Monkey Boy: A Novel

by Francisco Goldman Narrated by Robert Fass

Overview

Our narrator, Francisco Goldberg, has been living and working in Mexico City as a journalist for over a decade, but has recently returned to New York City in hopes of "going home again." It's been five years since the end of his last relationship and he is falling in love again. Soon he is beckoned back to Boston by the high school girlfriend who was witness to his greatest youthful humiliations, and his mother, Yolanda, around whom his story orbits like a dark star. Backdropping this five day trip to his childhood home is the specter of Frank's recently deceased father, Bert, an immigrant from Ukraine, volcanically tempered, pathologically abusive, yet also at times infuriatingly endearing; as well as the high school bullies who gave him the moniker "monkey boy" and his estranged, larger-than-life sister, Lexi.



Told in an open, irresistibly funny and passionate voice, this extraordinary portrait of growing up outside the dominant culture unearths the hidden cruelties in a predominantly white, working-class Boston suburb where Francisco¿a.k.a. Paco, aka Frankie Gee¿came of age. A crowning achievement from one of the most important American voices in the last forty years.

Editorial Reviews

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

In this novel, author Francisco Goldman recounts the experiences of his protagonist, named Francisco Goldberg, as he straddles various identities—Catholic and Jewish, white and Latino, native and expat—while navigating the pleasures and pitfalls of love and international travel. Robert Fass provides a thoughtful narration, portraying Goldberg as an intellectually minded man who is baring his soul in a deeply self-revelatory work. Fass is introspective, confessional, and reflective in recounting Goldberg's life. His pacing is measured, and his vocal tone varied, conveying a contemplative approach. Fass employs slight accents to signal the native Spanish speakers in the work, such as Goldberg's soft-spoken Guatemalan mother. Spanning multiple decades and continents, this title is an epic exploration of a man and his family. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

In this novel, author Francisco Goldman recounts the experiences of his protagonist, named Francisco Goldberg, as he straddles various identities—Catholic and Jewish, white and Latino, native and expat—while navigating the pleasures and pitfalls of love and international travel. Robert Fass provides a thoughtful narration, portraying Goldberg as an intellectually minded man who is baring his soul in a deeply self-revelatory work. Fass is introspective, confessional, and reflective in recounting Goldberg's life. His pacing is measured, and his vocal tone varied, conveying a contemplative approach. Fass employs slight accents to signal the native Spanish speakers in the work, such as Goldberg's soft-spoken Guatemalan mother. Spanning multiple decades and continents, this title is an epic exploration of a man and his family. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176207583
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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