The Tom Bodett Value Collection: The End of the Road, the Last Decent Parking Place in North America, Those Grand Occasions at the End of the Road (Value Collections) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Tom Bodett (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2000 | Series: Value Collections

Read by the author
Six cassettes, approx. 7 hours

THE END OF THE ROAD
This delightful collection of stories from Tom Bodett's acclaimed book The End of the Road is a fictional chronicle of a small Alaska town.  Follow the romantic misadventures of sixties throwback Tamara Dupree, vegetarian activist and New Age missionary; join Stormy Storbock and Ed Flannigan on their sightseeing tour across America by fire truck; meet local ne'er-do-well Doug McDoogan, who has a bright new future in the arts.

THE LAST DECENT PARKING PLACE IN NORTH AMERICA
Listen as patrons of Clara's Coffee Cup, home of the worst--and only--coffee in town, celebrate the diner's twentieth anniversary with the gift she's most likely to reject; marvel as the new urban planner discovers the End of the Road in all its unplanned splendor and complications; and rejoice as Doug McDoogan, America's least successful entrepreneur, whittles his way to fame and fortune in the rarified World of Art.  Park your car at the End of the Road and meet the crowd of dreamers, cynics, fisherman, and loveable individualists.

THOSE GRAND OCCASIONS AT THE END OF THE ROAD
There's just no telling what will happen when the people from the End of the Road get together to make an occasion of it.  From the Rod and Gun League's East Egg Stalk, where a confirmed pacifist wins a lifetime membership in the Predator's Club, to the annual New Year's Eve fistfight between junkyard tycoon Argus Winslow and Bud Koenig, they just never know what to expect.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Read by the author
Six cassettes, approx. 7 hours

THE END OF THE ROAD
This delightful collection of stories from Tom Bodett's acclaimed book The End of the Road is a fictional chronicle of a small Alaska town.  Follow the romantic misadventures of sixties throwback Tamara Dupree, vegetarian activist and New Age missionary; join Stormy Storbock and Ed Flannigan on their sightseeing tour across America by fire truck; meet local ne'er-do-well Doug McDoogan, who has a bright new future in the arts.

THE LAST DECENT PARKING PLACE IN NORTH AMERICA
Listen as patrons of Clara's Coffee Cup, home of the worst--and only--coffee in town, celebrate the diner's twentieth anniversary with the gift she's most likely to reject; marvel as the new urban planner discovers the End of the Road in all its unplanned splendor and complications; and rejoice as Doug McDoogan, America's least successful entrepreneur, whittles his way to fame and fortune in the rarified World of Art.  Park your car at the End of the Road and meet the crowd of dreamers, cynics, fisherman, and loveable individualists.

THOSE GRAND OCCASIONS AT THE END OF THE ROAD
There's just no telling what will happen when the people from the End of the Road get together to make an occasion of it.  From the Rod and Gun League's East Egg Stalk, where a confirmed pacifist wins a lifetime membership in the Predator's Club, to the annual New Year's Eve fistfight between junkyard tycoon Argus Winslow and Bud Koenig, they just never know what to expect.

About the Author

TOM BODETT moved to Homer, Alaska in the summer of 1976.  There, he wrote the newspaper piece for the Anchorage Daily News that launched his career as a writer, radio commentator, and spokesman for Motel 6.  BODETT is currently the host of the television series Travels on America's Historic Trails with Tom Bodett which airs on the Travel Channel and received three 1998 Northwest Emmy Nominations.  He is the author of six books and fifteen audiobooks.  His latest title, Williwaw!, is an adventure for young readers is available from Alfred A. Knopf and will soon be a Listening Library audiobook read by the author.

TOM BODETT currently divides his time between Homer, Alaska and Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio (May 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553527428
• ISBN-13: 978-0553527421
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.3 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,407,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Books on Cassette > Humor
  • #36 in Books > Books on Cassette > Horror

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable Series of Stories about Small Town Life, November 27, 2000

By 

D. Blackdeer (Kansas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Tom Bodett Value Collection: The End of the Road, the Last Decent Parking Place in North America, Those Grand Occasions at the End of the Road (Value Collections) (Audio Cassette)

Tom Bodett narrates his own stories about fictional, colorful characters living in a small Alaskan town. The stories are simple and bring out humor and emotion. Bodett's trademark deadpan narration about the funny and unusual events that take place among the significant townspeople are so good, it almost makes a person want to pack up and head for Alaska to live with these folks. I personnally enjoy these stories very much and listen to them while I commute back and forth to work.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life at "The End of the Road", December 14, 2001

By 

B. Warrick "Flynnatic" (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Tom Bodett Value Collection: The End of the Road, the Last Decent Parking Place in North America, Those Grand Occasions at the End of the Road (Value Collections) (Audio Cassette)

What an excellent set of tapes!

As a displaced Alaskan myself, I can fully appreciate the characters in Bodett's books: simple, straightforward folks. People who love their freedom and value the Alaskan way of life.

But you don't have to be an Alaskan to enjoy these tapes. Bodett spins fascinating and humorous tales of smalltown Alaska that *all* can enjoy. And when the last tape is played, the listener will find themselves wanting to hear more about Stormy Storbock, Ed and Emily Flannigan, Tamara Dupree and the infamous Doug McDoogan.

Bodett's writing style is simple, yet entertaining...and when he reads his own work, as he does on these tapes, his matter-of-fact humor is showcased perfectely.

I highly recommend these tapes - they will turn your next big-city commute into a trip to Alaska!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Stories and Characters Told by a Mesmerizing Voice, March 28, 2005

By 

Thomas Kipp "saxpickr" (Santa Ana CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tom Bodett Value Collection: The End of the Road, the Last Decent Parking Place in North America, Those Grand Occasions at the End of the Road (Value Collections) (Audio Cassette)

Ah, delighted to see that these are still available, and that there are 2 more volumes in the edition since we first got our box set about 12 years ago (I think). Tom Bodett is an American classic, a story teller with a voice you could listen to for hours. And his characters and their adventures are as real and everyday as they are intriguing and unique.

Our two sons grew up listening to these on car trips and have memorized a lot of the narrative. We pretty much wore out the first set, and I'm ready for a new one, especially since there appear to be volumes we haven't heard yet. The only thing better would be to hear that they're out on CD.