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In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Volvo

By: Alison Espach
Narrated by: Susannah Jones, Allyson Johnson
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Publisher's summary

Acclaimed author of The Adults Alison Espach’s short story "In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People" is an at-once hilarious and heart-breaking portrait of a dead woman’s marriage and the Volvo that stood in the middle of it all.

If you knew you were going to die in two years, would you still have gone with the Volvo? So begins the first question of this interview between the recently deceased Linda and her Volvo’s Market Research representative. Over the course of the rest of the interview, listen in and roll down your window into not only a woman’s marriage but a psyche. This brilliantly woven tale shines a light on our collective idiosyncrasies, neuroses, and desires. In the tradition of Sally Rooney and Maria Semple, Alison Espach threads the needle between humor and devastation and emerges a master of observational satire and millennial voice.

©2020 Alison Espach (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.
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About the Creator

Alison Espach is the author of the novel The Adults, a New York Times’ "Editor’s Choice", a Barnes and Noble Discover Award selection, a Wall Street Journal "Top 10 Novel of the Year", a Kirkus and Library Journal "Editor’s Choice", and a Chicago Tribune "#1 Reader Recommendation". Her short stories and essays have appeared in Vogue, Joyland, Glamour, The Lincoln Center Theater Review, Salon, The Daily Beast, McSweeney’s, Five Chapters, and more. She is currently a professor of Creative Writing at Providence College in Rhode Island.

About the Performer

Allyson Johnson began her entertainment career in her hometown of Chicago as an Emmy Award-winning child news anchor. With more than 200 audiobooks under her belt, she has garnered AudioFile Earphones Awards for both fiction and nonfiction titles, as well as multiple Audie Award nominations. A graduate of Brown University, Allyson is a working voice actress, singer, and narrator in the New York City metropolitan area.

What listeners say about In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People: Volvo

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent concept for a short story

One of the best Audible Originals I’ve read. This was a great concept for a short story: very creative perspective, funny, relatable, deep, and well-executed. The narration was spot-on.
I kinda wish this had been a series of similar stories ... post-mortem interviews and focus groups seems like a great setting for a short story anthology.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

This was, short, sweet, and had all the feels.

I needed a switch from my normal listens and this fit the bill. It was funny, and touching, and full of truth. Definitely worth the listen.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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quirky short story

The narrators were perfect. The premise was intriguing. The ending answered some questions and left others hanging.

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10 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Touching story! Made me think!

In-Depth Market Research Interviews with Dead People by Alison Espach is an Audible Original. This Audible really made me think about what is important in life. Do you want boring all the time? What really makes you happy? If you knew you were going to die, would you do anything different? Buy something fun? Do something daring? Go see something new? It was a touching story, although short, it was powerful.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting premise -

It was a nice short story with a very different twist. Coming at the plot from different realities, I stayed with it to see how it was going to end. It was worth a second listen!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful

Beautiful story. Wonderfully written, I would give it ten stars if I could. Great job!

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1 person found this helpful

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Fun

I was thoroughly entertained by the story. I could feel the ride as if I were actually in the car. I liked her self awareness and self reflection.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great short story I didn't know I needed

No regrets or complaints. I thoroughly liked this Audible and never got distracted. I could easily visualize the characters and believe the story. Kudos to the author!

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  • Overall
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sad but Good

It was sad but a really good listen. You keep rooting for her to survive and change her life and have to remind yourself that she is dead. I love the whole series.
Brilliant concept.

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  • Overall
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Thought provoking

I’ve already listened to this book twice. It really makes you think. And I’m still thinking about it.

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9 people found this helpful