First Person: A novel

by Richard Flanagan Narrated by David Linski

Overview

Kif Kehlmann, a young, penniless writer, thinks he's finally caught a break when he's offered $10,000 to ghostwrite the memoir of Siegfried “Ziggy” Heidl, the notorious con man and corporate criminal. Ziggy is about to go to trial for defrauding banks for $700 million; they have six weeks to write the book.
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But Ziggy swiftly proves almost impossible to work with: evasive, contradictory, and easily distracted by his still-running “business concerns”-which Kif worries may involve hiring hitmen from their shared office. Worse, Kif finds himself being pulled into an odd, hypnotic, and ever-closer orbit of all things Ziggy. As the deadline draws near, Kif becomes increasingly unsure if he is ghostwriting a memoir, or if Ziggy is rewriting him-his life, his future, and the very nature of the truth.
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By turns comic, compelling, and finally chilling, First Person is a haunting look at an age where fact is indistinguishable from fiction, and freedom is traded for a false idea of progress.

Editorial Reviews

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile

Flanagan’s novel comes to life because of narrator David Linski’s ability to transform its characters into people listeners can relate to. The audiobook focuses on poverty-stricken writer Kif Kehlmann, who agrees to ghostwrite the memoir of Siegfried Heidl, a criminal with a history of fraud and other crimes. Linski is adept at gently exposing the internal conflict that arises as Kehlmann tries to determine whether he is writing a story, becoming part of it, or being manipulated in other ways. Linski does so using a deft mix of inflection and tone that work to bring out Kehlmann’s varying emotions and create a fascinating experience for listeners. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile

Flanagan’s novel comes to life because of narrator David Linski’s ability to transform its characters into people listeners can relate to. The audiobook focuses on poverty-stricken writer Kif Kehlmann, who agrees to ghostwrite the memoir of Siegfried Heidl, a criminal with a history of fraud and other crimes. Linski is adept at gently exposing the internal conflict that arises as Kehlmann tries to determine whether he is writing a story, becoming part of it, or being manipulated in other ways. Linski does so using a deft mix of inflection and tone that work to bring out Kehlmann’s varying emotions and create a fascinating experience for listeners. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169267815
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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