The Angel of Rome: And Other Stories
Written by Jess Walter
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini and Julia Whelan
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins and The Cold Millions comes a stunning collection about those moments when everything changes—for the better, for the worse, for the outrageous—as a diverse cast of characters bounces from Italy to Idaho, questioning their roles in life and finding inspiration in the unlikeliest places.
We all live like we’re famous now, curating our social media presences, performing our identities, withholding those parts of ourselves we don’t want others to see. In this riveting collection of stories from acclaimed author Jess Walter, a teenage girl tries to live up to the image of her beautiful, missing mother. An elderly couple confronts the fiction writer eavesdropping on their conversation. A son must repeatedly come out to his senile father while looking for a place to care for the old man. A famous actor in recovery has a one-night stand with the world's most surprising film critic. And in the romantic title story, a shy twenty-one-year-old studying Latin in Rome during “the year of my reinvention” finds himself face-to-face with the Italian actress of his adolescent dreams.
Funny, poignant, and redemptive, this collection of short fiction offers a dazzling range of voices, backdrops, and situations. With his signature wit and bighearted approach to the darkest parts of humanity, Walter tackles the modern condition with a timeless touch, once again “solidifying his place in the contemporary canon as one of our most gifted builders of fictional worlds” (Esquire).
Editor's Note
Walter proves his prowess…
This collection of vignettes by award-winning and bestselling author Walter (“The Cold Millions”) offers moments of laughter, contemplation, sadness, and tenderness. Stories include a gay son grappling with his aging father’s memory loss, a meet-cute between a young student and his favorite actress, and a woman looking for support after a cancer diagnosis. Walter proves his prowess at bringing an array of voices to life, with each character boasting authenticity and depth.
Jess Walter
Jess Walter is the author of six novels, including the bestsellers Beautiful Ruins and The Financial Lives of the Poets, the National Book Award finalist The Zero, and Citizen Vince, the winner of the Edgar Award for best novel. His short fiction has appeared in Harper's, McSweeney's, and Playboy, as well as The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. He lives in his hometown of Spokane, Washington.
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Reviews for The Angel of Rome
38 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It’s a joy to read magnificent literature rimmed with beauty and hope
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Delightful, funny, and touching, all with the impeccable Jess Walters master's touch. Highly recommended!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I love the book. The author made the most of what the world is and has to offer with human being in it.