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Obama called ‘narcissist’ by conservatives after audiobook for memoir goes on for 29 hours: 'It's just volume 1'

The reaction from some of the users came after they were aghast at discovering how long it would take for them to listen to Obama reading the unedited 768-page book

Former President Barack Obama was branded a "narcissist" and an "egomaniac" by some social media users for recording an audiobook edition of his memoir stretching for more than 29 hours. The reaction from some of the conservative users came after they were aghast at discovering how long it would take for them to listen to Obama reading the unedited 768-page book.

The comments on Obama's apparent "narcissism" began after comedian Adam Carolla, while appearing on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show, joked: "Obama is a bigger narcissist than Trump. I was only able to listen to the first 17 hours on the toilet this morning." Carlson then chimed in, saying: "Two autobiographies before you're 60? It's safe to say he doesn't have a self-esteem problem."

ABC host Meghan McCain's husband Ben Domenech also remarked on the unusual number of hours of the audiobook, tweeting: "I realize 29 hours of Barack Obama talking about himself may seem like a problem, but don't worry, it's just Volume 1." 

However, there were other readers and social media users who called the audiobook "29 hours of pure bliss." One user said: "The audiobook landed in my library yesterday as it’s going to be my new walking to and from work book. Very excited that he’s read it himself as let’s be honest 40 hrs of Obama’s voice is top tier audiobooking."

Another wrote: "The Obama memoir is genuinely well-written and listening to it as an audiobook is a very interesting experience. Anyone with that much power is going to be a contentious figure obviously but whatever else, the guy can really write and REALLY narrate." One user remarked on how the length of the book would easily get her through traffic lines: "I’m going this weekend and thinking of downloading Obama’s new audiobook. It’s 29 hours long, that should last me through the line." A fourth said: "Had to get Obama's book as an audiobook because he is literally one of the greatest orators of our time."

Obama's memoir 'A Promised Land' was published on Tuesday, November 17. The book, detailing the life of the 44th American president, has broken records and already sold over a million copies. A Promised Land is volume one of the former president's mammoth autobiography, which covers his early life and his first two-and-a-half years in the White House up to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

The book broke sales records with 887,000 copies, ebooks and audiobooks sold in the US and Canada in the first 24 hours after its release. The only other book to have sold more copies on the first day is the final book of the 'Harry Potter' series by JK Rowling. Obama's memoir sales record also surpassed his wife and former First Lady Michelle Obama's popular memoir 'Becoming' which had sold 725,000 copies on the first day and has topped 10 million worldwide ever since its release in 2018. Publishers Penguin Random House reportedly paid the former first couple a reported $65 million for their memoirs.