• The Interruption of Everything

  • By: Terry McMillan
  • Narrated by: Desiree Taylor
  • Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (604 ratings)

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The Interruption of Everything  By  cover art

The Interruption of Everything

By: Terry McMillan
Narrated by: Desiree Taylor
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Publisher's summary

Since Terry McMillan's breakout novel Waiting to Exhale surged onto the best seller lists, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, hilarious, pitch-perfect tales of women's lives and contemporary issues. With The Interruption of Everything, her sixth novel, McMillan takes on the fault lines of mid-life and family life, reminds us once again of the redeeming power of friendship, and turns her eye toward the dilemma of how a woman starts to put her own needs higher on the to-do list while not shortchanging everyone else.

Marilyn Grimes, wife and mother of three, has made a career of deferring her dreams to build a suburban California home and lifestyle with her husband, Leon. She troubleshoots for her grown kids, cares for her live-in mother-in-law, Arthurine (and elderly poodle, Snuffy), keeps tabs on her girlfriends, Paulette and Bunny, and her own aging mother and foster sister...all the while holding down a part-time job. But at 44, Marilyn's got too much on her plate and nothing to feed her passion. She feels like she's about ready to jump. She's just not sure where.

Highly entertaining, deeply human, a page-turner full of heart and soul, The Interruption of Everything is vintage Terry McMillan, and a triumphant testament to the fact that the detour is the path, and living life "by the numbers" never quite adds up.

©2005 Terry McMillan (P)2005 Penguin Audio and Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With her trademark ability to write thought-provoking tales inspired by the lives and loves of contemporary African-American women, McMillan offers another novel sure to resonate with readers grappling with the questions Marilyn poses to herself." (Publishers Weekly)

"Terry McMillan keeps its real...easily her most accomplished tale...by turns laugh-out-loud funny and gut-punch painful. McMillan has painted a convincing portrait of the kind of woman who can say yes to everyone but herself.” (Boston Herald)

“[McMillan] has…a cutting wit, a knack for capturing the way real people think and speak, a fearless willingness to engage complex, painful issues, and an unerring instinct for fashioning characters that enchant readers’ imaginations.” (The Washington Post)

What listeners say about The Interruption of Everything

Average customer ratings
Overall
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Performance
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Perspective of an old, white woman

I have listened to and loved every one of Terry McMillian's books. Although the cultural setting is the black community, the situations are universal - at least for women. The themes are family, friendships, relationships, work, obligations, etc. and these have no color. In all instances, the readings have been superb and the humor is laugh-outloud. I would bet that even an old, white man with a sense of humor would enjoy her writing.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great to listen to

I kept felling that I was in the story and these were friends of mine. I really enjoyed listening the this book. A little slow at first and then I didn't want it to end.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Dialogue?

I have enjoyed the escape of reading (print) Terry McMillan - easy, fun, a little trashy. This is the first time that I listened to one of her books. I found the dialogue to be just ridiculous. I don't mean the sub-culture language - the actual content of the dialogue - absurd, random, distracting from what should have been powerful storylines. I thought the narrator had a pleasant voice, but I suspect this author is best read in print, on the beach.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Mixed Emotions

Since I loved the movie, ""How Stella Got Her Groove Back"", I was anxious to listen to this book by Terry McMillan. I almost didn?t finish this book. The author failed to win my sympathy for Marilyn. To me, Marilyn quickly became just a fowl mouthed witch and she was ""getting on my last nerve"". And yes, I have been through menopause myself. I just couldn''t understand why Leon was the villain and I kept asking myself ?What had Leon done that he deserved this type of treatment??. While there were many entertaining characters, I felt some of them added nothing to the story, such as Orange and Blue. The author should have spent more time developing the problems between Marilyn & Leon. There were also several irrelevant subplots that I didn?t understand why they were even mentioned, such as the conversation where the fitness trainer was explaining about working out to Marilyn. Also, while I found the description of Joy?s death emotionally moving, what was the point of going to the trouble of telling us she was hit and killed by 2 drunk paramedic drivers, instead of leaving it as drunk driver.

And is it really necessary to use the ""F"" word so often?

I have another Terry McMillan book on my wish list, and will attempt to listen to it. I hope it is better.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

The Interruption of Everything (Unabridged)

I started reading the book and found it hard to keep my attention. When I saw that I could get the audio version, I thought it would be better but in fact it wasn't at all. The story line was hard to follow and I felt it wasn't a good ending to the story.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Terry McMillan is on the top of her game!

What can I say about the author, Terry McMillan!? I love her work and everything that she writes is interesting, sometimes funny....sometimes hits home... I would LOVE to see more audiobooks from Terry McMillan here at AUDIBLE! As for this title.... Lord knows a LOT of us can relate to the main character! The pain, craziness, non-stop life of the main character keeps you wanting to cheer for her and wish her the best!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Interruption of Everything (unabridged)

I really enjoyed this book, it was so true to what we go througth in our lives today.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Relatable

I really enjoyed the story even though this is one of her earlier works it was still relevant to my life. although the narrator was good, there were times I was having trouble deciphering which character was talking. I wished she would have changed her voice a little more. I'm sure I'll be listening to this book again in the future. All great books deserve a Second Spin.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Interruption of Everything

I truly enjoyed this book, l laughed so loud and hard! I couldn't stop listening to it. I want to know did they have the funeral for her sister!!! A must read or hear!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

ENJOYED IT

Good story....couldn't get used to the grainy voice though. I'm always pleased with Terri McMillans work.

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1 person found this helpful