Glorious

De: Bernice L. McFadden

Narrado por: Alfre Woodard

Academy Award nominee Alfre Woodard narrates Glorious, by Bernice L. McFadden, a novel set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights era. This is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path out of Waycross, Georgia, to success, ruin, and revival offers a candid portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty. Woodard’s nuanced narration beautifully enhances McFadden’s imaginative blend of fictional and real events and people—such as Marcus Garvey, Langston Hughes, pianist Fats Waller, and shipping heiress Nancy Cunard.

Glorious poses the question that is the title of Langston Hughes’s famous poem: What happens to a dream deferred? It is an audacious exploration into the nature of self-hatred, love, possession, ego, betrayal, and, finally, redemption. Easter is not only a survivor, but also a creator, and a fearless blazer of trails.

Bernice L. McFadden is the author of six critically acclaimed novels, including the classic Sugar and Nowhere Is a Place, which was a Washington Post Best Fiction title for 2006.

©2010 Bernice L. McFadden (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

• Audie Award Winner - Best Solo Narration - Female, 2011

"McFadden's lively and loving rendering of New York hews closely to the jazz-inflected city of myth.... McFadden has a wonderful ear for dialogue, and her entertaining prose equally accommodates humor and pathos." (New York Times Book Review)

"McFadden tells Easter's story with zest and affection." (All Things Considered, NPR)

"Easter's hope for love to overthrow hate—and her intense exposure to both—cogently stands for America's potential, and McFadden's novel is a triumphant portrayal of the ongoing quest." (Publishers Weekly)

A wonderful story

I rarely write reviews simply for lack of time (if I had the time to write reviews I'd read more books instead of listening to them), but this book moved me to write one. It really shouldn't be missed.

Alfre Woodard does an amazing job narrating McFadden beautiful prose in this story that is at times so horrifying you will find your jaw dropping and will have you rooting for the central figure.

This book is so good it's one I'll probably go back and read. It deals with an important time in our country's history and intersperses real historical figures in with fictional ones.

Good Book - Entertaning and Educational

This was a beautiful story.Alfre Woodard brings such a rich tone to a deep story which shows the struggle, the sucess and the magnificant contribution African Americans have made to American literature. We know how much talent existed but do we really realize how much talent died under the weight of oppression?

A great story - a great listen.

Racism, love, hate, loss, jealousy, wanderlust, the desire for more, the time to move on, the black experience, the harlem renaissance ... all told through the life of Easter. Well written, well developed, and excellent narration by Alfre Woodard. It was hard to listen to at times but so worth it in the end.

Good read

Not my favorite of her novels but I love love her work and Alfre Woodard was a FANTASTIC!

This was GLORIOUS!

Alfre Woodard’s voice is like great, rich chocolate or smooth, fine wine. It’s hard to believe she did all the characters. I could have listened to her forever. And the story had me from GO! It’s hard to imagine the black experience in America, let alone the dismal post-slavery “freedom”, but this beautifully written book hit the nail on the head. It was enthralling and painful and totally captivating. Don’t miss it!

Excellent!!!

If you could sum up Glorious in three words, what would they be?

Real and Thought Provoking!!!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the use of real people from history. The usage of real street and places in Harlem. I felt transformed in time. The story seemed true.

Didn't enjoy the ending

I really loved the story, just wished it had a better ending. Overall, I love all the works by this author

Engrossing

Where does Glorious rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Glorious certainly rates high on my list of audiobooks.

What did you like best about this story?

I love historical fiction when it is done well, and this was very well done. It was easy to believe that Easter and Rain lived through those times. It was easy to believe that their stories were true. McFadden managed to present the really difficult truth of the cruelty that existed (and still does, I'm sure) with the glorious feeling of a life well lived.

What does Alfre Woodard bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Alfre Woodard's voice is like velvet. The voices she created for the characters gave real dimension to the listening experience.

Engrossing story, strong performance

Would you consider the audio edition of Glorious to be better than the print version?

I don't know. I have not read the print version. Sorry.

What other book might you compare Glorious to and why?

It would complement The Warmth of Other Suns.

What does Alfre Woodard bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great and expressive voices and a good ear for character and dialect.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Lots---it is in many ways a book of moving moments. But I actually think that could be interpreted as a weakness. I enjoyed it a lot though. It made my long runs great!

Gruesome violence

I love Alfre Woodard and that was the reason why I chose this book. The subject matter also appealed to me. Unfortunately, near the beginning of the book there was a description of a pregnant woman's lynching that was so explicit and gruesome that I could not shake it from my mind. I have always been extra sensitive to any depiction of torture, so this may not deter other readers. I have put the book down, but do plan to try it again in a little more time..