Down to a Soundless Sea

Stories

By: Thomas Steinbeck

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

Here is a fiction debut that is cause for celebration. Growing up in a family that valued the art of storytelling and the power of oral history, Thomas Steinbeck now follows in his father's footsteps with a brilliant story collection.

Down to a Soundless Sea resonates with the rich history and culture of California, recalling vivid details of life in Monterey County from the turn of the century through the 1930s. Steinbeck accomplishes an amazing feat: His stories have the feel of classic literature, but his haunting voice, forceful narrative drive, and dazzling imagery are unmistakably his own.

In seven stories, Steinbeck traces the fates and dreams of an eccentric cast of characters, from sailors and ranchers to doctors and immigrants - as each struggles to carve out a living in the often inhospitable environment of rocky cliffs, crashing surf, and rough patches of land along the California coast.

©2003 Thomas Steinbeck (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great Californian Stories but Flawed

I enjoyed this collection of short stories about the people along the California Coast where I live. I can imagine them. Thomas Steinbeck does a phenomenal job telling these tales, but the weakest is the last one on Chinese immigrants. He knows a lot about their culture but I found myself hungering to hear actual Chinese Californians write about their own experiences in Gold Mountain. Steinbeck’s efforts smacks of appropriation, although he was quite talented storyteller.

A very good listen by a truly gifted writer

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely recommended to anyone that likes great characters and very human situations.

Any additional comments?

One of the best audible books I have (and I have hundreds - mostly classics)