Get Your Free Audiobook

Prime logo New to Audible Prime Member exclusive:
2 credits with free trial
1 credit a month to use on any title to download and keep
Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks
Download titles to your library and listen offline
₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.
A Conversation with the Mann cover art

A Conversation with the Mann

Written by: John Ridley
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Free with 30-day trial

₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹1,054.00

Buy Now for ₹1,054.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice.

Publisher's Summary

Best-selling novelist and scriptwriter John Ridley is the author of acclaimed, innovative works, including Love Is a Racket and Everybody Smokes in Hell. In A Conversation with the Mann, Ridley pens the remarkable fictional story of the life of black comedian extraordinaire Jackie Mann.

Jackie is a poor boy from Harlem and the victim of abuse from his widowed, alcoholic father. But everything changes on the day he discovers the power of comedy. When his classmates make fun of his tattered clothes, Jackie turns everything around by freely poking fun at himself and soon has everyone on the floor with laughter. His amazing talent, and raging ambition, take him through the local club circuit to become the most sought after comedic entertainer in opulent, '50s Las Vegas and beyond.

Unusual and compelling, this is a rags-to-riches tale of a black man searching for respect in a golden age of American entertainment. Masterfully performed by narrator Dion Graham, A Conversation with the Mann is a dazzling listen.

©2002 John Ridley (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews

"Affecting and provocative." (Publishers Weekly)
"This fascinating book serves as a history of standup comedy, a refresher on the struggle for civil rights, and a primer on duty to self and society. It's also a cracking good read." (Booklist)
"Smart and edgy and moving." (The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about A Conversation with the Mann

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.