What do you think?
Rate this book
The Moth
The first collection from celebrated storytelling phenomenon The Moth presents fifty spellbinding, soul-bearing stories selected from their extensive archive.
With tales from writer Malcolm Gladwell's wedding toast gone horribly awry; legendary rapper Darryl "DMC" McDaniels' obsession with a Sarah McLachlan song; poker champion Annie Duke's two million-dollar hand; and A. E. Hotchner's death-defying stint in a bullring . . . with his friend Ernest Hemingway. Read about the panic of former Clinton Press Secretary Joe Lockhart when he misses Air Force One after a hard night of drinking in Moscow, and Dr. George Lombardi's fight to save Mother Teresa's life. Inspired by friends telling stories on a porch, The Moth was born in small-town Georgia, garnered a cult following in New York City, and then rose to national acclaim with the wildly popular podcast and Peabody Award-winning weekly public radio show The Moth Radio Hour.
A beloved read for Moth enthusiasts and all who savor well-told, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories.
With tales from writer Malcolm Gladwell's wedding toast gone horribly awry; legendary rapper Darryl "DMC" McDaniels' obsession with a Sarah McLachlan song; poker champion Annie Duke's two million-dollar hand; and A. E. Hotchner's death-defying stint in a bullring . . . with his friend Ernest Hemingway. Read about the panic of former Clinton Press Secretary Joe Lockhart when he misses Air Force One after a hard night of drinking in Moscow, and Dr. George Lombardi's fight to save Mother Teresa's life. Inspired by friends telling stories on a porch, The Moth was born in small-town Georgia, garnered a cult following in New York City, and then rose to national acclaim with the wildly popular podcast and Peabody Award-winning weekly public radio show The Moth Radio Hour.
A beloved read for Moth enthusiasts and all who savor well-told, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories.
410 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Catherine Burns
3 books69 followersCatherine Burns is artistic director of The Moth and the editor of The Moth: 50 True Stories, The Moth Presents All These Wonders, and The Moth Presents Occasional Magic.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 517 reviews
September 14, 2016
An unbelievably awesome collection of fifty true stories, The Moth is the first book that I've read that I can unabashedly, enthusiastically, recommend to absolutely anyone and everyone. Far surpassing a giant bag of Hershey's Miniatures, this genuinely has something for everyone.
This book pulls 50 stories from the archives of the not-for-profit organization The Moth; which was founded in 1997 and dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. You may have heard one or more of the thousands of stories, historically told live, without notes by varied individuals from all backgrounds, to a packed audience on your NPR station. If not, I bet you, like me, will end up searching for at least one in the archives after reading his/her story.
Story tellers range from Darryl of Run DMC, to acclaimed reporter, one of 2005 Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, Malcolm Gladwell. We hear from an airline stewardess, a man who worked a record-setting four years as a volunteer for a suicide hot-line, and the one that I've retold the most: a dad, desperately trying to communicate with his teen-aged son and grossly misunderstanding, therefore constantly misusing, "LOL".
I will share a word of warning. If you are like me and my new Goodreads bud, JM Snyder, you read books in public. In this case, maybe have a travel pack of tissues handy, because some storytellers will move you to tears, and others will have you laughing until the tears are rolling down your cheeks. Sure, you might make a spectacle of yourself, but think of the exposure you're giving the book! Totally worth it.
This little treasure is particularly special to me because it is one of the few books not listed on my To Read list. Rather, this is a result of my visit to my very favourite indie bookstore, Fountain Bookstore. Avid readers all get that feeling of wanting something totally different once in a while and when I do, I head to Fountain. The shelves packed with staff recommendations never fail me, and more often than not, provide me with exactly this type of reward.
If you are ready for something different, and/or if you are in the mood to give a friend a fabulous gift, grab a copy of The Moth. I promise that you will be glad you did.
A huge shout-out, thank you to Fountain for always stocking refreshing, brilliant books that I may not otherwise have discovered!
This book pulls 50 stories from the archives of the not-for-profit organization The Moth; which was founded in 1997 and dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. You may have heard one or more of the thousands of stories, historically told live, without notes by varied individuals from all backgrounds, to a packed audience on your NPR station. If not, I bet you, like me, will end up searching for at least one in the archives after reading his/her story.
Story tellers range from Darryl of Run DMC, to acclaimed reporter, one of 2005 Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, Malcolm Gladwell. We hear from an airline stewardess, a man who worked a record-setting four years as a volunteer for a suicide hot-line, and the one that I've retold the most: a dad, desperately trying to communicate with his teen-aged son and grossly misunderstanding, therefore constantly misusing, "LOL".
I will share a word of warning. If you are like me and my new Goodreads bud, JM Snyder, you read books in public. In this case, maybe have a travel pack of tissues handy, because some storytellers will move you to tears, and others will have you laughing until the tears are rolling down your cheeks. Sure, you might make a spectacle of yourself, but think of the exposure you're giving the book! Totally worth it.
This little treasure is particularly special to me because it is one of the few books not listed on my To Read list. Rather, this is a result of my visit to my very favourite indie bookstore, Fountain Bookstore. Avid readers all get that feeling of wanting something totally different once in a while and when I do, I head to Fountain. The shelves packed with staff recommendations never fail me, and more often than not, provide me with exactly this type of reward.
If you are ready for something different, and/or if you are in the mood to give a friend a fabulous gift, grab a copy of The Moth. I promise that you will be glad you did.
A huge shout-out, thank you to Fountain for always stocking refreshing, brilliant books that I may not otherwise have discovered!
June 16, 2019
I don't even like short stories - always find them too brief to be satisfying, and this was a book of 50 of them. I would never have read them if someone on Goodreads hadn't recommended them.
These were by far the most enjoyable that I have ever read - I think the difference was that they were all true stories and some of them were so revealing and personal. They were typically only four or five pages each but I lost count of the times when I thought I'd just read one as I only had a few minutes to spare and ended up reading four or five. Most of them made me sit and reflect on them afterwards and I can't remember one that disappointed.
Don't you love it when Goodreads turns up an unexpected gem that you wouldn't have otherwise gone anywhere near? Thanks Kate for putting me on to this!
Off to find some more "The Moth" short story collections now.
These were by far the most enjoyable that I have ever read - I think the difference was that they were all true stories and some of them were so revealing and personal. They were typically only four or five pages each but I lost count of the times when I thought I'd just read one as I only had a few minutes to spare and ended up reading four or five. Most of them made me sit and reflect on them afterwards and I can't remember one that disappointed.
Don't you love it when Goodreads turns up an unexpected gem that you wouldn't have otherwise gone anywhere near? Thanks Kate for putting me on to this!
Off to find some more "The Moth" short story collections now.
November 10, 2013
I'm a big fan of
The Moth
. Ever since a friend introduced me to the podcast in May 2012, I've listened to every show and attended every local event I could. Despite that, I was originally uninterested in the book — the spoken medium doesn't always translate well to transcription. But a promotion offered two $18 tickets to their next show when preordering the $10 book, so I picked it up as a money-saving move.
The book contains 50 stories that they promise aren't necessarily the best, but are those that lend themselves well to the written word, with only light editing. These stories are taken from the mainstage show and thus are told by the likes of President Clinton's press secretary, astronaut Michael Massimino, rapper Run DMC, and others. Although these stories had at their core values we can all relate to — being alone, being afraid — I still found it a bit hard to penetrate the world of celebrity. (That some of the stories are by Moth staff, and the book has a preface, a forward, and an introduction, further contributes to the self-congratulatory air.)
I'd previously heard 14 of the 50 stories on the audio podcast so skipped those. The ones I did read, I could tell they were originally spoken: plenty of sentences begin with "And", I don't think much would've been lost if these transitions had been eliminated in the editing.
This ain't a bad book — but for the true experience, The Moth should be heard, not seen.
The book contains 50 stories that they promise aren't necessarily the best, but are those that lend themselves well to the written word, with only light editing. These stories are taken from the mainstage show and thus are told by the likes of President Clinton's press secretary, astronaut Michael Massimino, rapper Run DMC, and others. Although these stories had at their core values we can all relate to — being alone, being afraid — I still found it a bit hard to penetrate the world of celebrity. (That some of the stories are by Moth staff, and the book has a preface, a forward, and an introduction, further contributes to the self-congratulatory air.)
I'd previously heard 14 of the 50 stories on the audio podcast so skipped those. The ones I did read, I could tell they were originally spoken: plenty of sentences begin with "And", I don't think much would've been lost if these transitions had been eliminated in the editing.
This ain't a bad book — but for the true experience, The Moth should be heard, not seen.
October 2, 2017
All great stories but the best way to enjoy is to listen
to The Moth podcasts where you can hear these great oral
storytellers.
to The Moth podcasts where you can hear these great oral
storytellers.
January 21, 2014
This book of short stories does what I think a great book of short stories should: delivers stories that are truly short (a few pages at most) that offer variety in terms of subject matter, tone, and/or style, while maintaining a singular premise that links them all together. Of course, the singular premise for that serves to link these stories is simple: they were all originally part of the oral tradition that is The Moth. Of course, those oral stories were all told within a time regulated time limit, so that helped to keep them brief. And it's not hard to make the stories different and unique when each one is told by a different author. So the book is, almost by default, the type of collection of short stories I adore.
I would have given this book five stars if it weren't for one glaring flaw: the unnecessary use of "star power." Now, I understand that a lay person who has never heard of The Moth probably won't be enticed by this book at a bookstore until they read "Malcolm Gladwell" or "Darrell 'DMC' McDaniels" or another famous name on the cover. Unfortunately, just because they're famous doesn't mean they can write, and even if they're writers, that doesn't mean they can tell a short story. In my opinion, these "celebrity" authored pieces were the weakest in the collection. However, as a marketer myself, I understand the reasoning behind it--I just don't like it.
My only other gripe is that I had heard at least a third of the stories already, on The Moth podcast. Some of them I reread and enjoyed all over again, but others I skipped, in favor of discovering a new story. This was of course unavoidable--based on how the stories were collected in the first place--but as a reader and a Moth listener, I was slightly put off.
All in all, though, a fantastic book full of stories that were well worth putting to paper.
I would have given this book five stars if it weren't for one glaring flaw: the unnecessary use of "star power." Now, I understand that a lay person who has never heard of The Moth probably won't be enticed by this book at a bookstore until they read "Malcolm Gladwell" or "Darrell 'DMC' McDaniels" or another famous name on the cover. Unfortunately, just because they're famous doesn't mean they can write, and even if they're writers, that doesn't mean they can tell a short story. In my opinion, these "celebrity" authored pieces were the weakest in the collection. However, as a marketer myself, I understand the reasoning behind it--I just don't like it.
My only other gripe is that I had heard at least a third of the stories already, on The Moth podcast. Some of them I reread and enjoyed all over again, but others I skipped, in favor of discovering a new story. This was of course unavoidable--based on how the stories were collected in the first place--but as a reader and a Moth listener, I was slightly put off.
All in all, though, a fantastic book full of stories that were well worth putting to paper.
January 14, 2015
An exquisite collection of stories told by a variety of individuals at The Moth. The collection is nearly perfection and certainly an art form at its very best. There was not one story which didn't captivate me.
"Storytelling, story- sharing, tale- bearing in the good sense, yarn- spinning. A lot of its success has to do, as always in life, with much preparation and calculation beneath the seeming spontaneity. For all their seeming inconsequence and improvisational air, a good Moth story is as carefully prepped and cultivated as a bonsai tree, with the same understanding that the miniature form, far more fragile than the bigger kind, needs more constant tending. You have a little stage space to waste in a two- hour play, but there’s not a second that doesn’t have to count in a ten- minute story. A good story, we’re reminded, is shaped, plotted, rehearsed. The best guy on the porch was planning his tale right through dinner. A good story needs an A plot and usually a B plot, and then, if it’s to “levitate the room,” to use the lovely expression the women of The Moth use themselves, it almost always needs some last rising touch, a note of pathos or self- recognition or poetic benediction, to lift the story, however briefly, into the realm of fable or symbol."
"Storytelling, story- sharing, tale- bearing in the good sense, yarn- spinning. A lot of its success has to do, as always in life, with much preparation and calculation beneath the seeming spontaneity. For all their seeming inconsequence and improvisational air, a good Moth story is as carefully prepped and cultivated as a bonsai tree, with the same understanding that the miniature form, far more fragile than the bigger kind, needs more constant tending. You have a little stage space to waste in a two- hour play, but there’s not a second that doesn’t have to count in a ten- minute story. A good story, we’re reminded, is shaped, plotted, rehearsed. The best guy on the porch was planning his tale right through dinner. A good story needs an A plot and usually a B plot, and then, if it’s to “levitate the room,” to use the lovely expression the women of The Moth use themselves, it almost always needs some last rising touch, a note of pathos or self- recognition or poetic benediction, to lift the story, however briefly, into the realm of fable or symbol."
September 29, 2013
The fifty stories in this volume are drawn from the thousands told at The Moth events around the country. They are presented as originally told, with no notes, before an audience, with only the barest minimum of editing. As a devotee of The Moth, I heard many of the stories when they were broadcast, and this collection -- the first of many, I hope -- has some of my favorites. In most cases, after reading one, I think: "Wow. That's the quintessential Moth story!" And so on, throughout the book. :-)
If you don't have The Moth available on your public radio station, it has a podcast, as well as a great website ( http://themoth.org/ ). Enjoy!
If you don't have The Moth available on your public radio station, it has a podcast, as well as a great website ( http://themoth.org/ ). Enjoy!
April 25, 2016
My brother bought me this book for my birthday because he faithfully listens to the NPR podcast of The Moth. Me personally? I'd never heard of it, but I knew it was perfect for a road trip because each chapter is a few pages of a true, stand-alone story. This book did not disappoint. The stories were diverse and hit on so many relevant topics like love, divorce, suicide, transgenderism, family relationships, etc.. I actually read this aloud to my husband on a road trip, and because it is a podcast, it lends itself well to the read-aloud. I highly recommend this book, and I hope to God there is a sequel!
January 13, 2014
Fascinating, brief, true stories by . . .
famous people (Richard Price, Damian Echols, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Joyce Maynard),
people with interesting jobs (cop, prison guard, harem member), and
people who have gone through harrowing experiences (such as being a hospital orderly trapped in a falling elevator and resuscitating a patient whose heart stopped as a result of the fall).
famous people (Richard Price, Damian Echols, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Joyce Maynard),
people with interesting jobs (cop, prison guard, harem member), and
people who have gone through harrowing experiences (such as being a hospital orderly trapped in a falling elevator and resuscitating a patient whose heart stopped as a result of the fall).
September 26, 2013
If I could give this book more than five stars I certainly would. It's that good. At times funny, poignant, thought provoking, heartbreaking and simply so damn great.
April 15, 2018
Misleading title; no actual Moth.
January 4, 2018
I discovered The Moth phenomenon, not in its original format or the podcast, but as this book. It happened through complete serendipity in a Dublin bookshop a year ago - the type of real-life serendipity which algorithms make so hard to come by online. Somehow, it called out to me, and I'm glad I listened to my gut and bought the book, as it was honestly one of the few life-altering books in my life. Plus, it led me to discover the wonderful podcast.
Maybe it's because these stories came into my life at a crucial turning point, while I was slowly learning to embrace things about myself that I had blocked for nearly a decade. Most of these stories (not all, but that's OK) touched my soul. A couple of them made me feel intense emotions. I will never forget reading Alan Rabinowitz account of his childhood fascination and adult mission to protect wildlife while my plane was returning me to my country, and crying silently in my seat because it showed that it is possible to find a sense of meaning and purpose in life - something I felt I desperately lacked at the time.
This is a highly subjective point of view, and not exactly a review, as it is impossible to replicate my experience. However, even from an objective viewpoint, these narratives are expertly crafted and completely memorable. As a fiction lover who never really liked to read non-fiction/autobiography, this was just my cup of tea. Each piece just throws you into the perspective of another person, completely different from your own. It feels like living tens of other lives through the pages.
I'm currently 3 stories into the follow up, "All these wonders" and it also captures the same energetic storytelling spirit of the real life Moth events in book format. Highly recommended.
Maybe it's because these stories came into my life at a crucial turning point, while I was slowly learning to embrace things about myself that I had blocked for nearly a decade. Most of these stories (not all, but that's OK) touched my soul. A couple of them made me feel intense emotions. I will never forget reading Alan Rabinowitz account of his childhood fascination and adult mission to protect wildlife while my plane was returning me to my country, and crying silently in my seat because it showed that it is possible to find a sense of meaning and purpose in life - something I felt I desperately lacked at the time.
This is a highly subjective point of view, and not exactly a review, as it is impossible to replicate my experience. However, even from an objective viewpoint, these narratives are expertly crafted and completely memorable. As a fiction lover who never really liked to read non-fiction/autobiography, this was just my cup of tea. Each piece just throws you into the perspective of another person, completely different from your own. It feels like living tens of other lives through the pages.
I'm currently 3 stories into the follow up, "All these wonders" and it also captures the same energetic storytelling spirit of the real life Moth events in book format. Highly recommended.
January 13, 2022
Engaging and fast-paced. Effective at combating reader's block and inviting interesting discussions.
March 14, 2014
Warning: this review contains a couple of minor spoilers
I read this book in a day, lying on the couch recovering from some minor surgery. I liked almost every one of these stories. They all come, of course, from the famous Moth storytelling events, which started in NYC and now take place in many other cities. So all of the stories are true, and well-told. The best part about them is that so many of them are confessions of stupid or mean things that the storyteller did that they are sorry about now. Many others are about receiving unexpected help, like the astronaut who felt so alone when he was outside the space shuttle trying to fix the telescope. Later he learned that, at the very moment when he felt most alone, his family and everyone in his home town was praying for him. I loved that one. Some of the stories are very sad, like the mother whose only picture of her son was his mug shot, and the journalist who lost his best friend reporting in Afghanistan. And who wouldn't love the story of the broke college kid whose identity was stolen, making off with his meager savings, and HE TRACKED DOWN THE PERP HIMSELF and handed her over to the police!
I read this book in a day, lying on the couch recovering from some minor surgery. I liked almost every one of these stories. They all come, of course, from the famous Moth storytelling events, which started in NYC and now take place in many other cities. So all of the stories are true, and well-told. The best part about them is that so many of them are confessions of stupid or mean things that the storyteller did that they are sorry about now. Many others are about receiving unexpected help, like the astronaut who felt so alone when he was outside the space shuttle trying to fix the telescope. Later he learned that, at the very moment when he felt most alone, his family and everyone in his home town was praying for him. I loved that one. Some of the stories are very sad, like the mother whose only picture of her son was his mug shot, and the journalist who lost his best friend reporting in Afghanistan. And who wouldn't love the story of the broke college kid whose identity was stolen, making off with his meager savings, and HE TRACKED DOWN THE PERP HIMSELF and handed her over to the police!
October 23, 2014
A strange book to rate, considering the moth is an aural experience, but the stories in themselves, are really impressive, inspiring even. Worth checking out.
March 1, 2024
“But there was still something moving about it. Just the idea of it. A night of stories.”
It’s clear that The Moth and its raconteurs have a deep passion for the art of storytelling; that, I truely admire and relate to. The 50 short stories range from detailing extraordinary events such as astronauts performing repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope to down to earth anecdotes like working as a hospital orderly. I went in with no expectations or prior knowledge and was blown away by the catalogue of narrators. There were no bad stories, only some that were mediocre. Overall, the quality was extremely high. Surprisingly, I found the best stories to be the more personal and human ones rather than the extravagant.
There are 3 that stood out to me as my absolute favourites. Perfect Moments by Brian Finkelstein is his story of working as a suicide hotline operator and the lasting impact it left on him. Don’t Fall in Love with Your Monkey by Ari Handel depicts the unpleasant and conflicting reality for scientists working with animals. Man and Beast by Alan Rabinowitz is about a boy with a stutter turned jaguar conservationist who, by doing so, gave a voice to both his animals and himself. These chapters were hilarious and inspiring and bittersweet and heartbreaking, leaving me thinking about them for days afterwards. (All available online for free btw)
“In this animal's eyes there was strength. And power. And sureness of purpose. I also realized, as I was looking into his eyes, that what I was seeing was a reflection of the way I was feeling too. That little broken boy and that old broken jaguar were now this. Hah.”
It’s clear that The Moth and its raconteurs have a deep passion for the art of storytelling; that, I truely admire and relate to. The 50 short stories range from detailing extraordinary events such as astronauts performing repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope to down to earth anecdotes like working as a hospital orderly. I went in with no expectations or prior knowledge and was blown away by the catalogue of narrators. There were no bad stories, only some that were mediocre. Overall, the quality was extremely high. Surprisingly, I found the best stories to be the more personal and human ones rather than the extravagant.
There are 3 that stood out to me as my absolute favourites. Perfect Moments by Brian Finkelstein is his story of working as a suicide hotline operator and the lasting impact it left on him. Don’t Fall in Love with Your Monkey by Ari Handel depicts the unpleasant and conflicting reality for scientists working with animals. Man and Beast by Alan Rabinowitz is about a boy with a stutter turned jaguar conservationist who, by doing so, gave a voice to both his animals and himself. These chapters were hilarious and inspiring and bittersweet and heartbreaking, leaving me thinking about them for days afterwards. (All available online for free btw)
“In this animal's eyes there was strength. And power. And sureness of purpose. I also realized, as I was looking into his eyes, that what I was seeing was a reflection of the way I was feeling too. That little broken boy and that old broken jaguar were now this. Hah.”
April 15, 2022
Really eclectic and interesting mix of stories, just wish some were longer (which would defeat the point of short stories I know)
April 24, 2022
I liked all fifty pieces here, many a whole lot. Brian Finkelstein’s “Perfect Moments” and “The House That Sherman Didn’t Burn” from George Dawes Green, founder of The Moth, are only two of many that are sticking with me (the latter feels like a novel told in seven pages). The lengths are perfect for when you need something to read while the oven’s pre-heating.
April 8, 2022
Luckily no stories were about moths as I am afraid of them
May 6, 2015
For those who are unaware, The Moth is an institution dedicated to the craft of storytelling. It's a live event which occurs in cities around the world, where anyone can get up and spin a yarn about an interesting time in their life. These thought-provoking tales are available on YouTube or in podcast format and now for the first time in book form, where fifty of the best have been carefully selected.
There is something here for everyone, no matter where your interest may lie. These fascinating stories evoke all kinds of emotions - they are by turns heartstoppingly tense, devastatingly sad and hysterically funny. But they all share a common theme of hope, no matter what situation the narrator finds themself in.
If I had a small criticism it's that maybe the stories lose a little impact on the page - the dramatic intonation of the raconteur's voice cannot be heard, nor the gasps and guffaws of the enraptured audience. But they are never less than enthralling - if you don't have time to load up the podcast then this book is very easy to dip in and out of. Favourites of mine include the novice doctor who was asked to save the life of Mother Teresa, the astronaut who repaired the Hubble telescope and the orderly who was trapped in a hospital lift with a dying patient. Oh and The Small Town Prisoner - if you need a good laugh, take a look at the master Wanda Bullard in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUEUs...
There is something here for everyone, no matter where your interest may lie. These fascinating stories evoke all kinds of emotions - they are by turns heartstoppingly tense, devastatingly sad and hysterically funny. But they all share a common theme of hope, no matter what situation the narrator finds themself in.
If I had a small criticism it's that maybe the stories lose a little impact on the page - the dramatic intonation of the raconteur's voice cannot be heard, nor the gasps and guffaws of the enraptured audience. But they are never less than enthralling - if you don't have time to load up the podcast then this book is very easy to dip in and out of. Favourites of mine include the novice doctor who was asked to save the life of Mother Teresa, the astronaut who repaired the Hubble telescope and the orderly who was trapped in a hospital lift with a dying patient. Oh and The Small Town Prisoner - if you need a good laugh, take a look at the master Wanda Bullard in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUEUs...
August 1, 2017
In my review of "The Moth Resents: All These Wonders" I said, "After my son's creative writing class went to a Moth event at Portland's (Maine) State Theater, I was excited to read this book. What a disappointment. Most of the storytellers are famous authors, screenplay writers, and actors from New York and Los Angeles. Where were the tales of average Joes from Ohio, the experiences of regular Janes from Louisiana? I mean, if I want to hear from Meg Wolitzer or Jane Green, I can go to my library. There are a few stories in the anthology that I liked, but, surprisingly, the one told by the creator of the Moth, George Dawes Green, was among the worst. There may be other Moth books, but I don't recommend this one." So, I tried another Moth book and was, again, disappointed. This collection is more of the same: famous people telling stories that I didn't care for. For both books, if the subject matter was at all political, the story was told from a far-left perspective. All of them. Where is the balance? Where is a conservative point of view? Out of all of the Moth stories ever told, were none of them right of center? And I again wondered where the stories of average people were. Even the astronaut featured was the guy on "The Big Bang Theory". I didn't finish this book and I don't recommend it.
April 17, 2018
I very slowly savoured this book of short but real stories. For those of you who haven’t heard of the Moth, it started as a movement in the US. People would meet up and share stories. True stories from their life on the stage. The idea has grown and taken on a life of its own and this is a collection of fifty of those stories, transposed to the written form for the reader.
The Moth is the perfect addition to your bedside table. I found myself picking it up and reading a few stories here and there when I felt like something quick but interesting to read. Other times I found myself so immersed I would have read ten or more stories in sitting without realising.
Some will stick with you, connect with you more than others but the beauty is this will vary from person to person depending on their life and own experiences. The Moth is a fantastic concept that is definitely worth checking out.
The Moth is the perfect addition to your bedside table. I found myself picking it up and reading a few stories here and there when I felt like something quick but interesting to read. Other times I found myself so immersed I would have read ten or more stories in sitting without realising.
Some will stick with you, connect with you more than others but the beauty is this will vary from person to person depending on their life and own experiences. The Moth is a fantastic concept that is definitely worth checking out.
August 22, 2013
I enjoyed this -- and individually, I really liked some of the stories. Many of the stories. Maybe all of the stories? There were only one or two that didn't strike me in some way.
But that's the problem with this collection. It's just too much.
With the archives that The Moth has, I can't imagine it was easy to start to narrow down the tales. But more needed to be done. It weakened the best of the stories to share company with so many others, and when lines -- like "straight out of central casting" -- are repeated between tellers, the effect of a description becomes less powerful. Because of the breadth, I can't remember any of the individual tales. And the point of this is the power of the individual tale.
Read it a story at a time, with days in between. Reading all of them in a week was too much.
But that's the problem with this collection. It's just too much.
With the archives that The Moth has, I can't imagine it was easy to start to narrow down the tales. But more needed to be done. It weakened the best of the stories to share company with so many others, and when lines -- like "straight out of central casting" -- are repeated between tellers, the effect of a description becomes less powerful. Because of the breadth, I can't remember any of the individual tales. And the point of this is the power of the individual tale.
Read it a story at a time, with days in between. Reading all of them in a week was too much.
October 6, 2013
I stumbled across The Moth on my car radio one day and have been a fan ever since. The Moth is simply True Stories, Told Live.
"Since its launch in 1997, the acclaimed not-for-profit organization THE MOTH has presented thousands of stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. It is a celebration of both the raconteur, who breathes fire into true tales of ordinary life, and the storytelling novice, who has lived through something extraordinary and yearns to share it."
To create this book, the directors of THE MOTH considered more than 3,000 stories told over the last 16 years and picked 50 they thought were great stories that could be captured in print.
I'm only a couple stories in but love it! Such a celebration of the power and beauty in human lives.
"Since its launch in 1997, the acclaimed not-for-profit organization THE MOTH has presented thousands of stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. It is a celebration of both the raconteur, who breathes fire into true tales of ordinary life, and the storytelling novice, who has lived through something extraordinary and yearns to share it."
To create this book, the directors of THE MOTH considered more than 3,000 stories told over the last 16 years and picked 50 they thought were great stories that could be captured in print.
I'm only a couple stories in but love it! Such a celebration of the power and beauty in human lives.
April 24, 2016
With a tag line declaring that the book contains 50 extraordinary stories you are setting the reading expectation bar pretty high. Thankfully that is precisely what these stories are, extraordinary and moving and beautiful and earth shattering, and more. A stunning read that reconnects the reader with the diversity of realities faced by their fellow human beings, exceptionally humanising and an absolute must read.
December 11, 2014
Great content, as you'd expect from The Moth. The one from Darryl McDaniels about his experience meeting Sarah McLaughlin made me cry with happiness.
April 29, 2018
I didn't know much about the Moth before I was given the book and it seemed like an interesting idea - that everyone has a story to tell. But, reading the book, it didn't feel very true to that idea and just seems like a money-making gimmick - a story-telling TED talks. Most of the story tellers were well-known in some industry or other (not just normal people) and the stories they told were not especially extraordinary (although something may be lost when these stories are written down and they are better told in person). It is easy enough to dip in and out of with each story taking up only a few pages, so is probably very good to take on a commute or something, but just don't expect to be blown away.
July 21, 2017
Anyone listen to The Moth podcasts? I'd never heard of them until I stumbled across this book in a friend's review. They are true stories originally told live to an audience by the person who experienced them (first person). The Moth took 50 of their best stories and put them to paper with great results. All of the stories are entertaining, and a handful are incredible. Now I'm wondering if they'd be even better in podcast form?
May 7, 2018
Fantastic compilation of fifty stories which were all originally told to live audiences as part of "The Moth", a live storytelling event which apparently has been ongoing since 1997. I confess I had never heard of it but the variety and caliber of the stories contained within this novel makes me want to search out the podcasts of NPR to hear some of these and other tales which were all initially told live. I think many of the stories I thoroughly enjoyed would be even better when heard as they were originally intended. This was a great find - one I confess I stumbled upon in the gift shop of a London museum specializing in health and medicine, go figure - and I am so happy to have learned about this cultural phenomenon known as the moth.
February 17, 2019
4 Stars = I really enjoyed it, so much so I'd recommend it to others.
I read this collection of stories originally looking for performance pieces for my speech and acting team. I did find some really good pieces, but surprisingly I found that each story (even the ones that probably wouldn't work for our team) was a little piece of inspiration. If you are like me and sometimes get bogged down by all the negativity and devisiveness in the world, these stories will remind you that life truly is wonderful, even in the darkest of times. Buy this book. Read a story every week, and you will be better off because of it.
I read this collection of stories originally looking for performance pieces for my speech and acting team. I did find some really good pieces, but surprisingly I found that each story (even the ones that probably wouldn't work for our team) was a little piece of inspiration. If you are like me and sometimes get bogged down by all the negativity and devisiveness in the world, these stories will remind you that life truly is wonderful, even in the darkest of times. Buy this book. Read a story every week, and you will be better off because of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 517 reviews