A Book of Common Prayer

By: Joan Didion

Narrated by: Marisa Vitali

Writing with the telegraphic swiftness and microscopic sensitivity that have made her one of our most distinguished journalists, Joan Didion creates a shimmering novel of innocence and evil.

A Book of Common Prayer is the story of two American women in the derelict Central American nation of Boca Grande. Grace Strasser-Mendana controls much of the country's wealth and knows virtually all of its secrets; Charlotte Douglas knows far too little. "Immaculate of history, innocent of politics," she has come to Boca Grande vaguely and vainly hoping to be reunited with her fugitive daughter. As imagined by Didion, her fate is at once utterly particular and fearfully emblematic of an age of conscienceless authority and unfathomable violence.

©1977 Joan Didion (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"An articulate witness to the most stubborn and intractable truths of our time, a memorable voice." (Joyce Carol Oates, The New York Times Book Review)
"A novelist with important things to say about the dislocations of our time.... Joan Didion is stellar." ( Newsday)

Distractingly bad narration.

I am pretty tolerant of different narrator voices, but this one is so distractingly bad that I found it difficult to get into the story. I will probably re-read it from an actual book and hope the narrator’s voice hasn’t infected my memory.

Narration a problem

This is a well written good book by Joan Didion. However the narration just doesn’t seem to catch the mood of Grace a mature, dying, wealthy woman living in a Central American country. She rushes through important points as if she doesn’t understand the story she is telling.

A SomewhatSlow Starting, Intricate Audiobook

As a product, the narration is excellent. However this is not an easy work to turn into an audiobook. It moves slowly at first. The story meanders. It is difficult to connect with many of the characters. I read and listened simultaneously. That helped. This is no reflection on the performance of the narrator. I love Joan Didion. However except for Run River, I very much like her non fiction more than fiction.

Fusion amazes.

Striking. Unique. Forceful. I was intrigued by the original style of Destin. I’m now a fan!

Strong tale badly told

This narrator reads Charlotte Douglas' voice like a child's, and she is not a child. Think how much more mysterious she would be if allowed to sound like the strong, sensual, grownup, maternal character she is.