The End of the World as We Know It, Robert Goolrick
The End of the World as We Know It, Robert Goolrick
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The End of the World as We Know It
Scenes from a Life

Author: Robert Goolrick

Narrator: Peter Berkrot

Unabridged: 6 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/26/2018

Synopsis

It was the 1950s, a time of calm, a time when all things were new and everything seemed possible. A few years before, a noble war had been won, and now life had returned to normal. For one little boy, however, life had become anything but "normal." To all appearances, he and his family lived an almost idyllic life. The father was a respected professor, the mother a witty and elegant lady, someone everyone loved. They were parents to three bright, smiling children: two boys and a girl. They lived on a sunny street in a small college town nestled neatly in a leafy valley. They gave parties, hosted picnics, went to church—just like their neighbors. To all appearances, their life seemed ideal. But it was, in fact, all appearances. Lineage, tradition, making the right impression—these were matters of great importance, especially to the mother. But behind the facade this family had created lurked secrets so dark, so painful for this one little boy, that his life would never be the same. It is through the eyes of that boy—a grown man now, revisiting that time—that we see this seemingly serene world and watch as it slowly comes completely and irrevocably undone.

Contains mature themes.

About Robert Goolrick

Robert Goolrick's first novel, A Reliable Wife, has sold over one million copies worldwide; he is also the author of the novels Heading Out to Wonderful, The Dying of the Light, and The Fall of Princes. He lives in Maryland.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Carrie on November 17, 2010

I heard Mr. Goolrick on my local NPR affiliate and was intrigued by his story. The book is beautifully written, a fine description of the world of the white South. Great details, a boozy, journey through childhood memory. The complaint of other reviewers that this book was too depressive and negative......more

Goodreads review by Badly Drawn Girl on January 21, 2010

I didn't know what I was getting into when I picked up this book. It was like I picked up a ticking bomb without knowing it. I grew up in a chaotic, dysfunctional family where I never felt safe. I was constantly trying to crack the code and make things better in my family. Eventually I just wished I......more

Goodreads review by Jen on August 07, 2007

Perhaps the people who wrote reviews for the back cover of this book read something completely different than what I checked out from the library, but who knows? The first third of the book was wonderful (perhaps this is all you have to read to write a back cover review) and Mr. Goolrick really set......more

Goodreads review by Miriam on March 13, 2010

I'm only giving this book 3 stars only because any normal person couldn't say "I loved it" because everything about it is so awful. Not the writing, I mean, but all of the events in the memoir. Goolrick's memories are so raw, fresh, and gritty, the reader can actually feel the pain. That is what I r......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on August 06, 2012

I recently listened to an interview with Robert Goolrick on a Twin Cities radio show and it's obvious he is a sensitive, intelligent and elegant man. He was promoting his latest book and mentioned how this memoir was published. His story reads like a dream in parts and clearly a nightmare in others;......more

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