Tournament of Books discussion

Space to discuss the 2025 TOB contender The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck.

I’m just two stories into this, but I’m loving it. I’m not sure why, but there’s something about it that made me relax into it, if that makes sense. I don’t usually read short stories, and I’m wondering if this will end up as my favorite of the books i wouldn’t have read if not for the Tournament.

I’m 5 stories in, I believe, and enjoying it. Not sure it will stick with me though.

This was my zombie vote; I listened to it over a road trip up to Massachusetts, which was the perfect setting. I just adored it, and I would never ~never~ have picked this up if it hadn't been longlisted and available on audio from my library immediately before the trip! And twenty days later, I still think about it. I might reread some stories as I drive up to MA again tomorrow! But I have another shortlister I'm getting through so maybe not...

I absolutely loved this one. I listened to the audiobook, and it was really excellent. Full cast.

Oh man I loved the audiobook of this one SO MUCH. Margo is my top fave, as of now, but this one is right behind it. It was such a surprise for me to love a book of short stories like this. Typically there's one or two stories that fall flat or that I don't like, but this one was no skips.

It's my zombie vote too, as soon as I saw the shortlist (even the longlist) I was gunning for it, one of my top five reads this year. Can interconnected short stories win? It would be a first, right? But it deserves all the roosters.

Adding to the praise for the audiobook. I'm not really an audiobook person, but that's what the library had for loan and I'm finding that I'm really engrossed in it so far. Great cast of readers.

This will probably end up being my favorite discovery of the ToB. Like others have said, I never would have read (listened) this if not for the Tourney, and I'm so glad I did. Listening to each story has been transcendent in a way that I can't quite capture, and I'm glad I did so on a road trip so that I could really sink into each story. What a find!

I’m four stories in and have just discovered the audiobook. Some other funny discoveries not related to the contents of the stories: the author is married to Jenny Slate, he owns the oldest general store in NE, The History of Sound has already been optioned as a movie, and it’s going to be a historical war romance starring Paul Mescal. I don’t know why all those details struck me as funny but they did.

I also love this book, btw.

This was nice! I'm not sure the stories tied together all that well - beyond the paired ones - but there were definitely some good ones. Didn't blow me away, but it was a good read.

Damn, there's a lot of wistful and sad people throughout the history of New England.

Zachary wrote: "Damn, there's a lot of wistful and sad people throughout the history of New England."

It seems strange when you think about how joyful a people the puritans were.

I enjoyed this a lot. It's tough when the first story is your fave.

Tim wrote: "Zachary wrote: "Damn, there's a lot of wistful and sad people throughout the history of New England."

It seems strange when you think about how joyful a people the puritans were."

Bwahahaha

Yup, another great book from this year's list. The Book Censor's Library was my #1 up until now, but this one has probably surpassed it. Reminiscent to me of North Woods and Cloud Atlas. Discovering books like these are why I stick with the ToB, gritting my teeth through the Sally Rooney years.

Yes! I found myself thinking of The North Woods numerous times while listening to this one. Though North Woods has my heart forever.

North Woods and also Olive Kitteridge! New Englanders love to write poignant but unsentimental short stories about vaguely connected people living in semi-rural areas! <3

Kristen, thank you for those tidbits! Love it!

Just finished and this jumped to my favorite of the books I've read so far. I loved it so much that I read a couple of them twice to go back and capture some of the connecting details that I missed the first time.

My favorite re-read was reading the first one, History of Sound, after finishing the last one, Origins. Reading it a second time right after Origins really hit me hard.

I also loved the Auk stories The Dietzens stories, and the lumberjacks stories. Ok so like almost all of them lol.

And yep, I was thinking of North Woods as well, which I also loved.

FYI: Paul Mescal will be in the adaptation: https://variety.com/2021/film/global/...

I just finished this last night. I didn't want it to end.

Bob wrote: "FYI: Paul Mescal will be in the adaptation: https://variety.com/2021/film/global/..."

I loved the story. I’m so glad to see it will be a movie. I wonder how they’ll handle the ending. I wanted more in the last story of the book.

Has anyone figured out who reads each story? Chris Cooper & Nick Offerman were easy to pick out, but I haven't been able to sort the rest.


ETA: I just discovered the very end of the audiobook lists all the people who read each story.

The History of Sound - Chris Cooper
Edwin Chase of Nantucket - Paul Mescal
The Silver Clip - Ben Shattuck
Graft - Jenny Slate
Tundra Swan - Ed Helms
August in the Forest - Zachary Chastain
The Journal of Thomas Thurber - Nick Offerman
Radiolab: "Singularities" - Dion Graham, Stephen Jay Cohen, Ellen Adair, Dawn Harvey, Jim Seybert
The Auk - Ed Helms
The Children of New Eden - Zachary Chastain
Introduction to the Dietzens - Nick Offerman
Origin Stories - Rebecca Lowman

I really loved this book and it may just be my favorite at this point, though I have a few more to read.

Definitely my #1.

I finished this book yesterday. Initially, I'd picked up the audiobook and after the first story, I'd set it aside and gotten a paper copy because I'm not great with audiobooks and wanted to not miss anything. And now, reading through the comments here, I'll have to go back and listen to the stories after all.

I'm hoping that this underdog beats Orbital.

i picked this up because Josh O'Connor is in the movie /o/ I did really like it though.

Finally was swayed by all the hype and listened to this gorgeous collection. Very much reminded me of Lydia Millet's Atavist which released earlier this year.