The Leftovers

By: Tom Perrotta

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

With heart, intelligence and a rare ability to illuminate the struggles inherent in ordinary lives, Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers—now adapted into an HBO series—is a startling, thought-provoking novel about love, connection and loss.

What if—whoosh, right now, with no explanation—a number of us simply vanished? Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?

That's what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened—not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton's new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin's own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: his wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence; his son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne. Only Kevin's teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she's definitely not the sweet "A" student she used to be. Kevin wants to help her, but he's distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

A New York Times Notable Book for 2011
A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book for 2011
A USA Today 10 Books We Loved Reading in 2011 Title
One of NPR's 10 Best Novels of 2011

©2011 St. Martin's Press (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Dennis Boutsikaris executes this production with a matter-of-fact tone that works to emphasize the surrealism that permeates Perrotta's novel…Boutsikaris does well providing a straight vocal rendering of the details of Perrotta's world while amply delivering emotional resonance and energy when portraying the characters' states of mind. He keeps his voices and tones straight despite the shifting of perspective from chapter to chapter.” —AudioFile Magazine

“Dennis Boutsikaris is the ideal audio jack-of-all trades for Perrotta's darkly comic novel of American life after the rapture. Boutsikaris captures the tender longing of Perrotta's prose as it harks back to a lost happiness now entirely destroyed by the unexplained disappearance of millions of people, both believers and nonbelievers. Utilizing the mellow timbre of his voice and effective moments of silence, Boutsikaris highlights the disconnection and dissatisfaction at the heart of Perrotta's novel. Proving to be a superb narrator for Perrotta's work, Boutsikaris's quiet excellence is akin to that of the author.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[Perrotta's] most mature, absorbing novel, one that confirms his development from a funnyman to a daring chronicler of our most profound anxieties and human desires...Leavened with humor and tinged with creepiness, this insightful novel draws us into some very dark corners of the human psyche.” —Washington Post

if you like the TV show you will like the book

I watch the TV show first and then I listened to the book. I found it to be most excellent. Very well written, excellent use of metaphor, and a very mature subject line. for the most part it was familiar characters in new situations. maybe 20% of the book was depicted on screen. only a few things we're actually changed about the characterizations between the book and the TV show, nothing particularly consequential. it read more like a whole new season of the leftovers versus being and exact storyline.

Depressing

The story basically revolves around a bunch of narcissistic lost souls trying to figure out what to do after a life changing event.

The only saving grace was the narration by Mr. Boutsikaris.

Fascinating

Listened to this driving my daughter home from college after the shutdown in March 2020. The contrast between the characters who were left unmoored by the Rapture and a nation in free fall after COVID basically changed everything was timely and intense. The ending seemed a little weak, but otherwise it was top notch.

That's it?!

This story truly felt like there was so much more to be told. The story feels like it ends on a cliffhanger.

Gives a person food for thought.

I found myself entering into the strange new world of the characters. Makes one wonder what it would really be like if the rapture came and I was one of the leftovers...one left behind. Who would be taken that would really surprise us? Those we would never expect to be raptured from the world. Those who don't fit our idea of the saved ones. Very interesting. And how many people would deny it was really the Rapture?

abrupt ending

very interesting but the ending is abrupt & makes the story feel unfinished. really knocked down my enjoyment bc it felt like someone turning off the film in the middle of the movie or something.

This is not the HBO series you are looking for

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

I never read the print version so I'm going to use this to compare it to the HBO series. The series and the story share a common world and the Garvey family but the series goes far beyond where the story ends. I loved the show and so I thought I'd pick up the book that it was based off of and see how it was. It's a good story though I felt like the ending was bit weaker than I'd hoped. The story in the book never goes to Miracle, TX and all takes place in Mapleton (other than when his son is on the road with one of Wayne's brides). If the spirituality and mysticism of the show bothered you then you'll be pleasantly relieved that almost all of that is absent from the book.

What about Dennis Boutsikaris’s performance did you like?

He has a fantastic voice that's easy to listen to and a great range.

Any additional comments?

It's a good story just don't expect it to follow the same path that the HBO series took. It's like they started with the same background story and then took two different paths.

Not His Usual

I love all Tom's books but this one is admittedly a snoozefest. The narrator is good but the story is boring. Glad I saved this one of his for last. Like everyone else said, the book went nowhere when, given the concept, it could have been much better.

Worth a listen for fans of the series

As a fan of the HBO series I decided to give the book a try and I really enjoyed it. As is often the case the series of course branches off and changes who the characters are when we meet them at the start of the series, but the book still provides some insights into lesser known characters such as Jill’s friend Amy and a few others.
On its own, without the series, the book is a thought provoking read.

Plot Optional

I was drawn to the story by the excellent HBO trailer for the upcoming drama based on the book. The premise is brilliant…suddenly a random 2% of the population disappears. The book starts well but stubbornly refuses to go anywhere. The writing is measured and generally interesting but the plot development just doesn't happen. There are several interesting maybe compelling plot areas opened but never really explored. There are no real villains or heroes and nobody to root for or against, everyone in the story is dealing with their corner of loss in each subplot more or less in isolation. I read that this started out as a satire on the left behind books and some aspects of the story are mildly amusing…but it’s far from biting social satire. It’s a great idea which just doesn't go anywhere...which is a pity.