For the Time Being

By: Annie Dillard

Narrated by: David Birney

This personal, philosophical narrative surveys the panorama of our world past and present. Dillard poses questions of natural evil, God, and individual existence. Can one individual really matter? If so, how? Compassionate, enthralling, and always surprising, For the Time Being is the latest work by one of our most original writers - her breadth of knowledge matched by keenness of observation- at her best.

©1999 by Annie Dillard; 1925 by J.B. Shackleford (P)1999 NewStar Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"This is a book of great richness, beauty, and power." (The New York Times Book Review)

Audio book chapters did not match to book chapters

The book itself is moving. You struggle brilliantly to find meaning up until the very end. My only complaint is that the chapters in the audiobook did not line up properly to the ones in the physical book.

Amazing Books, Ignorant Reader

A deeply humorous, and starkly ironic text read by someone with no sense of irony. If you like Annie, you might get a laugh out of this reading, especially when the music swells seriously at Dillards darkest humor. A good listen if you can get over an horrid reader who thinks "this is supposed to be deep serious stuff, I can't laugh".

“There is Grace Everywhere”....

Read this years ago, but took up the audio version to enjoy it being performed brilliantly by David Barney. Such gifts scattered on every page .... a modern day prophet in her own right. Annie Dillard never disappoints.

Simply amazing

I agree with another reviewer's title "Perhaps Dillard's best." Rarely have I read such fantastic writing; it's almost hard to pick up another book after this. What could compare? The book is multi-themed, philosophic, hard to penetrate at times (but worth the effort) and sublime from start to finish. And in a real show of diversity amongst listeners, I actually thought the narrator did a great job and was perfect for this kind of writing, in contrast to the criticism offered by other reviewers. In the end, like anything else, you have to make your own judgement, but I give this book my very highest recommendation.

An Enlivening Experience

Austere, yes. Complex, yes. Both grounding and uplifting, too. Seeing the world through Dillard's eyes is a transforming experience. And David Birney is an astonishing narrator who enlivens every image and idea. How fitting for this book and Dillards wide ranging yet interrelated observations and insights--philosophical, theological, and mundane--that he models this way of being in time--enlivening that which he encounters.

Do you have a favorite book?

It always seemed virtually impossible to answer when someone would ask- “Who is your favorite author?” or even more impossible- “What is your favorite book?” At least it seemed that way until some 20-25 years ago when I stumbled upon this book. Much as historical events that hit so deeply that you know and can even still feel where you were, what you were doing when the event happened. That is how I still remember when and where I was when I was lucky enough to hear of this book. I have read the physical book at least a dozen times since. The writing is inspiring and intoxicating and the reason(s) for re-reading are multi fold. There is the love of language and her incredible prose but there is also the affirmations that result when reading this book to put current problems, large and small, personal and universal into perspective as no other book I’ve ever read has done.
I should have taken more time to write this but I am still reveling in having just found out that this edition with this narrator was published. I had, years ago purchased the earlier version by a female narrator who was, among the 1200 Audiobooks in my library, the worst. I haven’t listened to enough of this edition to comment intelligently on his performance but the bit I have listened to is so much better than that earlier version ( yes, I realize it’s a low bar) that I, at this point, love his narration but that could just be that thankfully there is now a version I can listen to.
I no longer (at least currently have no copy of the physical book because, invariably I have given every copy I’ve bought over the years away to many people.) When I found out about this new edition, I asked a close friend if I had ever told him about this book and I had as it turned out. I am paraphrasing here but I believe he said, along these lines “You did and I’ve read it 3 or 4 times now. He also said that his wife had as well. If you are on the fence, please jump over and get this. It is a book that you will understand, once you have read it, why some reviews, both professional and personal, individual ones will work into their review that this book changed their life. How much more could you ask for.
One last; in another Annie Dillard book, she is talking about a period in her early life and reading in that period. Here is what she said- “A book of fiction was a bomb. It was a land mine you wanted to go off. You wanted it to blow your whole day. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of books were duds.”

This one is most definitely not a dud.

Perhaps Dillard's Best

This book is a meditation. It begins with an observation, that of fetal monsters. Why do they exist if there is a God? The question leads to more questions. "Why is there something rather than nothing?"

Deeply existential and deeply religious and irreligious, Dillard's thoughts wonder and wander through majors thinkers, and through the centuries of human thought.

In the end we a left with a deep awe for life and the universe, and consciousness. Not to mention, for Annie Dillard's talent.

This book is a treasure of reveries.

Barry Orvell

Profound

Exquisite writing. Meaningful stories woven in time beckoning us further into this Mystery we all share.

sadly awful

This is one of the best books I've ever read, and I've read it four or five times, each time discovering new insight and new mystery in its inter-related sections. So I was delighted to see it on Audible, but sadly, the reader is terrible. All the thoughtful, questioning, spiritual objectivity of this beautiful book is lost in his ponderous intonation. Find us another reader and I'll happily buy the book again.