
Lit
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Mary Karr
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By:
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Mary Karr
About this listen
Lit follows Mary Karr's descent into the inferno of alcoholism and madness - and her astonishing resurrection. Karr's longing for a solid family seems secure when her marriage to a handsome, Shakespeare-quoting poet produces a son they adore. But she can't outrun her apocalyptic past. She drinks herself into the same numbness that nearly devoured her charismatic but troubled mother, reaching the brink of suicide. A hair-raising stint in "The Mental Marriott" awakens her to the possibility of joy, and leads her to an unlikely faith.
Lit is about getting drunk and getting sober; becoming a mother by letting go of a mother; learning to write by learning to live. It is a truly electrifying story of how to grow up - as only Mary Karr can tell it.
©2009 Mary Karr (P)2010 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
Mary Karr’s courageous, enthralling memoir Lit chronicles in unsparing detail her struggle to accept her addiction to alcohol and her truly inspiring resurrection. But like her other best-selling memoir, The Liar’s Club, Karr expertly avoids treading into maudlin, movie-of-the-week territory. That’s because of her keen eye for detail, sharp wit, and expertly-written sentences - all of which sparkle like diamonds in Karr’s no-nonsense performance of her own carefully-chosen words.
Hearing an author read her work always adds a special thrill to the book, especially in this case. Karr is not just writing about a crucial time in her life, a time when she found her voice as a writer, got married, started a family, and everything seemed to be going her way…until her life unraveled. In Lit, Karr confides her inner-most thoughts and fears about actions and events most people would probably never confess to their parish priest. That might explain why her voice sometimes sounds annoyed or irritated. It’s like she can’t believe she actually did the things she did, looking back now as someone sober and stable.
Credit Karr for also dispelling the myth perpetuated by many mainstream movies (sorry, Crazy Heart) that most addicts magically achieve sobriety and never look back. Karr recounts with rigorous honesty one relapse after another and her serious suicidal thoughts after being sober for months and winning a prestigious literary prize. It sounds illogical, but, as Karr explains, “If you live in the dark a long time and the sun comes out, you do not cross into it whistling.” Reading lines like this, Karr reveals a sweet, tender side, often concealed beneath her brassy, Texas twang.
But no matter the tone, Karr’s pitch-perfect choice of words and her sharpshooter’s eye for detail will dazzle anyone who appreciates the fine art of outstanding writing. Karr’s sure-handed voice both literally and figuratively enables Lit to transcend the factual boundaries of confessional memoirs and enter the pantheon of first-class literature. Thank you, Mary Karr, for having the courage and the craft to share with us your truly inspiring story, one spectacular sentence at a time. Ken Ross
Critic reviews
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Story
Long before she earned accolades for her genre-defining memoirs, Mary Karr was winning poetry prizes. Now the beloved author returns with a collection of bracing poems as visceral and deeply felt and hilarious as her memoirs. In Tropic of Squalor, Karr dares to address the numinous - that mystery some of us hope toward in secret, or maybe dare to pray to. The "squalor" of meaninglessness that every thoughtful person wrestles with sits at the core of human suffering, and Karr renders it with power - illness, death, love’s agonized disappointments.
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Beautiful, haunting and unmistakably Mary!
- By Jennifer S. Leblanc on 08-30-18
By: Mary Karr
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Drunk-ish
- A Memoir of Loving and Leaving Alcohol
- By: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
- Narrated by: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, alcohol was the seasoning that could give almost any activity more flavor—from liquor cabinet concoctions in high school to tequila shots in her early stand-up comedy days to grocery store wine in young motherhood. A drink instantly took the edge off and made even the most difficult adversary (be it a tough crowd in a comedy club or a judgmental PTA mom) not just bearable but fun.
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So relatable even though I'm not a Mom
- By RUFtotheRESCUE on 07-20-24
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Dry
- A Memoir
- By: Augusten Burroughs
- Narrated by: Augusten Burroughs
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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At the request (well, it wasn't really a request) of his employers, Augusten lands in rehab, where his dreams of group therapy with Robert Downey Jr. are immediately dashed by grim reality of fluorescent lighting and paper hospital slippers. When Augusten is forced to examine himself, he finds himself in the worst trouble of all. Because when his thirty days are up, he has to return to his same drunken Manhattan life - and live it sober. Dry is the story of love, loss, and Starbucks as a Higher Power
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Sobriety with a sense of style....
- By heidi on 09-28-03
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Glorious Rock Bottom
- By: Bryony Gordon
- Narrated by: Bryony Gordon
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Bryony Gordon is a respected journalist, a number one best-selling author and an award-winning mental health campaigner. She is also an alcoholic. In Glorious Rock Bottom Bryony opens up about a toxic 20-year relationship with alcohol and drugs and explains exactly why hitting rock bottom - for her, a traumatic event and the abrupt realisation that she was putting herself in danger, time and again - saved her life.
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absolutely fabulous ⭐
- By pixie on 03-05-23
By: Bryony Gordon
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Now Go Out There
- By: Mary Karr
- Narrated by: Mary Karr
- Length: 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Every year there are one or two commencement speeches that strike a chord with audiences far greater than the student bodies for which they are intended. In 2015 Mary Karr's speech to the graduating class of Syracuse University caught fire, hailed across the Internet as one of the most memorable in recent years and lighting up the Twittersphere. In Now Go Out There, Karr explains why having your heart broken is just as important as - if not more important than - falling in love.
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I can’t win
- By Belle on 07-26-18
By: Mary Karr
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The Sober Diaries
- How One Woman Stopped Drinking and Started Living
- By: Clare Pooley
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Like many women, Clare Pooley found the juggle of a stressful career and family life a struggle, so she left her successful role as a managing partner in one of the world's biggest advertising agencies to look after her family. She knew the change wouldn't be easy, but she never expected to find herself an overweight, depressed, middle-aged mother of three who was drinking more than a bottle of wine a day and spending her evenings Googling 'am I an alcoholic?'
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The performance makes this one worthwhile...
- By River Holmes-miller on 04-24-18
By: Clare Pooley
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Girl Walks Out of a Bar
- A Memoir
- By: Lisa F. Smith
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Lisa Smith was a bright young lawyer at a prestigious law firm in New York City when alcoholism and drug addiction took over her life. What was once a way she escaped her insecurity and negativity as a teenager became a means of coping with the anxiety and stress of an impossible workload. Girl Walks Out of a Bar explores Smith's formative years, her decade of alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, and her road to recovery.
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A Good Look At The Dual-Diagnosis...
- By Gillian on 06-14-17
By: Lisa F. Smith
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Smashed
- Story of a Drunken Girlhood
- By: Koren Zailckas
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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From earliest experimentation to habitual excess to full-blown abuse, 24-year-old Koren Zailckas leads us through her experience of a terrifying trend among young girls, exploring how binge drinking becomes routine, how it becomes "the usual". With the stylistic freshness of a poet and the dramatic gifts of a novelist, Zailckas describes her first sip at 14, alcohol poisoning at 16, blacked-out sexual experience at 19, and total disorientation after waking up in an unfamiliar New York City apartment at 22.
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Smashed
- By John Riggs on 07-14-05
By: Koren Zailckas
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Guts
- The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster
- By: Kristen Johnston
- Narrated by: Kristen Johnston
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The two-time Emmy Award-winning actress has written her first book, a surprisingly raw and triumphant memoir that is outrageous, moving, sweet, tragic, and heartbreakingly honest. Guts is a true triumph - a memoir that manages to be as frank and revealing as Augusten Burroughs, yet as hilarious and witty as David Sedaris.
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Whiskey and cigarettes have never sounded so good.
- By John Campbell on 05-14-12
By: Kristen Johnston
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My Fair Junkie
- A Memoir of Getting Dirty and Staying Clean
- By: Amy Dresner
- Narrated by: Amy Dresner
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In the tradition of Orange Is the New Black and Jerry Stahl's Permanent Midnight, Amy Dresner's My Fair Junkie is an insightful, darkly funny, and shamelessly honest memoir of one woman's battle with all forms of addiction, hitting rock bottom, and forging a path to a life worth living.
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if you don't read this I'll brandish a bread knife
- By Jackie Lange on 03-02-18
By: Amy Dresner
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Between Breaths
- A Memoir of Panic and Addiction
- By: Elizabeth Vargas
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vargas
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Beloved former ABC 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas reveals her alcohol addiction and anxiety disorder in a shockingly honest and emotional memoir. From the moment she uttered the brave and honest words, "I am an alcoholic," to interviewer George Stephanopoulos, Elizabeth Vargas began writing her story, as her experiences were still raw. Now, in Between Breaths, Vargas discusses her accounts of growing up with anxiety—which began suddenly at the age of six when her father served in Vietnam.
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Brave and Beautiful
- By LAFalls on 09-14-16
By: Elizabeth Vargas
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Quitter
- A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery
- By: Erica C. Barnett
- Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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A startlingly frank memoir, Quitter documents one woman's struggles with alcoholism and recovery, with essential new insights into addiction and treatment.
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Long Drunkaloug But Well Defined
- By Danielle T on 11-16-20
By: Erica C. Barnett
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How to Murder Your Life
- A Memoir
- By: Cat Marnell
- Narrated by: Cat Marnell
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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From Cat Marnell, "New York's enfant terrible" ( The Telegraph), a candid and darkly humorous memoir of prescription drug addiction and self-sabotage, set in the glamorous world of fashion magazines and downtown nightclubs.
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nice book
- By Taylor on 03-14-17
By: Cat Marnell
What listeners say about Lit
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Pixie0824
- 04-24-19
Dark and Real
Mary’s voice adds to the exhaustive reality of an all too common life. I resonate so much with her story of a life begun in the American south. Alcohol is insidious and almost impossible to avoid. It colors a life like bright red blood that dries into a dark red, ugly stain.
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- K. Russell
- 07-30-12
Strong Memoir & Fantastic Narration by Mary Karr!
If you could sum up Lit in three words, what would they be?
Compelling. Interesting. Honest.
What did you like best about this story?
I loved how this story didn't just discuss Karr's alcohol addiction, but also how she made her way as a writer and author during this time. You didn't just get "Lit" in regards to being drunk, but also in regards to "literary." I found that aspect of her early life as a writer even more interesting than her addiction.
What does Mary Karr bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Having Mary Karr read her own story really gave me a sense of place and person. Mary's voice, with its slight southern accent, really added to the nuances of the words and narration. I feel as if I got so much more out of this listening to her read her memoir to me than to read it myself. It was so compelling, I'd find myself doing chores around the house just so I could keep listening to it in on my iPod!
Any additional comments?
If you like a good story by someone who isn't afraid to share it all, to show herself in an unflattering light, and appreciate the writer's life, you'll love this.
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- Bearcat
- 12-05-19
Wow!
I enjoyed this book so much!!! I was not familiar with Ms. Karr prior to listening to this book and as a Syracuse native, I was to find out that she’s practically in my own back yard! I enjoyed her humorous approach, sarcastic candor and just overall real-ness. She tells her story in such a way that it makes you feel like you were there for each situation or encounter that she describes. It’s a long but fantastic listen!
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- Angela
- 11-18-19
moving
wonderfully narrated by the author. thoughtful and funny. one of my favorite reads so far.
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- David O. Cutright
- 04-28-12
I thought it was kinda whiny and fake.
Would you try another book from Mary Karr and/or Mary Karr?
No, I don't think I'll try another book by Mary Karr. I mistakenly thought this was the memoir of an average Jane who overcame struggles with alcoholism, but she is a professional memoirist and a college prof to boot. If you take away all the literary fluff the book would be about 6 or 7 hours long. I actually wish I could personally call her and ask for my money back and tell her I think she is a big fake. Due to the fact that she is a professional I kept wondering if she was just hyping up her alcoholism and after about 3 minutes of her admittance into the mental hospital she is complaining about being there like some angsty kid.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Her narration was flat and unenethusastic, I thought it was whiny because she doesn't sound thankful at all for her success.
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- TTT
- 01-16-23
Excellent
Mary Carr’s style of writing and storytelling grabs the readers instantly, taking us from tears to laughter to introspection, all in one short paragraph. Pure joy to have her narrate.
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- Michael J Murphy
- 11-09-23
Excellent
Loved this just as I loved her previous memoirs :) definitely recommend listening to or reading !
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- Terri
- 01-05-25
I felt like I was watching a movie, not listening
I am reviewing both The Liars’ Club and Lit. Reading them both is a requirement. Her writing is truly captivating and so smart, a true storyteller. It draws me in and makes me feel every emotion she intended. The way she expresses her thoughts at times left me in tears and wanting more. Did she ever hear from the people in her hometown after the books were published? One last thing. Warning to all readers – After listening to Mary Karr’s writing, don’t be surprised if the next few books you read/listen to seem poorly written. Her writing is scary smart.
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- Mary Beth Kierstead
- 03-08-10
More than just an alcoholic tale
I loved Mary Karr's other two memoirs (which I read in print)and was so excited to see this one out and in her own voice. She explores this time using small moments which she captures so well- Her prose are poetically descriptive. She is brutally honest about her alcoholism without dwelling so much on the gore of her drinking. I found myself identifying with her as a modern mother and wife but you don't have to either to appreciate this story. She does talk about finding god which I thought would be annoying but really wasn't.
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- jackie
- 12-09-13
Very True Thoughts in the Life of Addiction
Would you consider the audio edition of Lit to be better than the print version?
I enjoyed the audible version
Who was your favorite character and why?
Mary Karrs Mother, She was eccentric and had the biology to make an eccentric child
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I laughed and cried
Any additional comments?
Beginning was a little slow, the end was marvelous
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