A Doubter's Almanac

A Novel

By: Ethan Canin

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Milo Andret is born with an unusual mind. A lonely child growing up in the woods of Northern Michigan in the 1950s, he gives little thought to his own talent. But with his acceptance at UC Berkeley, he realizes the extent - and the risks - of his singular gifts.

California in the '70s is a seduction, opening Milo's eyes to the allure of both ambition and indulgence. The research he begins there will make him a legend; the woman he meets there - and the rival he meets alongside her - will haunt him for the rest of his life. For Milo's brilliance is entwined with a dark need that soon grows to threaten his work, his family, even his existence.

©2016 Ethan Canin (P)2016 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"David Aaron Baker's delivery of this outstanding novel is a tour de force of the narrator's art.... Be it the subtle musings of an Egyptian doctor or the fast-clipped banter of Milo's lifelong rival, Baker masterfully turns this complex story into a mesmerizing modern tale." (AudioFile)

Loved it

It is good in the beginning but the second half brings it all together. Great listen.

moving, haunting, quieting

So many angles in which to view this novel; as a son, a father, a friend, a lover, a brother. A story that reveals layers of understanding in us all, and some things many can never comprehend.

Good to the last drop!

I absolutely loved the intricately woven tale of unique, intelligent characters! Enjoy the unpredictable adventure!

Excellent read!

Don't stop when the first few chapters at dragging along! This book will take you on a wonderful emotional spiral of a ride all the way to the finish!! The narration is beyond entertaining and engaging!

WOMEN ARE THE SUN

“A Doubter’s Almanac” is a 21st century novel destined to be a classic. Though some may argue otherwise, Ethan Canin writes about a universal truth; i.e. “women are the sun; men are the moon”. Canin catalyzes one’s doubt and ambivalence about life’s meaning in a story about moral transgression, addiction, guilt, and redemption.

The story begins with details of a person with a superior intellect, and an amoral life. He is Milo Andret, a mathematician blessed with the ability to understand complex spatial relationships, even as they change shape. Milo is never lost in a physical wilderness but is trapped in a space reserved only for himself. In some ways, Milo reminds one of Ivan Karamazov (Dostoyevsky’s protagonist in “Brothers Karamazov”), a rationalist that denies God because of the irrationality of faith and the cruelty of life.

Milo, like Ivan, treats others as superficial human beings who only have relevance in respect to what they can do for him. Milo is a self-absorbed genius who begins as a naïve young boy looking for recognition from others for a superiority that he only vaguely sees in himself. Milo is a boy narcissist who matures into a misogynistic adult and dies as a repentant grandfather. Canin reveals the nature of geniuses who exploit their intellectual superiority. They alienate others. Some will lie to win praise. They are awarded for “presumed” new discoveries that are beyond the reasoning ability of their peers.

Canin has written a good story; expertly narrated by David Baker. It is a tribute to the seekers of proof about the nature of existence. The nature of existence seems beyond the grasp of the human mind. Through Milo and his family, Canin implies neither men nor women should ever give up. What Canin’s hero confirms is that women are the sun and men are the moon. Nature and nurture make us who we are but the principal source of power is in the sun.