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Sea of Poppies
- Narrated by: Kish Sharma
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
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Summary
At the heart of this epic saga, set just before the Opium Wars, is an old slaving-ship, The Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its crew a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts.
In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a truly diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager, from an evangelical English opium trader to a mulatto American freedman. As their old family ties are washed away they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races and generations.
The vast sweep of this historical adventure spans the lush poppy fields of the Ganges, the rolling high seas, and the exotic backstreets of China. But it is the panorama of characters, whose diaspora encapsulates the vexed colonial history of the East itself, which makes Sea of Poppies so breathtakingly alive - a masterpiece from one of the world's finest novelists.
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What listeners say about Sea of Poppies
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- alli
- 26-08-15
wonderful!
I'm really enjoying this book. In the beginning I wasn't sure about Kish Sharma's narration, but as I kept listening, I started to appreciate him more and more. His renditions of the characters voices are perfect, and sometimes hysterically funny. The only (constructive) criticism I would have is that sometimes he goes too fast. The story itself is rich, evocative and fascinating. I highly recommend this.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Joanne Maginn
- 08-08-19
Use the replay speed facility
I was wondering if I could make it through this book. The narrator was galloping and I wasn’t catching names etc. I saw others had mentioned this in reviews. But then I found the speed setting for the replay. Set at 0.75 it slowed down sufficiently to not slur, and give me the detail and time to absorb comfortably. Huge difference. Great book....
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4 people found this helpful
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- Doriana B.
- 30-03-15
Excellent!
I really enjoyed this book! The reader is amazing! Pity the quality of the sound of the recording was muffled at times!
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4 people found this helpful
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- B. Cashin
- 18-06-14
Loved the book
Would you listen to Sea of Poppies again? Why?
I never listen to a book twice.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
I loved this book, but I wonder if the narrator got a bonus for reading at twice the normal rate. I am glad to see that the second part of the trilogy is narrated by a different narrator.
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3 people found this helpful
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- J. Schutrups
- 10-08-18
Didn't Finish
This is the first audio book I have not been able to finish. The narrator spoke much to quickly and words just mearged one into the other. I persevered for several chapters then gave up as I was having to rewind and listen to so many bits again to understand any of the story.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ron
- 29-04-15
Sound is poor and narration is mediocre
What disappointed you about Sea of Poppies?
The sound is recorded way too low. I have the volume set to max on my phone and can barely hear it - and it is particularly jarring when I switch over to music which, at the same volume setting, is almost deafening.
Would you recommend Sea of Poppies to your friends? Why or why not?
Not the audible version. Poor sound
What didn’t you like about Kish Sharma’s performance?
Flat delivery. Most of the characters hardly sound different from the narration.
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Good story. Good ideas. But also too much narration and not enough well written dialogue.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Gregory Malpas
- 28-11-15
Not a good book
What would have made Sea of Poppies better?
The narrator reads too fast, and has an accent, to be able to understand some of the words which are Indian. After 1 hour reading I had to give up the book as a bad loss!
Has Sea of Poppies put you off other books in this genre?
Has put me off both the author and narrator
What didn’t you like about Kish Sharma’s performance?
Accent and reads too fast to understand some of the termonology
Any additional comments?
Waste of money as had to give up reading
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 20-01-24
Great voice acting! Every character was so different and well fleshed out
Really evocative of the period, it’s piqued my interest about the history of the opium wars and the horrors of colonial occupations.
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- Dr L.
- 11-06-23
A powerful work
Atmospheric, acutely descriptive and historically accurate this is a book of tremendous value serving the emotions and intellect of this reader equally. I am much wiser about this period of history and deeply moved by the lived experiences of the people involved. The closure of Book1 in the trilogy is beautifully dramatic. I salute the author for this powerful work. I am eager to read the next book in the trilogy.
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- csharples
- 27-03-23
Just loved it
Just loved it. Great story and narrator brilliant. Looking forward to hearing next two books in the trilogy.
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