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The Famished Road

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The Famished Road

By: Ben Okri
Narrated by: Hugh Quarshie
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Winner of The Booker Prize 1991

So long as we are alive, so long as we feel, so long as we love, everything in us is an energy we can use.

He is born into a world of poverty, ignorance and injustice, but Azaro awakens with a smile on his face. Despite belonging to a spirit world made of enchantment, where there is no suffering, Azaro chooses to stay in the land of the Living: to feel it, endure it, know it and love it.

This is his story.

©2019 Ben Okri (P)2019 Audible, Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Magical Realism World Literature Fantasy Magic
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All stars
Most relevant
The dialogue is descriptive with intent but not boasting of capability
The story is powerful and seamless, foretelling our current situation.
The solution is always a change of heart.
The language resonated with my ancestral blood line
I loved it

Darkness flowered

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The narrator deeply etches and emotes every character with loud and subdued personality. A long listen, I needed to pause between parts, but the poetry of this writing kept me continuing. And wow, it transcends the human-spirit experience in voids and layers and evolutions. It takes you into the inner organs and feelings of status, poverty, family and neighbours, completely messy and endearing.

A vivid explosion of the mytho-poetic in Africa

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it took a while with nearly 20h but it was well worth it. loved the shallow lines between spirit world and political harshness. Book has a sense of infinity to it and at times humorous moments. it's description of the party of the poor and the party of the rich applies to many a nation. The only datedness (book is from 1991) is the reference to the West in the end as sole external exploited as China has become the new force of exploitation in many regions of Africa. wonderfully read by actor Hugh Quarshi with great care bringing the rich landscape Okri paints alive.

A dream that makes reality clearer

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It's basically a book about a retarded child who constantly hallucinates. I'm sure it's probably allegorical, but that was lost on me. There are some moments that are very funny. It's nice to listen to the characters and their daft behaviour. But it does get a bit repetitive and some of the descriptions repeat themselves. It's enjoyable, and ok if you are collecting Booker Prize winners, but it's not that good. 3.5 stars.

It's ok. Worth sticking with.

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I was so in AWE of Hugh performance and the storytelling, Ben Okri is a magician with the pen, and this story was captivating. An Ode to things fall apart and the griot storytelling of old. Listen to it and let it transport or transform you.

A wonderful whirlwind of a Story.

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