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The Listener
by
Shira Nayman
TWO YEARS AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II, a mysterious figure, Bertram Reiner, appears at Shadowbrook, a private asylum whose elegant hallways, vaulted ceilings, and magnificent grounds suggest a country estate more than a psychiatric hospital. At first, the chief psychiatrist -- as genteel as his aristocratic surrounds -- considers his charismatic patient to be a classic,...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
December 29th 2009
by Scribner
(first published December 7th 2009)
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I really enjoyed this book, in fact I had a hard time putting it down.
The setting is a post WWII era psychiatric hospital that mainly treats former soldiers dealing with "battle fatigue" (or PTSD as it's known today). The story focuses on three central characters; Dr. Henry Harrison a respected psychiatrist who is at the top of his field (he was also a medic during WWI and has plenty of his own undealt with demons). His patient, Bertram Reiner a self-committed former soldier, extremely intellige...more
The setting is a post WWII era psychiatric hospital that mainly treats former soldiers dealing with "battle fatigue" (or PTSD as it's known today). The story focuses on three central characters; Dr. Henry Harrison a respected psychiatrist who is at the top of his field (he was also a medic during WWI and has plenty of his own undealt with demons). His patient, Bertram Reiner a self-committed former soldier, extremely intellige...more
This is a book that deals with the trauma of war, both for those who are fighting it, and those who witness the devastation and horrors done by humans to their fellow humans. The author is a clinical psychologist who teaches both psychology and literature, and it is beautifully written. The setting is an up-scale psychiatric hospital in 1947, just after the close of WWII, in rural New York, but near Manhattan. (Yes, it is fiction). The central characters are two men, one the director of this fac...more
I picked up this book thinking I would learn about psychological war trauma suffered by WWII veterans. And indeed, several of the main characters experienced life-shattering events during the war. The story is set at an upscale mental hospital in 1947. The hospital director, himself a WWI veteran, has successfully "treated" numerous soldiers to the extent that they were sent back to the front.
The story centers around the tension/conflict between the psychiatrist and one particular patient, a ve...more
The story centers around the tension/conflict between the psychiatrist and one particular patient, a ve...more
This is a complex psychological thriller that is beautifully written. It is a commentary of sorts on the complexities of psychodynamic (Freudian) therapy, which I was never keen on while in school and still think that most of it's value is that it served as a stepping stone in the advancement of psychological/talking therapies.
As an occupational therapist, it did get me thinking however of the (gasp) advantages of institutionalization of the mentally ill...namely, providing daily structure and r...more
As an occupational therapist, it did get me thinking however of the (gasp) advantages of institutionalization of the mentally ill...namely, providing daily structure and r...more
This book was set in a psychiatric hospital shortly after WWII and at first it seemed to be about unraveling the psychiatric problems of a particular patient. Then it seemed to be about who this patient really was and what he had actually done in the war. But it was also about the connection between the doctor, the patient and the nurse they were both in love with. And just when you thought you might actually get some answers...it turns out that it was all about the doctor's own obsession and in...more
I enjoyed The Listener quite a bit more than I thought I would at first. While part of the story-line was fairly predictable, I was nonetheless caught off guard with the ending. Yes, I rather liked the ending. It left me with one of those 'oh!' moments when I read the last paragraph... I like that feeling!
The Listener is certainly deserving of a four star rating here. Shira Nayman has written, in her second novel, a most compelling story of human frailty. Her treatment of the main staff and pati...more
The Listener is certainly deserving of a four star rating here. Shira Nayman has written, in her second novel, a most compelling story of human frailty. Her treatment of the main staff and pati...more
A very strange story and one that was very difficult to read. The author's style left me so confused about the characters she created and the problems they encountered. The main character, Dr. Harrison, is a psychiatrist in a mental institution. This place evidently treated only the wealthy because the patients were allowed to bring a servant along with them! The majority of the clients suffered from the effects that WWII created for them. The atrocities they witnessed and sometimes participated...more
I became interested in this book in the wake of my "Shutter Island" obsession-- both take place near the same time and are about mental patients struggling with their painful World War Two experiences. "The Listener" is nowhere near as tightly written or as thrilling, although it does have its moments. It's a confusing read that juggles a few too many ideas, but it wasn't impossible to finish and the writing was nice. There's a few too many unbelievably philosophical conversations between psychi...more
I was so excited to read this book, it seemed to have some great potential, however I was left wanting at the end. I thought that maybe I missed pages or even chapters because I was confused as to who the main character was. I was intrigued with the mystery surrounding Bertram Rainer only to be left without any real explanation. While I do appreciate the details of a character's thoughts and feelings, I found those in this book tedious.
I was glad to read other reviews and find out I wasn't the...more
I was glad to read other reviews and find out I wasn't the...more
I picked up this book to read on vacation. I liked the mysterious setup, but I was disappointed by the ending, unresolved and cliched at the same time. All the main characters have PSTD. The doctor is singularly unsympathetic and also an unreliable narrator, a double whammy of "unpleasant," one of the authors favorite words. The plot is advanced by several mysterious letters and a stolen journal. The story includes a series of boring opium dreams and clumsy sex scenes, which are bizarrely focuse...more
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I thought I would like this book because it is about a psychiatrist treating WWII soldiers with PTSD (basic description of my dad). But I pretty much hated it. I finished it anyway, hoping it would redeem itself, but it didn't. The main character, the psychiatrist and director of the mental hospital, is a WWI combat vet with his own baggage from the war treating younger WWII guys. He is an off-and-on opium addict, workaholic, unfaithful guy that I think I was supposed to feel sympathy for, but i...more
Library Journal Review:
Word for word, sentence for sentence, paragraph for paragraph, Nayman creates a gripping narrative with style and depth. Set in a post-World War II asylum, the cast of characters interact within their defined roles of clinicians, nurses, and patients. However, when Dr. Harrison encounters a mysterious patient with a dark secret in his counseling sessions, the well-defined boundaries that separate the characters slowly erode as their lives intertwine. In the process, the ar...more
Word for word, sentence for sentence, paragraph for paragraph, Nayman creates a gripping narrative with style and depth. Set in a post-World War II asylum, the cast of characters interact within their defined roles of clinicians, nurses, and patients. However, when Dr. Harrison encounters a mysterious patient with a dark secret in his counseling sessions, the well-defined boundaries that separate the characters slowly erode as their lives intertwine. In the process, the ar...more
I've read the first few chapters, and I'm not going to continue. This book is lame so far. The writing is good, in places, meaning that the author manages to turn a nice phrase here and there, but already the narrative is jumping around to the point that I'm finding it implausible and just not interesting. And already, the narrator is getting on my nerves. It's too bad, because the description on the book's jacket makes it sound quite interesting, but unfortunately, for me, the writing doesn't l...more
"I am like a lifeguard with the terrible, secret knowledge that he does not himself know how to swim."
The Listener has good writing and characters with real promise, but doesn't go far. I kept waiting for some shocking revelation or surprise, but ends up exactly where you thought it would with little in the twists & turns department. The build up of suspense was enjoyable, but without resolution.
It's a good character novel with lots of internal conflict/struggle and interpersonal conversatio...more
The Listener has good writing and characters with real promise, but doesn't go far. I kept waiting for some shocking revelation or surprise, but ends up exactly where you thought it would with little in the twists & turns department. The build up of suspense was enjoyable, but without resolution.
It's a good character novel with lots of internal conflict/struggle and interpersonal conversatio...more
I liked where this book was going but then suddenly it seemed like the author wasn't sure how to end it and then it got confusing. After reading this, I' m still trying to figure out what was going on with the main character? Was everything that happened part of some sort of mid-life crisis? What was up with his patient? Overall, this book is confusing.
Bah. Read it for book club and couldnt finish it. I felt like I didnt really care about the main character and he was more creepy than anything. I felt like the author was trying too hard to write from a man's perspective and just could not deliver. There was nothing holding me to stay with this book. Good book club discussion though.
I am still struggling with a rating for The Listener: A Novel by Shira Nayman. This was a very dark book about a mental institution at the end of WWII. The ward was filled with soldiers with battle fatigue and worse. The entire book you are pulled into the psychosis of one of the patients and the obsession of the psychiatrist. It was compelling, but not enjoyable. The madness was quite depressing and the story jumped around a lot which made it hard to read. It was well-written within scenes but...more
The setting for this book is a upscale psychiatric hospital in rural NY state, in the late 1940's. The main character, a psychologist is treating some patients for war trauma. This person also experienced war and may have some war trauma also. The book was hard to read as the narrative switched often and it wasn't easy to follow the flow. I wasn't surprised by the ending..just how we got there.
I'm actually surprised by the low ratings on this book. I found it fascinating and it had twists and turns. Maybe it's just me, but I love books like this. I always fine them interesting. Don't let the ratings curve your decision to read this book. It's very good, in my opinion, of course.
I have to say that I am pretty disappointed because the jacket description on this book really caught my attention. I mean I really WANTED to read this book. But then I started it... I don't know what I thought I would get from this book, but it certainly wasn't there. It was slow to read, disjointed, and never really caught my interest.
A strange story of madness. Takes place in a private asylum in New York in 1948 which caters to men with war neurosis. You have to "stay sharp" while trying to figure out this book. I found the effort not worth it. Nothing was clear cut. Everything was filled with ambiguity.
I really enjoyed this book--the writing and the story--right up until the end when I had NO IDEA what happened! The book was obviously building up to have a mysterious twist and I thought I'd had it figured out--but I guess not. Can anyone explain it to me?
I heard about "The Listener" on NPR and thought I'd give it a try. The first half of the book was slow. The second half more interesting. I found myself disliking the main character. The ending was interesting and abrupt. Somehow the characters seemed two dimensional. The most interesting character disappears half way through. It was a good book book, although it was underdeveloped and left you wanting more depth.
Eh. After 2 out of 10 CD's, I abandoned this book, which appeared to have no plot, or at least no compelling strand of a plot-to-be. A decent reading (Jefferson Mays), but mostly I just felt sorry him having to slog through this.
I never like it when the narrator's sanity is in question. I feel like that's cheating. A crazy narrator gives the author license to write anything and there is nothing for the reader to hold on to that's rational or reasonable.
Felt this book was going to be good and intriguing in the beginning and then just wanted it to end. I felt the author went on and on and was not sure how to end it. It was very haunting but then did not deliver.
I thought this book had great potential to be a gothic sort of story, but the author's style was disjointed and the plot moved so slowly I realized 1/3 of the way through that I no longer cared about any of it.
I had very high hopes for The Listener, the blurb made the book appear exciting and with lots of twists and turns. The first two parts of the book lived up to expectation. The psychology was riveting and the characters were well shaped. However the third part of the novel just crawled along to an easily predictable conclusion.
A funny book - I found it absorbing, even though I wasn't sure if it was a good book. I have noticed that books about psychiatrists often portray them as creeps, or not so astute as they are supposed to be, or messed up people. I'd love to hear others' thoughts about it.
The cold and lonely effects of war. Read full review: http://www.literarylotus.com/2010/01/...
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“I am like a lifeguard with the terrible, secret knowledge that he does not himself know how to swim.”
—
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