Avenue of Mysteries

By: John Irving

Narrated by: Armando Duran

John Irving returns to the themes that established him as one of our most admired and beloved authors in this absorbing novel of fate and memory.

As we grow older - most of all, in what we remember and what we dream - we live in the past. Sometimes we live more vividly in the past than in the present.

As an older man, Juan Diego will take a trip to the Philippines, but what travels with him are his dreams and memories; he is most alive in his childhood and early adolescence in Mexico. "An aura of fate had marked him," John Irving writes of Juan Diego. "The chain of events, the links in our lives - what leads us where we're going, the courses we follow to our ends, what we don't see coming, and what we do - all this can be mysterious, or simply unseen, or even obvious."

Avenue of Mysteries is the story of what happens to Juan Diego in the Philippines, where what happened to him in the past - in Mexico - collides with his future.

©2015 Garp Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

For hours the book just drags.

As ever, Irving’s authorship and narrative style are impeccable. This is not a bad book, but it’s not nearly his best and for hours I wished the story would just hurry up and finish. At the end I felt more relieved than enlightened.

Wonderfully narrated

I haven't read the last few John Irving books but I'm glad I came back to him here. The story goes all over the world and is very touching and funny. The little sister is a very memorable character. The narrator's take on her is often hilarious, not so good if you walking down the street and spontaneously burst into laughter.

Stories within stories

Like many, perhaps all of Irving's novels there are stories within stories. The story of an older writer visiting a now successful spent the Philippines. The story of the same man growing up in Oaxaca as a dump child, then his story as a circus worker.
They work together well and the protagonist is likeable and interesting. I was a little disappointed that the mystery of hi sister remains apparently unresolved. Our perhaps it is one of those exercises left to the reader.

rich character development but a bit rambling

John Irving once again had uncanny ability to develop amazing quirky, endearing characters and wildly imaginative story lned,but I found this book a little rambling. could have been tighter, but enjoyable nonetheless

Typical Irving

A story about nothing yet with memorial characters nonetheless. Can't help getting caught up even though you may not be able to communicate the story line.

Excellent Irving and Narration

Irving is one of my favorite authors and this book was even better with narrator Duran! Narration can make it or break it, Armando you made it. Thank you!

Exactly What I Needed From John Irving...

Where does Avenue of Mysteries rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Avenue of Mysteries was a strange and wonderful journey. It had the mysticism of Prayer for Owen Meany and the imagination of Son of a Circus. It reminded me of early John Iriving books as I never knew what the next chapter was going to bring. Lupe was, by far, my favorite John Irving character to date. If you are not an avid follower of John Irving's work, this one might leave you confused and from some other reviews I read, possibly offended. If you are a follower, you know that the confusion is part of the journey and what others deem offensive is just his blunt and honest way to describing things as they are. For Irving fans, Avenue of Mysteries is a must -- for those new to Irving, bring an open mind and rest assured that it will all come together in the end. I can't wait to listen again!

Wow. Just . . . Wow.

A whole new direction. A "first" novel, from a master. I have to re-think the whole body of Irving's work, in light of these ways of thinking. The most seductive invitation of my intelligent life . . .

Not for Audible

I have read several novels by J Irving and considered him a favorite author over past 40 years. I'm not enjoying this book so much and I think it's because I'm listening to a narrator. There is so much dialogue and often 3 or more speakers but only one narrator. I would prefer to read this book and enjoy imagining each voice. Beyond the narration challenge the story crawls between memories, dreams, and protagonist's present. Slow action and monotonous narration.

Not his best work, but...

even a sub-par John Irving novel is better than what most other novelists produce. So giving a star rating is tough for me; I guess four stars is about right. His usual techniques shine through the strange story leaving his fingerprints all over the novel. He is brilliant at constantly moving his readers through time yet never losing them. True to form his protagonist is the most mundane of the characters, allowing all the other quirky, bizarre, or at least interesting characters in the story to come into clear view. Again, he is a master of such elements. For variety's sake, the words "New Hampshire" don't even appear anywhere in the book. He brings us into colorful and vibrant Mexico and the Philippines, a nice change. Irving's wry and not subtle frequent mentions of just how autobiographical a novelist's works are were spot on funny and maintain the air of mystery (although I'm willing to bet he himself is on beta- blockers and Viagra, because he talks about them incessantly.) He has fun with his "fictional or real life?" politics, too. Of course there's weird unsettling sex in this one like most of his other books. The narrator was great, although both the voice and the character of Lupe became grating. Dorothy and Miriam also got on my nerves fast. I would have liked more explanation by the end but I was still satisfied. I would recommend "In One Person" or "Twisted River" before this one, but Irving fans will still find lots of enjoyment here.