First person Audiobook where smart bad person does bad thing(s)
March 17, 2018 4:28 PM Subscribe
Two audiobooks I have enjoyed include You and Tampa. Each of these books is narrated by a single narrator. In each case the narrator is a terrible human being who is intelligent, has some wry observations about modern culture, and plots and executes one or more evil deeds. What are some other well-written audiobooks that are like this?
Is there an audiobook of Soon I Will Be Invincible? There must be one for The Talented Mr. Ripley.
posted by praemunire at 5:23 PM on March 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 5:23 PM on March 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
David Sedaris reading his books?
posted by runincircles at 5:58 PM on March 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by runincircles at 5:58 PM on March 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh is extremely well-written, and I thought the audiobook was well done. I guess it is debatable whether or not the narrator is fully "terrible," but she definitely does bad things, knows she does bad things, and then does more bad things. Of the two books you list, it is probably closest to Tampa overall.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:06 PM on March 17, 2018
posted by Dip Flash at 6:06 PM on March 17, 2018
Jack Black's (not that one) You Can't Win. Though the narrator is not as "bad" as the people you're talking about, it's pretty fantastic.
You might also like Denis Johnson's Jesus Son, which isn't a novel but a series of short stories narrated by the same character, known only as Fuckhead. Many consider it one of the best story collections ever published -- it's certainly my favorite. Amazingly, the audiobook comes with a second book, Johnson's Novella, Train Dreams, which is among my favorite books ever, though it does not fit the parameters you're looking for. If you get this book, listen to Jesus' Son first. It starts on Audible chapter 10 with a quote from Lou Reed.
I'll second Eileen, and everything else written by Moshfegh as being great. I don't think her first novel, McGlue has been made an audiobook yet but it fits your description.
You Could Do Something Amazing with Your Life You Are Raoul Moat definitely fits your description.
posted by dobbs at 9:59 PM on December 26, 2018
You might also like Denis Johnson's Jesus Son, which isn't a novel but a series of short stories narrated by the same character, known only as Fuckhead. Many consider it one of the best story collections ever published -- it's certainly my favorite. Amazingly, the audiobook comes with a second book, Johnson's Novella, Train Dreams, which is among my favorite books ever, though it does not fit the parameters you're looking for. If you get this book, listen to Jesus' Son first. It starts on Audible chapter 10 with a quote from Lou Reed.
I'll second Eileen, and everything else written by Moshfegh as being great. I don't think her first novel, McGlue has been made an audiobook yet but it fits your description.
You Could Do Something Amazing with Your Life You Are Raoul Moat definitely fits your description.
posted by dobbs at 9:59 PM on December 26, 2018
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:45 PM on March 17, 2018 [1 favorite]