French Quarter

by Joel A. Pierson

THE NOVELIZATION OF THE AWARD-WINNING AUDIO DRAMA SERIES HEARD BY 50 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE! In 1998, we took our first trip to New Orleans as a couple, and the people we met there made an amazing impression. They were so open, so honest, so real. And the French Quarter is like no other neighborhood in America. What other district is known more by the behavior of its visitors than its inhabitants? The people who live and work in the Quarter have a story to tell, and it was our goal to tell that story without descending into stock New Orleans clich¿s. On the drive home from New Orleans, as two playwrights with sixteen hours to kill, we soon realized that we had to create an audio play about this unique and boisterous city and her people. As audio theatre producers, we envisioned thirteen half-hour episodes. The characters were inspired by people we met on the trip; new friends. The situations came from our imagination, driven by stories these friends told us about their lives.In 1999, a cast of fifty talented actors helped us bring French Quarter to life in thirteen episodes. In moments of humor and great drama, they made our characters into people, as they told our tale. Within a year, it was picked up by National Public Radio for the nationally popular NPR Playhouse series, where it aired twice.This novel contains every scene in the seven-CD set, plus bonus scenes that had to be cut from the audio series for time. It also incorporates narration that audio theatre typically omits. If you are already a fan of the audio series, we welcome you to this book. If you've never heard it, visit us on the Web at www.minds-ear.org, and consider picking up the CDs as well.

324 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2007

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very readable. It is smooth to read. I really enjoyed the first half as the author was good as character building. Unfortunately, the plot really came to an end half way...or so it felt. The second half of the book didn't really have purpose and seemed to not lead to anything relevant. I was waiting for a grand finale that never happened. I also hoped for more description of New Orleans. I was looking forward to hear about culture, historic landmarks, you know, the backstory. Although there is some 'name dropping', the novel could be about any city really. This might be a good read on a plane to or from New Orleans...but I can't really recommend. I wouldn't read it again or suggest to anyone who has another book to read. Too many books to read the unmemorable ones.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I know the authors and bought this book from them. It's signed, too, which is kind of cool. :) A fun read about everyday (and some not-so-everyday) life in New Orleans. The book was originally a radio series featured on NPR.