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Icarus: A True Story
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Middlesex
and
The Virgin Suicides
comes an intimate memoir of his father’s spectacular rise–and tragic end.
A few days before Thanksgiving 1994, Jeffrey Eugenides’s father, Gus, was piloting a small plane when it crashed in Daytona Beach, Florida. The circumstances surrounding his death added to the mystery of a life that defied expectations, but left many questions unanswered.
Now, more than 30 years later, Eugenides tells the story of how his father, a first-generation American, rose from Detroit’s east side to find financial success as a mortgage banker and real estate developer–only to lose it all. Was he the victim of a series of bad breaks, or did his dogged pursuit of the American Dream lead him to overextend and overreach? And, ironically, what role did the U.S. government play in bringing ruin to this most patriotic of citizens?
Written in an engaging style more direct than that of his novels, Eugenides appears here unmasked to deliver a moving account of his relationship with his indomitable father, a man for whom he felt admiration, exasperation, gratitude, tenderness, pity and love. Read by the author, this deeply personal audio journey invites listeners to join Eugenides as he finally confronts the truth of his father's last flight.
Additional narration provided by Barrett Leddy, Neil Hellegers, and Vikas Adam.
A few days before Thanksgiving 1994, Jeffrey Eugenides’s father, Gus, was piloting a small plane when it crashed in Daytona Beach, Florida. The circumstances surrounding his death added to the mystery of a life that defied expectations, but left many questions unanswered.
Now, more than 30 years later, Eugenides tells the story of how his father, a first-generation American, rose from Detroit’s east side to find financial success as a mortgage banker and real estate developer–only to lose it all. Was he the victim of a series of bad breaks, or did his dogged pursuit of the American Dream lead him to overextend and overreach? And, ironically, what role did the U.S. government play in bringing ruin to this most patriotic of citizens?
Written in an engaging style more direct than that of his novels, Eugenides appears here unmasked to deliver a moving account of his relationship with his indomitable father, a man for whom he felt admiration, exasperation, gratitude, tenderness, pity and love. Read by the author, this deeply personal audio journey invites listeners to join Eugenides as he finally confronts the truth of his father's last flight.
Additional narration provided by Barrett Leddy, Neil Hellegers, and Vikas Adam.
Audible Audio
Published November 6, 2025
17 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Eugenides
36 books10.4k followersJeffrey Kent Eugenides is an American author. He has written numerous short stories and essays, as well as three novels: The Virgin Suicides (1993), Middlesex (2002), and The Marriage Plot (2011). The Virgin Suicides served as the basis of the 1999 film of the same name, while Middlesex received the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in addition to being a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the International Dublin Literary Award, and France's Prix Médicis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 13, 2025
I was reeling when I finished this the other day- staring out into space type of eureka moment.
I love books that would leave you dumbfounded and incoherent - this book left me at that state.
In my opinion, this is the eulogy that would end all eulogies. 30 years in the making and written by a Pulitzer prize winner.
This is beautiful and haunting - I haven't had the experience of losing a parent but I did struggled with losing father figures recently and this is such a bittersweet reminder of lives well-lived and a sort of an ode to people who made an impact in our lives.
In this case, the author's life but it was a perfect juxtaposition to my recent experiences.
I love books that would leave you dumbfounded and incoherent - this book left me at that state.
In my opinion, this is the eulogy that would end all eulogies. 30 years in the making and written by a Pulitzer prize winner.
This is beautiful and haunting - I haven't had the experience of losing a parent but I did struggled with losing father figures recently and this is such a bittersweet reminder of lives well-lived and a sort of an ode to people who made an impact in our lives.
In this case, the author's life but it was a perfect juxtaposition to my recent experiences.
December 20, 2025
This was a short story about the author’s father’s death- with a really interesting sneak peak into the life he led. It was short but really touched me, the things you know or don’t know about your parents, the clues people leave behind after they’re gone, the mystery of death, and importance of closure.
November 25, 2025
I love this author. He is originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, which is where I grew up, and his stories always involve at least a little bit of that area. So, I was super excited to see that this memoir was free on Audible. It is a deeply reflective account of his father’s fatal plane crash. He narrates it mostly himself. It’s a quick, worthwhile listen.
December 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Icarus is a quiet, haunting memoir that sits with grief rather than trying to solve it. In this deeply personal book, Jeffrey Eugenides returns to the life and death of his father, Gus, who died in a small plane crash in Florida in 1994.
More than three decades later, Eugenides revisits the story not to sensationalise it, but to understand the man behind it.
Gus was a first generation American who rose from Detroit’s east side to financial success as a mortgage banker and real estate developer. His life reads, in many ways, like a classic American Dream narrative, shaped by ambition, optimism and relentless forward motion. Yet that same drive ultimately led to loss and ruin.
Eugenides gently explores the question that lingers throughout the book. Was his father undone by bad luck, by the systems around him, or by his own refusal to stop pushing forward.
What makes Icarus so affecting is its emotional honesty. Eugenides writes more directly here than in his fiction, allowing himself to be fully present on the page. He does not shy away from contradiction. His feelings toward his father are layered and unresolved, moving between admiration, frustration, tenderness, gratitude, pity and love.
This complexity gives the memoir its weight. Gus is neither mythologised nor diminished. He is allowed to be fully human.
I have not experienced the loss of a parent, but having lost a father figure (step-father and grandfather) in recent years, this book resonated deeply. It felt like a bittersweet reminder of lives well lived and the lasting imprint people leave on us, even when their stories end in uncertainty.
There is something profoundly moving about the way Eugenides captures how parents, despite their flaws, try to protect their children from the hardest parts of life.
One of the most heartbreaking elements of the book is the inclusion of transcripts between Gus and air traffic control during his final flight. Reading or hearing these exchanges strips away any distance. They are calm, procedural and devastating, grounding the memoir in a moment that cannot be undone. It is here that the title fully lands. Not as spectacle, but as a quiet fall.
Icarus is not just a book about loss. It is a meditation on ambition, masculinity, inheritance and the stories we tell ourselves about success. Above all, it is an act of love. A son bearing witness to his father’s life in all its contradictions, and finally allowing himself to sit with the truth.
Beautiful, restrained and deeply human, this is a memoir that lingers long after the final page.
Read more at The Secret Book Review.
Icarus is a quiet, haunting memoir that sits with grief rather than trying to solve it. In this deeply personal book, Jeffrey Eugenides returns to the life and death of his father, Gus, who died in a small plane crash in Florida in 1994.
More than three decades later, Eugenides revisits the story not to sensationalise it, but to understand the man behind it.
Gus was a first generation American who rose from Detroit’s east side to financial success as a mortgage banker and real estate developer. His life reads, in many ways, like a classic American Dream narrative, shaped by ambition, optimism and relentless forward motion. Yet that same drive ultimately led to loss and ruin.
Eugenides gently explores the question that lingers throughout the book. Was his father undone by bad luck, by the systems around him, or by his own refusal to stop pushing forward.
What makes Icarus so affecting is its emotional honesty. Eugenides writes more directly here than in his fiction, allowing himself to be fully present on the page. He does not shy away from contradiction. His feelings toward his father are layered and unresolved, moving between admiration, frustration, tenderness, gratitude, pity and love.
This complexity gives the memoir its weight. Gus is neither mythologised nor diminished. He is allowed to be fully human.
I have not experienced the loss of a parent, but having lost a father figure (step-father and grandfather) in recent years, this book resonated deeply. It felt like a bittersweet reminder of lives well lived and the lasting imprint people leave on us, even when their stories end in uncertainty.
There is something profoundly moving about the way Eugenides captures how parents, despite their flaws, try to protect their children from the hardest parts of life.
One of the most heartbreaking elements of the book is the inclusion of transcripts between Gus and air traffic control during his final flight. Reading or hearing these exchanges strips away any distance. They are calm, procedural and devastating, grounding the memoir in a moment that cannot be undone. It is here that the title fully lands. Not as spectacle, but as a quiet fall.
Icarus is not just a book about loss. It is a meditation on ambition, masculinity, inheritance and the stories we tell ourselves about success. Above all, it is an act of love. A son bearing witness to his father’s life in all its contradictions, and finally allowing himself to sit with the truth.
Beautiful, restrained and deeply human, this is a memoir that lingers long after the final page.
Read more at The Secret Book Review.
January 3, 2026
Such a sad story. Don’t like capture me fully but kept my attention through the whole thing. Very interesting in my opinion.
February 3, 2026
I picked this up as a free read on Audible. It sounded interesting and was something to listen to while doing the day’s housework.
It was interesting. The ending NTSB transcript left me with tears in my eyes. It isn’t a book I’d label as depressing, but it was a story that stays with you for a while after finishing it. It weighs heavy on the heart and mind. There were many parts that brought back memories of when my husband’s father passed suddenly and unexpectedly from an accident on his job. The entire process of picking out a casket, figuring out where to bury him. Then there was the process of cleaning out his house and learning things none of us knew about him. The details were not the same, but that process was so similar that it came back to me so vividly I needed a break to clear my head.
In some ways it was a comfort hearing how someone else dealt with it all so similarly to how my husband and his sister did. I can see why some would not particularly enjoy the book. It’s hard to say that I did, but I am glad I chose to listen to it. It is not something I want to listen to again. I feel I got all I could out of it tge first time. 4.25 stars because it deserves more than 4, but I can’t bring myself to give it a full 5.
As for recommendations, I suggest reading a few reviews and maybe check the free sample and decide for yourself. It’s an interesting 4.5 hr audiobook, well narrated by the author, but it’s not for everyone.
It was interesting. The ending NTSB transcript left me with tears in my eyes. It isn’t a book I’d label as depressing, but it was a story that stays with you for a while after finishing it. It weighs heavy on the heart and mind. There were many parts that brought back memories of when my husband’s father passed suddenly and unexpectedly from an accident on his job. The entire process of picking out a casket, figuring out where to bury him. Then there was the process of cleaning out his house and learning things none of us knew about him. The details were not the same, but that process was so similar that it came back to me so vividly I needed a break to clear my head.
In some ways it was a comfort hearing how someone else dealt with it all so similarly to how my husband and his sister did. I can see why some would not particularly enjoy the book. It’s hard to say that I did, but I am glad I chose to listen to it. It is not something I want to listen to again. I feel I got all I could out of it tge first time. 4.25 stars because it deserves more than 4, but I can’t bring myself to give it a full 5.
As for recommendations, I suggest reading a few reviews and maybe check the free sample and decide for yourself. It’s an interesting 4.5 hr audiobook, well narrated by the author, but it’s not for everyone.
December 28, 2025
I haven't recovered from it to write a proper review yet.
I only recently discovered the author and I'm in love with his ability to make me time travel, to make me remember places I've never been to, and to make me love and care about my family and my heritage more than before.
It's funny, it took an American (Greek American, sure, nevertheless American) to remind me I am Greek.
The loss of my father has cost me.
I don't compare our fathers. They are night and day. I don't compare the way they died or even the impact in our lives their death had.
But there is something about loosing a parent, and there is something about being Greek living abroad that makes words easy, familiar, cozy and close.
I don't know how to articulate the feelings that surfaced during this read. When I do, I'll write a better review.
I only recently discovered the author and I'm in love with his ability to make me time travel, to make me remember places I've never been to, and to make me love and care about my family and my heritage more than before.
It's funny, it took an American (Greek American, sure, nevertheless American) to remind me I am Greek.
The loss of my father has cost me.
I don't compare our fathers. They are night and day. I don't compare the way they died or even the impact in our lives their death had.
But there is something about loosing a parent, and there is something about being Greek living abroad that makes words easy, familiar, cozy and close.
I don't know how to articulate the feelings that surfaced during this read. When I do, I'll write a better review.
February 16, 2026
I enjoyed this short memoir about the knowledge the writer gained after his father’s death. I think most of us discover information not formerly know to us after the loss of our parents but, unlike most, the writer has uncovered that his father had created a business life for himself based on a bit of identity theft. It is not lost on me that his parents took on a Florida address late in life, because Florida is known as the place where people go to reinvent themselves. I am hoping the writer publishes a series of memoirs and may have hinted so toward the end of the book when he compares his own personality to that of his father’s.
January 13, 2026
I just can’t process this the way I should!! Like was there someone else in the plane with him??? What did he mean he was busy doing something else like what was he doing. And your poor mother never said goodbye to him. Was he having an affair??? Where did the money go ??? Why not sue for a more serious investigation i agree the tower dropped the ball
I don’t think I have had so many questions not answered
What happened to the travel agency
Why do people need so many homes
Well thank you for sharing this piece of your life.
I don’t think I have had so many questions not answered
What happened to the travel agency
Why do people need so many homes
Well thank you for sharing this piece of your life.
February 11, 2026
I picked up ‘Icarus’ because it was free on Audible and because ‘Middlesex’ is one of my all-time favorite novels. Win-win!
Jeffrey Eugenides delivers a story that lingers - as do all his books. ‘Icarus’ captures the particular ache of ambiguous loss; the kind where nothing is cleanly broken, but nothing feels whole either. It’s a contemplative read; one that invites you to sit in uncertainty rather than resolve it.
Not my favorite of his work but still thoughtful, layered, and unmistakably Eugenides.
Jeffrey Eugenides delivers a story that lingers - as do all his books. ‘Icarus’ captures the particular ache of ambiguous loss; the kind where nothing is cleanly broken, but nothing feels whole either. It’s a contemplative read; one that invites you to sit in uncertainty rather than resolve it.
Not my favorite of his work but still thoughtful, layered, and unmistakably Eugenides.
February 17, 2026
Icarus is a short, very personal book where Eugenides writes directly about his father and the plane crash that killed him. It isn’t really about the technical details of the accident; it’s about what it feels like to grow up with a charming, unreliable dreamer as a parent and then lose him in such a public way.
The memoir is most powerful when he’s honest about mixed feelings: love, embarrassment, anger, and lingering loyalty all tangled together. By the end, it feels less like a thriller and more like sitting with someone while they finally tell the full, painful truth about their family.
The memoir is most powerful when he’s honest about mixed feelings: love, embarrassment, anger, and lingering loyalty all tangled together. By the end, it feels less like a thriller and more like sitting with someone while they finally tell the full, painful truth about their family.
January 10, 2026
A masterfully written story of a great, ambitious man, provider and head of his family as seen through the eyes of his writer son. The heartbreaking transcript of the last 5 minutes of the father’s life included in the story brought me to tears.
Reflective on the greatness of our parents, their inevitable fall from the tower of invincibility and omnipotence, and the loss their absence leaves us with.
Reflective on the greatness of our parents, their inevitable fall from the tower of invincibility and omnipotence, and the loss their absence leaves us with.
January 18, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
available on Audible only
A short (3+ listening hours), poignant memoir about his father’s rise & fall. Touches on their strained relationship and while I would’ve liked to delve deeper into that, I can understand why the author kept some of the story at arm’s length.
Proceed with caution if you’ve lost a father-figure, lost anyone to a plane crash, or are trigged by mention of suicide.
available on Audible only
A short (3+ listening hours), poignant memoir about his father’s rise & fall. Touches on their strained relationship and while I would’ve liked to delve deeper into that, I can understand why the author kept some of the story at arm’s length.
Proceed with caution if you’ve lost a father-figure, lost anyone to a plane crash, or are trigged by mention of suicide.
January 19, 2026
I don’t read nonfiction often, but I chose this one because I love this author - Middlesex is one of my all-time favorite books. Listening to the audiobook, read by the author himself, added an extra layer of intimacy that I really appreciated.
This was an interesting and quietly sad reflection on a parent who believed deeply in possibility and managed to hold onto a sense of optimism even after losing everything. It’s thoughtful, personal, and bittersweet.
This was an interesting and quietly sad reflection on a parent who believed deeply in possibility and managed to hold onto a sense of optimism even after losing everything. It’s thoughtful, personal, and bittersweet.
December 6, 2025
nice short memoir by one of the greats, about the death of his father - a mortgage/real estate entrepreneur / piloting hobbyist who lost his fortune before losing his life in a plane crash. This was an audiobook only I believe because he analyzes the audio transcript between air traffic control and Gus Eugenides.
January 3, 2026
Jeffrey Eugenides’memoir Icarus is intimate and sincere, but for me it didn’t reach the emotional or literary heights of Middlesex or The Virgin Suicides. The story of his father’s rise, unraveling and tragic death is compelling, but the execution felt quieter and more restrained than I expected from a writer with his usual narrative power.
January 3, 2026
I found this really interesting. I’ve read Eugenides’ novels, and I’ve heard him speak, so I found this backstory interesting. I am also old enough to remember the S&L crisis and the RTC, so that was an interesting tie-in. I thought it was a well-written account of how our perspectives on our parents can evolve over time.
January 10, 2026
I’m not sure why I got so drawn into this one. It’s a true story of his father’s death and parts of his life. It’s not that it’s scandalous or unusual but I guess it’s written with such honesty - a bit like a eulogy, but also when you realize that your parents are flawed people just like all of us.
January 19, 2026
Memoirs on personal topics such as this are hard for me to rate, but as a huge fan of the author I found this short audiobook fascinating. Narration from the author and reenactments of the final transcripts from his father to air traffic control added a personal touch. Definitely a gem included in the audible subscription.
January 28, 2026
Audible version: While it was interesting to hear about Eugenides' father and how he succeeded and then lost almost everything, the story raised more questions than it answered. His father was a business man and seemed to truly enjoy it. And when things didn't go his way, he took it in stride. Interesting listen, but glad it was free.
Read
November 14, 2025An author narrated free “Audible Listen” combined tribute and investigation that shares personal memories, questions, and gratitude along with exploration into the circumstances surrounding his father’s fatal plane crash.
November 20, 2025
What a frustrating, heartbreaking, and tragic situation to have to endure. My heart broke for this family. Then, to hear or read through the transcripts between the pilot (Dad) and the traffic control team . . . Sad.
December 10, 2025
i hadn’t realized how much i’ve missed eugenides. it feels really special to not only hear his voice in 2025, but hear it delivering his memoir. my high school heart is tugged by the insight into the life of the man who wrote the virgin suicides. it’s a short listen but i hung on his every word.
December 16, 2025
A wonderful book about the death of Eugenides's father in a plane crash. The author describes his complicated father with affection and honesty and looks at his death as objectively as he can. Like of of his books, this one is beautifully written and ultimately very touching.
January 3, 2026
The author processes his father’s passing. It felt real, but stoic, formulaic and lacked the narrative power I’d expect from Eugenides— for me, too much about credit ratings and business tactics and not enough feeling. The ending prose is lovely, but the rest wasn’t worth it.
November 13, 2025
A candid and poignant exploration of intimate family dynamics.
November 14, 2025
Losing my dad made this relatable. There were many moments where tears sprang to my eyes.
November 24, 2025
A quick listen that will also break your heart.
November 24, 2025
Decent, not long, somewhat intriguing at times but slow at others. Narration was good, appreciated that the narration was the author and the story was about his father.
December 1, 2025
This one is a slow burn. A poignant meditation on the author's father's life. Especially poignant to this guy who has an aging father who was anything but a black-and-white character.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews