime collecting stories across continents, I can say this: Patchett and Davis have created something that feels both intimately specific and profoundly universal – much like the best family stories always are.
With stories to tell and miles to go,
Marcus Rivera
