Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Measure: A Novel
- Author: Nikki Erlick
- Narrator: Julia Whelan
- Length: 10:57:52
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 28/06/2022
- Publisher: HarperAudio
- Genre: Fiction & Literature, Literary Fiction, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Contemporary Women
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
As I pressed play on Nikki Erlick’s “Measure: A Novel”, narrated by the incomparable Julia Whelan, I found myself transported back to those magical evenings in Oaxaca where stories weren’t just told – they were breathed into existence. This audiobook experience unfolds like a handwoven tapestry, each thread a life irrevocably changed by a simple wooden box containing the answer to one terrifying question: how long do I have to live?
The premise hit me with the same visceral impact as when I first encountered Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realism in the Atacama Desert. Erlick’s modern fable – part speculative fiction, part profound meditation on mortality – asks what would happen if every person on Earth simultaneously received a box revealing their lifespan. Julia Whelan’s narration elevates this already luminous story into something transcendent. Her voice carries the weight of eight distinct perspectives with such nuanced emotional intelligence that I often forgot I was listening to a single performer.
What makes this audiobook particularly special is how Whelan captures the quiet moments – the hesitation before opening a box, the sharp intake of breath when a character makes their choice, the fragile hope in voices trying to rebuild after society fractures. Her performance reminds me of that Oaxacan grandmother’s storytelling mastery, where silence speaks as powerfully as words.
Erlick’s narrative weaves together:
– A doctor confronting his own mortality while trying to save others
– Political tensions erupting around ‘long-stringers’ and ‘short-stringers’
– A beautiful epistolary romance between pen pals finding connection in uncertainty
– Best friends whose relationship is tested by disparate fates
As a travel writer who’s witnessed how different cultures confront mortality – from Dia de los Muertos celebrations to Tibetan sky burials – I was particularly moved by how Erlick explores our universal struggle to find meaning within life’s arbitrary boundaries. The novel’s greatest strength lies in its refusal to provide easy answers, instead offering a kaleidoscope of human responses to the ultimate countdown.
Whelan’s narration shines brightest in the romantic subplot between strangers Amie and Ben, their letters unfolding with such tender vulnerability that I found myself pulling over during a coastal drive just to savor their connection. The audio medium adds remarkable depth to these exchanges – you can hear the characters’ hope and fear in every pause and inflection.
While the premise might invite comparisons to “Black Mirror”, Erlick’s focus remains steadfastly on the intimate rather than the technological. This is speculative fiction at its most humane – less about the mechanics of the boxes than about how we measure what truly matters when time becomes quantifiable.
The production quality is impeccable, with subtle audio cues distinguishing between narrative perspectives without ever becoming distracting. At nearly fourteen hours, it’s a substantial listen that never feels long – each character’s journey is so compelling that I found myself extending road trips just to continue their stories.
For listeners who enjoyed:
– The existential warmth of “The Midnight Library”
– The ensemble depth of “Cloud Atlas”
– The emotional precision of Celeste Ng’s work
Minor critiques? Some secondary characters could benefit from deeper development, and the global implications of the boxes’ arrival are occasionally glossed over. But these are quibbles in what’s otherwise a masterful blend of speculative fiction and literary depth.
Perfect for:
– Long drives where you want company that challenges and comforts
– Readers who love thought experiments wrapped in emotional storytelling
– Anyone who’s ever wondered what they’d do with foreknowledge of their expiration date
As I finished the final chapter while watching sunset over the Pacific, I realized “Measure” had given me something rare – not just a story to enjoy, but a lens through which to reconsider my own unmeasured days. The mark of any great audiobook is whether it lingers after the narration ends, and this one has taken up permanent residence in my imagination.
With stories to tell and miles to go,
Marcus Rivera
