To Be a Man

Stories

By: Nicole Krauss

Narrated by: Nicole Krauss

O, The Oprah Magazine's 20 Best Titles of the Year

Time Magazine's 100 Books to Read in 2020

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New York Times Editors' Choice

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Bustle's Best Short Story Collections of 2020

Electric Literature's Favorite Short Story Collections of 2020

Library Journal's Best Short Stories of 2020

“Superb. . . . Krauss’s depictions of the nuances of sex and love, intimacy and dependence, call to mind the work of Natalia Ginzburg in their psychological profundity, their intellectual rigor. . . . Krauss’s stories capture characters at moments in their lives when they’re hungry for experience and open to possibilities, and that openness extends to the stories themselves: narratives too urgent and alive for neat plotlines, simplistic resolutions or easy answers.” —Molly Antopol, New York Times Book Review

“From a contemporary master, an astounding collection of ten globetrotting stories, each one a powerful dissection of the thorny connections between men and women. . . . Each story is masterfully crafted and deeply contemplative, barreling toward a shimmering, inevitable conclusion, proving once again that Krauss is one of our most formidable talents in fiction.” —Esquire

In one of her strongest works of fiction yet, Nicole Krauss plunges fearlessly into the struggle to understand what it is to be a man and what it is to be a woman, and the arising tensions that have existed from the very beginning of time. Set in our contemporary moment, and moving across the globe from Switzerland, Japan, and New York City to Tel Aviv, Los Angeles, and South America, the stories in To Be a Man feature male characters as fathers, lovers, friends, children, seducers, and even a lost husband who may never have been a husband at all.

The way these stories mirror one other and resonate is beautiful, with a balance so finely tuned that the book almost feels like a novel. Echoes ring through stages of life: aging parents and new-born babies; young women’s coming of age and the newfound, somewhat bewildering sexual power that accompanies it; generational gaps and unexpected deliveries of strange new leases on life; mystery and wonder at a life lived or a future waiting to unfold. To Be a Man illuminates with a fierce, unwavering light the forces driving human existence: sex, power, violence, passion, self-discovery, growing older. Profound, poignant, and brilliant, Krauss’s stories are at once startling and deeply moving, but always revealing of all-too-human weakness and strength.

Unusual, different, lovely stories

Beautiful writing, interesting and different stories. Her voice is calming and beautiful. Held my attention.

luscious short stories

thoroughly enjoy the author's reading of these fine stories. can't wait to listen a second time

Not her best book

The listening is negatively influenced by her beautiful but sad reading tone
Many stories are restricted to a restricted to view a well to do young writer too judgemental and sentimental

The joy of great literature

What a great pleasure it is to listen the wonderful prose of Nicole Krauss, read by this superb author.

Most Confused

I kept hoping I could figure out this book but more confused then ever. I will be asking for a refund.