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The Listener: A Novel
A parade of people in need of solace find a mysterious sympathizer, in this uniquely moving classic by a New York Times–bestselling author. They come day and night to confess their troubles to an anonymous listener positioned behind a curtain. Could it be a priest, a psychiatrist, a friend, or a judge? Each person draws a different conclusion. From a businessman who feels betrayed by someone he trusted, to a society woman with contempt for her husband, to a scientist troubled by what his work has wrought, the visitors’ situations vary widely as they struggle with grief, denial, prejudice, and fear. But in this small sanctuary, there are no office hours, the listener is always listening, and the visitors’ lives are forever changed. This inspiring and inventive work of fiction comes from the award-winning author of Captains and the Kings, Testimony of Two Men, and many other bestsellers. “The gift of narration and characterization which Taylor Caldwell brings to each of her books is here in strong measure.” —Kirkus Reviews “I believe [Caldwell] wanted to instill hope, renew faith, and foster love in what she saw as a society on the decline. The year was 1960. But the issues can be universally applied today.” —The Book Cafe
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1976
156 people are currently reading
531 people want to read
About the author
Taylor Caldwell
152 books552 followers Also known by the pen names Marcus Holland and Max Reiner.
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
March 16, 2010
I first read this book when I was 11 or 12 years old and it stayed with me for 30 years. I went on a mission to find and re-read it. Since it is out of print and my library did not have a copy, I searched ebay and found two copies - one hard cover to keep in on my shelf and one paperback to read and lend out to friends. No surprise that this book was still as wonderful as I had remembered from so long ago.
Although written by a "romance" novelist, The Listener is in no way a romantic novel. It tells the tale of a wealthy widower who builds what can only be described as a non-denominational confessional. A place where anyone of any faith - or no faith at all - can visit with the title character and discuss whatever is weighing heavy on their mind/heart. Each person comes away from their visit to The Listener with a unique answer to their troubles. Some have deemed this to be a religious book, but I do not. I have always thought of this to be an inspirational message of one's journey of self discovery and learning how to listen to that soft, strong voice in their own heart.
I've loaned out the paperback copy so many times that it is now starting to fall apart. Everyone who had read this book is as touched by the story as I was all those years ago.
Although written by a "romance" novelist, The Listener is in no way a romantic novel. It tells the tale of a wealthy widower who builds what can only be described as a non-denominational confessional. A place where anyone of any faith - or no faith at all - can visit with the title character and discuss whatever is weighing heavy on their mind/heart. Each person comes away from their visit to The Listener with a unique answer to their troubles. Some have deemed this to be a religious book, but I do not. I have always thought of this to be an inspirational message of one's journey of self discovery and learning how to listen to that soft, strong voice in their own heart.
I've loaned out the paperback copy so many times that it is now starting to fall apart. Everyone who had read this book is as touched by the story as I was all those years ago.
February 19, 2013
I did not like one thing about this book. The perils of my self-imposed Big Fat Reading Project. I only read Taylor Caldwell because she keeps showing up on the bestseller lists. There will be four more, but finally in the mid 1970s she fades away. Ever since she got on her weird variety of Christian writing, she went right downhill in my opinion. But people who read books for comfort or reassurance from a Christian standpoint seem to like her which explains how she made #8 on the bestseller list for 1960.
The Listener is not even really a novel. It is a collection of stories connected by the visits of each character to an odd sort of shrine in an unnamed midwestern city. The shrine is named The Man Who Listens. People from various walks of life come and talk to a curtain, tell their troubles, then open the curtain and realize they have been talking to God. They see the answers to their problems and then go straighten out their lives.
It felt highly contrived and gave Caldwell a platform from which she preached in a reactionary tone about the evils of modern society. I confess, I did a lot of skimming but kept on to the end. It did not get any better. In fact it got worse until I was gagging when I finished.
December 1, 2019
Written half a century ago, and sounds like today!
October 7, 2014
The Listener
Taylor Caldwell's The Listener was a book I read as a young man, and it is a book that has been a major influence in my life. It tells the story of a rich man who built a magnificent house when he died and in it was a room where people could come and be listened to by a person behind a curtain 24 hours a day. The person was Christ. People crowded the place, and they talked and in talking they found solace, strength and worked out their problems.
That book shaped my view of being a pastor from the very beginning, and I have found that simply listening is the best medicine, the best pastoral care we can give. In the last few days as I am dealing with up coming surgery, the people who have taken time to listen in person have made a difference. Our ministry is based on the being a listener, a pastor.
It is difficult because you open yourself to pain. St. Ignatius said: "Tears are the sure sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit," and for me being open to suffering and crying with people has become the sign of the Spirit's presence. I have two guys dying, one of cancer and one of hep C, and I listen, and listen, and in that listening they find healing. In my friends listening to me these past days I have found healing.
For our society to be open and whole we need to become listeners. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!
VegInspiration
Changing our individual daily food choices to reflect a consciousness of mercy will transform our lives and move our culture in a positive direction far more than any other change we can contemplate.
Following right behind this change in our individual food choices is the necessity of practicing mindfulness and nonviolence in all our relations in order to bring our mind and heart into alignment with the truth of our interconnectedness, and to allow us to enter the present moment more deeply and experience directly the mystery, joy, and beauty of being. Dr. Will Tuttle
Taylor Caldwell's The Listener was a book I read as a young man, and it is a book that has been a major influence in my life. It tells the story of a rich man who built a magnificent house when he died and in it was a room where people could come and be listened to by a person behind a curtain 24 hours a day. The person was Christ. People crowded the place, and they talked and in talking they found solace, strength and worked out their problems.
That book shaped my view of being a pastor from the very beginning, and I have found that simply listening is the best medicine, the best pastoral care we can give. In the last few days as I am dealing with up coming surgery, the people who have taken time to listen in person have made a difference. Our ministry is based on the being a listener, a pastor.
It is difficult because you open yourself to pain. St. Ignatius said: "Tears are the sure sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit," and for me being open to suffering and crying with people has become the sign of the Spirit's presence. I have two guys dying, one of cancer and one of hep C, and I listen, and listen, and in that listening they find healing. In my friends listening to me these past days I have found healing.
For our society to be open and whole we need to become listeners. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!
VegInspiration
Changing our individual daily food choices to reflect a consciousness of mercy will transform our lives and move our culture in a positive direction far more than any other change we can contemplate.
Following right behind this change in our individual food choices is the necessity of practicing mindfulness and nonviolence in all our relations in order to bring our mind and heart into alignment with the truth of our interconnectedness, and to allow us to enter the present moment more deeply and experience directly the mystery, joy, and beauty of being. Dr. Will Tuttle
September 16, 2020
I read these two books as a child and loved them. Now I wanted to read them again, though it was difficult to find affordable copies. They’re set in a small American town, and I wondered how they would have aged as years have passed. But the answer is they’ve aged well. The second book, No one hears but him, was written many years after the first, but carries the same flavor. And the building in its gardens, with its silent room and drawn curtain, is just as captivating now as it was then.
So what has changed? As an adult, I find I’m “annoyed” as the author claims she intends, by some of the thoughts expressed. But the author very cleverly hides her own beliefs and opinions behind those of her characters. And listening is an answer in itself, not responding to arguments but responding to the person behind them. So yes, I don’t love the books quite as much as I once did. But I still love them and expect to reread them again. The pages are filled with believable characters, each with their own wrong assumptions, wounded prides, and trials and tribulations. And the listener is always revealed in the end as the only one who really knows how we feel.
In the second book, I remember an antagonist arguing to claim a human soul. It’s an image that stayed with me from childhood, and an image surely as relevant today as then. Not quite what I remembered, but close enough to remind me and please me again.
Disclosure: I’ll read them again, again.
So what has changed? As an adult, I find I’m “annoyed” as the author claims she intends, by some of the thoughts expressed. But the author very cleverly hides her own beliefs and opinions behind those of her characters. And listening is an answer in itself, not responding to arguments but responding to the person behind them. So yes, I don’t love the books quite as much as I once did. But I still love them and expect to reread them again. The pages are filled with believable characters, each with their own wrong assumptions, wounded prides, and trials and tribulations. And the listener is always revealed in the end as the only one who really knows how we feel.
In the second book, I remember an antagonist arguing to claim a human soul. It’s an image that stayed with me from childhood, and an image surely as relevant today as then. Not quite what I remembered, but close enough to remind me and please me again.
Disclosure: I’ll read them again, again.
March 18, 2020
Incredibly Moving
I first read this book in the 1970s and have re-read it several times since then. As the book was written in the 1960s it is truly amazing that the stories in the book are still so relevant today.
I weep my way through many of the stories, even knowing what is to come. Somehow, they never lose the power to move me. Each person who comes has a different problem and Caldwell has the gift of giving each person his or her own voice. Some people come because they are in despair, others come without really knowing why they have come, some come because it has been suggested to them, others come because they have a problem with seemingly no solution, some come out of bravado not really thinking they have a problem at all, and if they did, some psychiatrist or clergyman wouldn't be any help anyway, some come because they want to "expose" it for the "sham" that they think it is.
Not one person goes away without an answer. And no-one tells - ever.
This book is timeless, as all human problems are timeless. Human nature doesn't change although societal attitudes certainly do.
This book is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page and it is a book that can be read again and again and still stay fresh. The stories are incredibly moving and have left an indelible mark in my heart.
Taylor Caldwell is a gifted author and this book is my favourite out of all the books she has written.
I first read this book in the 1970s and have re-read it several times since then. As the book was written in the 1960s it is truly amazing that the stories in the book are still so relevant today.
I weep my way through many of the stories, even knowing what is to come. Somehow, they never lose the power to move me. Each person who comes has a different problem and Caldwell has the gift of giving each person his or her own voice. Some people come because they are in despair, others come without really knowing why they have come, some come because it has been suggested to them, others come because they have a problem with seemingly no solution, some come out of bravado not really thinking they have a problem at all, and if they did, some psychiatrist or clergyman wouldn't be any help anyway, some come because they want to "expose" it for the "sham" that they think it is.
Not one person goes away without an answer. And no-one tells - ever.
This book is timeless, as all human problems are timeless. Human nature doesn't change although societal attitudes certainly do.
This book is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page and it is a book that can be read again and again and still stay fresh. The stories are incredibly moving and have left an indelible mark in my heart.
Taylor Caldwell is a gifted author and this book is my favourite out of all the books she has written.
August 22, 2017
I wanted to give this one 4 stars because it's core message deserves a solid 4 or 5 stars. But I got bored with reading the ins and outs of the different characters (or "souls") quickly. (Each chapter is a self-contained story and each character eventually makes a trip to go speak to the mysterious Man Who Listens.) After the second chapter, the reader KNOWS each person will end up going to the Listener. Therefore the repetition of the characters hemming and hawing about whether to go, as well as how they found themselves there, caused me to get impatient and want to speed though to the actual "listening" parts.
The author could have made the book half as long by including half as many souls. Not only would I have gotten less bored, but more importantly, it would have an even more powerful and moving book. But if you are Christian or even Christian-ish -- especially if the latter -- the book is still well worth your time.
The author could have made the book half as long by including half as many souls. Not only would I have gotten less bored, but more importantly, it would have an even more powerful and moving book. But if you are Christian or even Christian-ish -- especially if the latter -- the book is still well worth your time.
August 24, 2015
This is not my cup to tea: a book of plenty of moralism for my taste.
4* The Arm and the Darkness
5* A Pillar of Iron
4* Dear and Glorious Physician
4* The Earth Is the Lord's: A Tale of the Rise of Genghis Khan
4* The Final Hour
5* Captains And The Kings
2* The Romance of Atlantis
3* The Late Clara Beame
3* Ceremony of the Innocent
4* Answer as a Man
1* The Listener
TR Dynasty Of Death (The Eagles Gather, The Final Hour)
TR The Wide House
TR Testimony of Two Men
TR This Side of Innocence
TR Glory and the Lightning
TR Never Victorious, Never Defeated
TR A Tender Victory
TR Wicked Angel
4* The Arm and the Darkness
5* A Pillar of Iron
4* Dear and Glorious Physician
4* The Earth Is the Lord's: A Tale of the Rise of Genghis Khan
4* The Final Hour
5* Captains And The Kings
2* The Romance of Atlantis
3* The Late Clara Beame
3* Ceremony of the Innocent
4* Answer as a Man
1* The Listener
TR Dynasty Of Death (The Eagles Gather, The Final Hour)
TR The Wide House
TR Testimony of Two Men
TR This Side of Innocence
TR Glory and the Lightning
TR Never Victorious, Never Defeated
TR A Tender Victory
TR Wicked Angel
January 15, 2013
I have to admit, I read this book about 20 years ago so this was a re-read. It didn't have the impact on me that it had the first time - I suppose because I knew the ending. Really, it isn't about figuring it out but about faith and the stories of ordinary people finding comfort.
I did enjoy the book - it still made me cry.
I did enjoy the book - it still made me cry.
July 10, 2017
I did enjoy it. Although published 33 years ago, I still found it pretty relevant. No real solutions, but keep an open mind. The author of this book has used pseudonyms.
October 17, 2019
A simple building in a lovely park-like setting where troubled people can go to talk to the mysterious “Listener” behind a thick blue curtain. In this touching and sensitive book we hear the stories of fifteen “souls” as they pour out their hearts to that Listener. Listen along with him to: the Confessed, the Betrayed, the Betrayer, the Anointed, the Pharisee, the Magdalene the Teacher the Doctor, the Judge, the Destroyer, among others. As always, this author’s astute and prescient comments on modern day society will amaze and fascinate. Bring a box of tissues.
January 29, 2023
This was such a worthwhile read. Highly recommend!
May 1, 2025
A very fast re-read (from 20 years ago, at least!). It is somewhat dated in the writing but the various chapters still brought tears to my eyes. Spiritual but not preachy.
April 6, 2023
Precioso, es un libro que he leído varias veces en mi vida y me sigo disfrutando cada vez que vuelvo a leerlo. Siempre encuentro algo nuevo dirigido hacia mi en cada lectura.
May 28, 2009
The Listener is a very unique novel that involves the reader as well as the characters. An "eccentric" has created a building that anyone with problems can go into and be guaranteed that someone there will listen, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Of course, the disbelievers scoff and ridicule this concept but the ordinary person ignores them and goes to tell their troubles to the Listener. Basically each chapter is a dialogue of the troubled one. Remarkably, the reader can pinpoint when the transition takes place in the dialogue of the participant. They end up solving or changing their perspective to their problem, and, if they wish, can push a button to see who the Listener is. This is when the reader becomes involved. We are expected to solve the question of who is behind the curtain. In each case, it is a different person, biblical, of course. I really enjoyed this book since in some cases I could relate it back to my day to day life and because of this, the problems seem less because of changing one's perspective.
November 26, 2007
So, this is a Christian book my mom gave me a long time ago and didn't read until college. Even though it is Christian, it's an awesome book. It kind of gives a non-denominational perspective on people's lives with their Christian lives. Really easy read, not very long, and set back in the early 1900's.
November 3, 2012
This is a great book for anyone just starting in ministry.
Taylor Caldwell nails the human condition and the importance of simply having someone listen. Of course, the identity of the Listener is none other than...
Taylor Caldwell nails the human condition and the importance of simply having someone listen. Of course, the identity of the Listener is none other than...
September 4, 2015
I had a vague memory of this book and wanted to see if it held up with the passage of time. It did not. The message is wonderful, but the people are too set in a specific time period. It lacks the feeling of a timeless story.
December 1, 2019
This book was absolutely fantastic. It was a revelation of who we are as people and how inadequate we are to face life alone. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially for those looking for meaning and purpose.
January 21, 2008
This was one of the first books my mom recommended to me, so my enjoyment might have been more sentimental than anything else, but it was an interesting concept.
July 28, 2018
Wow.
Powerful insight into the minds of men and their relationship with God. Like the Man Who Listens Himself, the book cannot be adequately described. You will have to read it.
Powerful insight into the minds of men and their relationship with God. Like the Man Who Listens Himself, the book cannot be adequately described. You will have to read it.
January 26, 2025
Was a bit boring.
October 21, 2025
This book was written in 1960. In some ways, it is sounds dated and of its time, and in other ways the characters are grappling with issues startingly similar to what we are today. The latter can be a bit depressing - why are we still talking about this? For instance, when one of the characters complains about people of other races being chosen over white people for jobs, allegedly to give a leg up to races that have been oppressed. I was surprised by this, so I looked up when affirmative action was implemented in the United States. It was in 1961, after this book was published!
And a whole diatribe about "trauma," which I don't remember hearing a lot about until recently. For example, from the chapter called The Teacher: " Mama loves the word 'trauma.' She's picked up a lot of psychiatric jargon in her careless reading. . . I wonder if she ever thinks of the 'trauma' she inflicts on the teachers of her children by denying them the right of pride in their occupation and a decent recompense as some of the more important people in her children's lives?"
Some of the dated discussion involves the Soviets and Communism, but it is interesting to get a sense of what life and politics were like at that time by reading these sections.
This book is heavy on religious themes, mainly Christianity, so stay away from this book if that bothers you. Although the content of the various chapters varied, the repetitiveness of the format and the people's revelations got repetitive. This concept would have worked better as a short story. However, Caldwell is a very good writer, and now I want to read more by her. I see that she also wrote a book that I know my mother read several times, I, Judas, so maybe I will look for that one next.
And a whole diatribe about "trauma," which I don't remember hearing a lot about until recently. For example, from the chapter called The Teacher: " Mama loves the word 'trauma.' She's picked up a lot of psychiatric jargon in her careless reading. . . I wonder if she ever thinks of the 'trauma' she inflicts on the teachers of her children by denying them the right of pride in their occupation and a decent recompense as some of the more important people in her children's lives?"
Some of the dated discussion involves the Soviets and Communism, but it is interesting to get a sense of what life and politics were like at that time by reading these sections.
This book is heavy on religious themes, mainly Christianity, so stay away from this book if that bothers you. Although the content of the various chapters varied, the repetitiveness of the format and the people's revelations got repetitive. This concept would have worked better as a short story. However, Caldwell is a very good writer, and now I want to read more by her. I see that she also wrote a book that I know my mother read several times, I, Judas, so maybe I will look for that one next.
Read
January 7, 2023!nspiring story of how ordinary people, full of hopelessness and despair, from all walks of life, find the inner peace they desperately need. Each chapter is a modern parable of someone who has lost faith in themselves, the people close to them, or the world in general. In his final days on this earth, John Godfrey built a beautiful sanctuary which had inscribed above its portal: 'The Man Who Listens'. Because of man's need for someone to truly listen, suffering people were drawn to this place at all hours of the day and night. The Listener, although kept behind closed curtains, would reveal himself to those who were truly in need. True peace, hope and happiness were restored to all who poured out their soul to Him. This is a powerful novel of anguished souls on a self analytical, almost mystical, journey toward inner peace.
June 8, 2025
I have read almost All of Taylor Caldwell's books over the years & have enjoyed them all. I thought I'd like to read them again at this stage of my life so I researched & discovered this one that I hadn't read.
Being a Fan of Ms Caldwell's other books I bought a copy & read a few Reviews before starting it only to be surprised to find that this one was not particularly liked. I started in anyway, but I must agree with a few of the negative reviews I read.
This book is 'preachy' & consequently 'dated' in it's approach to a controversial subject. It almost reminds me of The Wizard of Oz in obvious ways that were tolerable as a child but not at 77! Especially with all the wars & prejudice we are experiencing currently.
A disappointment that my elderly cynicism cannot tolerate so I'm finished with it on page 57...
Being a Fan of Ms Caldwell's other books I bought a copy & read a few Reviews before starting it only to be surprised to find that this one was not particularly liked. I started in anyway, but I must agree with a few of the negative reviews I read.
This book is 'preachy' & consequently 'dated' in it's approach to a controversial subject. It almost reminds me of The Wizard of Oz in obvious ways that were tolerable as a child but not at 77! Especially with all the wars & prejudice we are experiencing currently.
A disappointment that my elderly cynicism cannot tolerate so I'm finished with it on page 57...
May 19, 2022
Como uno de los seguidores más puros de la autora no puedo más que dar 5 estrellas a este relato.
No obstante es importante aclarar que para muchos este libro bien pudiera tratarse de literatura Cristiana.
Dicho esto, la simplicidad y profundidad de su mensaje, en mi opinión, lo hace mucho más que eso: una historia de esperanza, una secuencia de relatos que confluyen en el mismo punto narrativo, en el amor, en el entendimiento de que la necesidad de ser escuchados y de ser redimidos subyace en nosotros mismos y también puede ser satisfecha por nosotros mismos porque dentro de nuestro cuerpo habita un alma inmortal que forma parte del plan maestro de nuestro creador.
El viaje vale la pena. Siempre lo hará.
No obstante es importante aclarar que para muchos este libro bien pudiera tratarse de literatura Cristiana.
Dicho esto, la simplicidad y profundidad de su mensaje, en mi opinión, lo hace mucho más que eso: una historia de esperanza, una secuencia de relatos que confluyen en el mismo punto narrativo, en el amor, en el entendimiento de que la necesidad de ser escuchados y de ser redimidos subyace en nosotros mismos y también puede ser satisfecha por nosotros mismos porque dentro de nuestro cuerpo habita un alma inmortal que forma parte del plan maestro de nuestro creador.
El viaje vale la pena. Siempre lo hará.
August 10, 2020
Does anyone take time to listen anymore? There is someone who does and author Taylor Caldwell combines a collection of stories about those who visit the Sanctuary in the city (never completely defined). Visitors enter through lush gardens into a two-room white marble building. They wait in one room and then at the sound of a chime, enter another to find a white marble chair with blue cushions and a blue curtain. Is someone listening behind the curtain as they pour out their stories? Most learn from listening to themselves. Some push a button and see the Listener revealed; others just leave. Every participant seems to be restored in faith, trust, hope.
February 26, 2023
The Listener by Taylor Caldwell enticed me in with the description on the back page.
John Godfrey the main character, a man that knew what he liked and did not waiver from that. A simple man with simple needs all throughout his life, never deviating from his way of living. But do we ever know a person.
A thought-provoking book from the start, with lots of questions. The Listener is what everyone needs.
The book takes you through different individuals bearing their souls to a stranger they cannot see.
A book that as you read is of its time, a lot of things that would not be written now but a lot that are still relevant. An interesting read.
John Godfrey the main character, a man that knew what he liked and did not waiver from that. A simple man with simple needs all throughout his life, never deviating from his way of living. But do we ever know a person.
A thought-provoking book from the start, with lots of questions. The Listener is what everyone needs.
The book takes you through different individuals bearing their souls to a stranger they cannot see.
A book that as you read is of its time, a lot of things that would not be written now but a lot that are still relevant. An interesting read.
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June 6, 2025Each chapter is a different person searching for something, forgiveness, understanding, healing, answers to difficult questions. most coming with grief, not necessarily grief from death. I became bored halfway through the book and after reading some online reviews read the last chapter.
Each person talks to a curtain. When finished talking they press a button, the curtain opens, and find that they have been talking to God.
Caldwell’s writing is excellent and is timeless. The last chapter, although written in 1960, is surprisingly valid today in 2025. This last chapter is worth reading even if you are not a religious person. At the end of the chapter, the curtain is explained.
Each person talks to a curtain. When finished talking they press a button, the curtain opens, and find that they have been talking to God.
Caldwell’s writing is excellent and is timeless. The last chapter, although written in 1960, is surprisingly valid today in 2025. This last chapter is worth reading even if you are not a religious person. At the end of the chapter, the curtain is explained.
January 9, 2021
Quietly reassuring for those who are of the Christian faith and familiar with the Bible. Predictable and transparent ideology. Written In 1960 it’s very dated but many of the sentiments are incredibly relatable. I was interested to learn about the prolific Taylor Caldwell. Note: read for a book club, this book is really only available on Kindle/Amazon (no longer in print). The last chapter bumped this up to 3 stars for me for reasons I can’t entirely explain - I empathized with the last character and found the resolution hopeful and uplifting (although unrealistic).
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