Calvin Trillin, Piece by Piece [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Calvin Trillin (Author, Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1996

Calvin Trillin, who has something witty and insightful to say about any topic, has distinguished himself in fields of writing that are remarkably diverse. For thirty years, he has reported on the American scene for The New Yorker. His memoir of the fifties, Remembering Denny, was a New York Times bestseller. But he is perhaps best known for his humor—in his syndicated newspaper column, in the "Shouts and Murmurs" section of The New Yorker, in his antic adventures as a "happy cater," in the weekly appearances with Johnny Carson and David Letterman.

This original recording—his first—features Trillin at his most uproarious, reading from his own articles and books. Wonderfully funny and full of surprises, this is a thoroughly satisfying, eminently entertaining, and beautifully crafted collection.

Editorial Reviews

Review

New Yorker columnist Calvin Trillin, a Kansas City native, now lives in Greenwich Village ("where people from the suburbs come on Saturday night to test their car alarms"). In this, his first effort at recording his own pieces, his droll reading makes his sharp wit even more hilarious. These short pieces cover a wide range of topics - American first names to Kansas City landmarks, food fads and even the proper attire for a guru. The author reads his own essays and after this sampling you'll find yourself wishing there were more "pieces" in the package [brought to you by HighBridge Audio]. -- Audiofile, Sept. 1996

Adult. Trillin's dry, laid-back reading of his own columns provides the perfect narrative foil for his humor. These pieces, which the reader may recognize from the New Yorker, Time, and other publications, cover topics as diverse as being invited to the Oscar de la Rentas, teen speak, and the incredible itch a chigger bite causes. His narration lacks theatrics, but it needs none. The pieces hum along, evoking a smile, a chuckle, or a belly laugh. Trillin's matter-of-fact reading just adds to the humor [brought to you by HighBridge Audio]. -- Booklist, Nov. 1, 1996

Winner of the Audie Award for Best Humor of 1997 -- Audio Publishers Association

About the Author

CALVIN TRILLIN has been a staff writer for the New Yorker since 1963. He is the author of numerous books, including About Alice, Deadline Poet, Family Man, American Stories, Killings, Uncivil Liberties, and Remembering Denny, a New York Times bestseller. He lives in New York and eats heartily whenever he travels.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Highbridge Audio; Unabridged edition (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565111427
• ISBN-13: 978-1565111424
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,331,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Books on Cassette > Humor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Trillin, April 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Calvin Trillin, Piece by Piece (Audio Cassette)

This is a real classic. It's an especial bargain at this price because it's two cassettes of Trillin reading various pieces compiled from his delightful, massive repertoire of work. No single piece stands out. They're all wonderful: funny (of course);humane; brimming with his usual unexpected, brilliant observations on everything from fruitcake to things like an exegesis of the origin of the famous expression, "Smart as a Chinatown chicken". What's more (and unlike alot of other books available on tape), the collection is unabridged (there doesn't seem to be a hardback or paperback equivalent so I guess that goes without saying) but maybe its signal virtue is that it can be listened to over and over and over again. For a Trillin fan, it's impossible to get tired of these tapes. If you have never heard Trillin reading his own work, this is the place to start. His reading is terrific: guileless, self-effacing and perfectly tuned and faithful to his writing as a whole. Also, for the uninitiated, this is a perfect place to make Mr. Trillin's aquaintance because the range of topics covered in this collection really illustrate his top-notch ability to take the reader anywhere and write about it like he'd known about it and thought about it everyday of his life. It seems to me this would be a perfect gift, too. Not just because it's an excellent representative sample but because it provides the listener with a full, clear 'earful' of his seemingly boundless ability to capture and communicate the humorous aspects of just about anything. Maybe even more importantly, if you're aiming to turn someone on to Trillin, it's a perfect place to start because this collection so faithfully reflects his standing as a humorist without malice. Bottom line: it's worth every penny, G-rated and demonstrates Trillin beautifully at what I think he does best: sizzle civilly and weild our language as well (and for the most part better) than anybody else out there. P.S. I gave it four instead of five stars because I wanted MORE and would have gladly paid for it. It lost that star on a mere technicality or, better put, on account of avarice and greed on MY part.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT STORIES, November 25, 2007

By 

Orleans (SANTA ROSA, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Calvin Trillin, Piece by Piece (Audio Cassette)

i LOVE THIS TAPE. IT IS THE ONLY CALVIN TRILLIN TAPED READING I HAVE FOUND AND IT IS BRILLIANT. SPARKLING WITH WIT, THESE SUPRISING ESSAYS COVER A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS. FROM FRUITCAKES TO FAMILY. THE DINNER INVITATIN TO THE OSCAR DE LA RENTAS IS HILARIOUS.