The Confessions of Max Tivoli

By: Andrew Sean Greer

Narrated by: Brian Keeler

Out of the womb in 1871, Max Tivoli looked to all the world like a tiny 70-year-old man. But inside the aged body was an infant. Victim of a rare disease, Max grows physically younger as his mind matures. In this finely crafted novel, Max narrates his life story from the vantage point of his late fifties, though his body is that of a 12-year-old boy...

©2004 Andrew Sean Greer (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Greer's second novel plumbs the agonies of misdirected love and the pleasures of nostalgia with gratifying richness....Greer writes marvelously nuanced prose; with its turn-of-the-century lilt and poetic flashes, it is the perfect medium for this weird, mesmerizing and heartbreaking tale." (Publishers Weekly)

"Greer pinpoints the 'tiny hidden madnesses in ordinary people' with unerring accuracy, and, in prose littered with sparks, makes palpable the longing for the celestial." (The New Yorker)

Great narration, not a great book

If not for the excellent narration, I would not have finished this book. But it did have promise, which kept me hoping for more ? which never came.

Memorable character, moving story

This story, told in the first person, is of a character (Max Tivoli) who ages in reverse. As a baby he looks like a withered old man. He progressively grows younger looking, passing (in appearance) through adulthood, until finally he begins to look like a child. Despite the progression of his appearance from old to young, he matures mentally and emotionally in the normal sequence. The admonition given by his mother early in life is always to act the way he appears. Thus, as a child, Max has to feign the behaviors of an adult. In middle age, his apparent and real ages more or less coincide. In old age, he appears like a pre-adolescent and, tragically, must try to fit into the life of a pre-adolescent, despite having had a lifetime of experience. At first, as I started to listen to this book, I had some qualms about the premise of this book: aging in reverse. It simply seemed to contrived. Once into the story, I began to realize that this plot device served to develop a character who had to behave and live out an identity, not as he wanted, but as others expected. We all have the experience, at one point or another in our lives, of acting as others would have us act, rather than the way we trully feel. What if we had to live an entire life like that? That is the tragedy of Max's life, and the way that Greer brings it to light is palpable and moving. The narration by Brian Keeler is entertaining. Highly recommended.

Incredible

This is a great book, some of the best story-telling I've ever read. I'm not going to say as good as John Irving, but very worth the time.

The premise, which at first take seems a bit awkward, is handled very well and in a very engaging way.

The narration was flawless. What can I say...one of the best selections of fiction I've downloaded from Audible, a grand journey.

There's really nothing bad to say, except that perhaps that the take-away message is not exceptionally deep and profound.

Highly recommended!

Wonderful

The writing was prose. Every description came alive in my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will be seeking more by Greer.

The story was engaging and believable, even though the premise was sheer fantasy. You soon forgot the mechanics and just enjoyed the story.

Wow & Sad

I really felt for Max. This was a tear jerker. Impossible to stop listening to!