Audio Review: The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn

Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn

Publication Date: May 11th 2021 by Harper Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 8 hrs 14 min

Narrators: Santino Fontana, Shelby Young, Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam,

Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hillary Huber, Lisa Flanagan, Sharahn LaRue

Source: Libro.fm

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

When I started listening, I knew The Anatomy of Desire was based on the classic novel, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser which was based on a real-life murder that happened in 1906. It was later made into the movie, A Place in the Sun.  I had never read it or seen the movie, so I had no idea what to expect. 

Since listening, I went back and looked up the An American Tragedy and it’s surprising how faithful this reimagining is to the original tale, albeit modernized.  It’s funny how little things change in terms of human desire and emotions through the years. The story is timeless, tragic, and made for a riveting read! It had me thinking on it long after I finished.

Cleo Ray grew up dirt poor in a strict religious household, eager to leave that behind.  Now she’s a rising social media influencer coaching followers on body image, fitness, and life, and she’s hungry for success and fame. Unfortunately, her life choices make her the prime suspect in the murder of her friend, Beck Alden. The two go out on a canoe and only Cleo comes back. What exactly happened? The trial quickly turns into a media circus.  

Cleo was very much a narcissist, and I was astounded by her actions, but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel for her. She’s finally on the cusp of everything she’s dreamed about and then it all comes crashing down around her. The trial being held in the small, conservative town of Independence didn’t bode well for her either. With its limited pool of jurors, I wondered if an impartial decision would be possible.

Fun fact for me: Independence is an actual California town that a friend of mine used to live in, which we would travel to and visit. It’s also on the way to Mammoth Mountain, a popular snow skiing spot we used to vacation at. The authors nailed it spot on with their descriptions!

The story is told in episodes, as a fictional docu-drama with recorded court testimony and interviews of the key players, performed by a whole cast of characters. It felt like one of those old radio-dramas my dad would listen to late at night, and I loved it! Several of the narrators I’ve listened to before and thoroughly enjoyed their performances here: Santino Fontana, Hillary Huber, Marin Ireland, Vikas Adam, and Dan Bittner. I couldn’t recommend the audio version more!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Performed docuseries style by a star-studded full cast including Santino Fontana, Shelby Young , Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hilary Huber, and Lisa Flanagan

For fans of riveting true crime docuseries a la Serial and Making a Murderer, The Anatomy of Desire is a modern tale of crime and punishment exploring unbridled ambition, blinding passion, and the dark side of desire

Claire Griffith has it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous boyfriend, glamorous friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles flat broke, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands at the threshold of realizing her biggest dreams.

One summer day, Cleo and a woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a serene mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play, and news of Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck? An infatuated follower? Were she and Cleo friends or lovers? Was Beck’s death an accident . . . or murder?

Told in the form of an immersive investigative docuseries, L. R. Dorn’s brilliant reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s classic crime drama, An American Tragedy, captures the urgency and poignance of the original and rekindles it as a very contemporary and utterly mesmerizing page-turner.