The Night Listener By Armistead Maupin

Condition: Gently Used

Format:    Paperback
Language:    English
ISBN:    006093090X
ISBN13:    9780060930905
Release Date:    September 2001
Publisher:    Harper Perennial
Length:    368 Pages
Weight:    0.60 lbs.
Dimensions:    0.9" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Book Overview: 

The Night Listener, published in 2000, is a haunting and psychologically layered novel by Armistead Maupin, blending mystery, emotional drama, and autofiction. Loosely inspired by true events from Maupin’s life, the story explores themes of trust, storytelling, loneliness, and the blurry line between reality and illusion.

The novel follows Gabriel Noone, a popular late-night radio storyteller known for his confessional, emotionally intimate broadcasts. Recently separated from his longtime partner and struggling with writer’s block, Gabriel finds himself emotionally adrift—until he begins a correspondence with Pete Lomax, a 13-year-old boy who claims to have survived horrific abuse and is now dying of AIDS. Pete, a fan of Gabriel’s radio show, sends him a manuscript detailing his traumatic past, sparking an intense and heartfelt bond between the two.

But as Gabriel’s involvement with Pete deepens, he begins to sense inconsistencies in the boy’s story and background. Doubt creeps in: Is Pete who he says he is? Does he even exist? As Gabriel investigates the truth, he is forced to confront not only the mystery at the heart of Pete’s identity, but also his own need for connection, meaning, and control over the narrative of his life.

The Night Listener is part psychological thriller, part meditation on the power of storytelling. Maupin masterfully weaves suspense with emotional depth, creating a novel that is as unsettling as it is moving. Ultimately, the book challenges readers to consider how far we are willing to go to believe in a story—and what it says about us when we do.