Sabbath’s Theater

De: Philip Roth

Narrado por: John Turturro

Winner of the National Book Award

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Pastoral delivers his “richest, most rewarding novel” (New York Times Book Review), about Micky Sabbath, a scandalous hero who embarks on a turbulent journey into his past.

Once an inventive puppeteer, Sabbath at sixty-four is still defiantly antagonistic and exceedingly libidinous. But after the death of his longtime mistress—an erotic free spirit whose adulterous daring surpassed even his own—Sabbath, bereft and grieving and besieged by the ghosts of those who loved and hated him most, contrives a succession of farcical disasters that take him to the brink of madness and extinction.

©1995 Philip Roth (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Revolting and Brilliant

One of the most unflichingly cruel and honest books I've yet read. Turturo's performance might be the finest I've heard of any audiobook reading. Spiritually and emotionally draining yet resonant with deep truth lifted from the bowels of cultural repression.

Great book. A story about a puppeteer who was a rebellion at his time who loved life and his women

Amazing story narrated by an amazing actor! Raw and realistic. I enjoyed listening every scene of this tragicomedy of life.

A classic Roth masterpiece

Classic Roth, who is the G.O.A.T. of American fiction.

Turturro is the best possible narrator of this particular work. It's as if it was written for him. I've never heard a narrator perform dialogue as well is he in this work. Like Roth, Turturro is a master.

Crude n lewd and sportin a tude

Tuturro’s performance is amazing. Lots of pervy talk shouted into your ears like a crazy person

What a glorious, sordid, fabulous story of an awful guy mourning tremendous losses

At first I really did not like this book. It seemed merely like ramblings of an old pervert. As the depth of mourning, the tremendous challenge to fate, to Gods themselves that guide the filthy selfish bastard unfold, this book becomes an incredible tribute to the depth of human feelings, suffering, and still - love. This book is easily one of the best American books altogether.

Book + Turturro = Awesome!

Most people say a book is better than the movie. Well, this is the best combination: unabridged book read by a professional actor with the perfect voice for the characters. Makes you laugh and cry. Highly recommended.

Main characters

Deliriously over the top, yet also very real and deeply felt, and insightful into human sexuality.

mmm

Readers should use extreme caution. Most will find the subject matter offensive. It is well written and John Turtorro is amazing.

Wow.

What an astonishingly deep, revealing, vulgar tale of man’s struggle for meaning. Having read so much of Roth’s peers, I’d never read one of his novels. Not even Portnoy’s Complaint. His literary life follows Steinbeck and Hemingway, just preceding Pynchon and Delillo. Sabbath’s Theater crossed my path in a very random search for something that had to be better than the state of the novel in 2024. The unvarnished tale of a man by concentrating on his life being fully occupied by his sexual desire, his view of the world defined by fxxking, his attempt to redeem himself through the memory of his dead brother, the raw correct vulgarity. This novel was moving and immersive. I hope to make a long effort traveling through Roth’s other work.

The worst audiobook I’ve ever listened to

Mickey Sabbath is a thoroughly repugnant character. John Turturro’s performance only makes the listening experience even more painful. First of all, he frequently and loudly sniffs, which is gross. His performance is so hammy that if an audiobook could have scenery he would have chewed every bit of it. He sometimes mispronounces words. For example, a chenille bedspread is pronounced “Chanel.” Turturro has that kind of accent where he sometimes adds “r” sounds to words. Saw is “sore,” idea is “idear.” It’s kind of shocking coming from a professional actor.