Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Disobedience cover art

Disobedience

By: Naomi Alderman
Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Lessons cover art
The Miseducation of Cameron Post cover art
Between the Acts cover art
The Swimming Pool Library cover art
The Bricks That Built the Houses cover art
An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club) cover art
Home Fires cover art
Anna Karenina cover art
Despite the Falling Snow cover art
The Painted Veil cover art
On the Other Side cover art
Mother cover art
Postcards from a Stranger cover art

Summary

In a cramped synagogue in north-west London, the eminent elderly rabbi passes away. On the other side of the Atlantic, his estranged daughter, Ronit, hears of her father's death and returns to London for the funeral. She has not returned home in 15 years.

Ronit looks forward to a week or two of revisiting old friends, perhaps settling old scores. But she finds the community she grew up in a more confusing place than she'd anticipated. Particularly when she is unexpectedly reunited with Esti, her childhood sweetheart, who has taken a very different path in life....

Disobedience is a hugely enjoyable and warm-hearted portrayal of characters caught between two worlds, and a wise exploration of sexuality, tolerance and faith.

Now a major motion picture starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams.

©2006 Naomi Alderman (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"A bold comic touch.... Like Brick Lane, offering a glimpse of a closeted and surprisingly English nook of British society." (Observer)

"A fresh, feisty peek at the hidden world of London’s Orthodox Jewish Community." (The Independent)

What listeners say about Disobedience

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    237
  • 4 Stars
    199
  • 3 Stars
    90
  • 2 Stars
    25
  • 1 Stars
    14
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    292
  • 4 Stars
    126
  • 3 Stars
    45
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    11
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    207
  • 4 Stars
    159
  • 3 Stars
    74
  • 2 Stars
    32
  • 1 Stars
    10

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

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Should have read the paper book!

An excellent story let down by a terrible performance. If you speak Hebrew, do yourself a favour, and read the book. The reader's persistent mispronunciation of the Hebrew/Yiddish words is beyond irritating and very distracting. But the story is worth reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

A great and informative listen

An engaging story of a person's journey through life, full of insights into orthodox Judaism.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Ruined by pronunciation

This wonderful book was ruined by the pronunciation of the Hebrew and Yiddish words. Basic words like Shabbat and Kiddush were mispronounced and some of the words were incomprehensible. The narrator otherwise did a beautiful job and the blame must go to the producers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • cm
  • 29-08-18

different

A good insight into the orthodox Jewish world esp in London but bot that muvh happened in practice so it seemed a little drawn out.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

The story was a bit 'meh'

I liked the narrator but I didn't think the story was very strong. I like the idea but somehow it just didn't fit together well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Narration problems

The narrator frustratingly mispronounces so many words that it actually becomes laughable! As well as frustrating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

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

Educational!

Enjoyed listening and learning about the Orthodox Jewish faith in an informative good story. The narrator was excellent bringing life to the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • AZ
  • 08-05-19

Nearly

I loved the detail of this book. Many of the author's descriptions of people and places are spot on and beautifully evocative. I'm happy to say the story shied away from being too simplistic or predictable. There are delicious moments where the tension between colliding lives are explored; where the pull towards traditions is balanced by the pull away towards freedom.

On the downside, I agree with a number of other reviewers that the relationship between the two main female characters could have been better developed. I also found the mispronunciation of Hebrew words jarring. It is a shame, especially because the narrator managed other aspects of the task well, with well-defined voices for each character and a natural story-telling style. The production team also share responsibility for poor pronunciation of key words reaching the final edit.

Readers who enjoy insights into cultures and communities other than their own will probably find gems in these pages. The narrative offers a glimpse into Orthodox Jewish life in London; albeit this shows only some sides of a diverse community. However, I'd suggest Hebrew speakers read rather than listen and I'd caution anyone seeking an LGBTQ representation that this book only goes so far, though does raise important questions.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

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

So much richer and absorbing than the film.

A great listen, and very different to the film (which I enjoyed) but the book has many more layers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Utterly Brilliant

This was a book club choice. I doubt I would have read it otherwise but I am so glad I did as it is now one of my all time favourites. You root for ALL the main characters in this triangle. The writing is utterly sublime, so much to prinprick your soul and like rich dark chocolate you fine yourself needing to pause to savour what was said. The narrator was outstanding and I will listen to more read by her. This is a book that is life affirming, speech, silence, strength, integrity, belief, love, the great mysteries and it truly makes you look at life with new eyes. Really loved this. My next book needs to be The Power!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!