Paradise cover art

Paradise

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £14.67

Buy Now for £14.67

About this listen

 Bloomsbury presents Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah, read by Ashley Zhangazha.

By the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature
A BBC RADIO 4 Book at Bedtime
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE
_______________________
'A poetic and vividly conjured book about Africa and the brooding power of the unknown' Independent on Sunday

'Gurnah evokes his world in poetic prose which is pure and lucid – a small paradise in itself ... The pleasures, sadnesses and losses in all the shining facets of this book are lingering and exquisite' Guardian

'An obliterated world is enthrallingly retrieved' Sunday Times
_______________________
Born in East Africa, Yusuf has few qualms about the journey he is to make. It never occurs to him to ask why he is accompanying Uncle Aziz or why the trip has been organised so suddenly, and he does not think to ask when he will be returning. But the truth is that his ‘uncle' is a rich and powerful merchant and Yusuf has been pawned to him to pay his father's debts.

Paradise is a rich tapestry of myth, dreams and Biblical and Koranic tradition, the story of a young boy's coming of age against the backdrop of an Africa increasingly corrupted by colonialism and violence.©1994 Abdulrazak Gurnah (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Africa
All stars
Most relevant
Adequate but not exceptional..compared to other Nobel Laureates ...I will try another of his books to see why he won the Nobel Prize

I would not say this work was exceptional..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book evoked the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of its setting in East Africa so brilliantly. I also enjoyed learning about life in another time and place, especially about trading and the practices of debt repayment.

Brilliant Evocations

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I had to relisten to a few bits because it’s quite complex, but didn’t mind with such excellent narration. Generally, very worthwhile and educational.

Fantastic narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Phenomenal book opening African culture and individual characters. It is wonderfully read aloud! Highly recommend

Brilliant book opening a new world to me!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The characters, the exquisite writing and the tale of the loss of idealism and Africa.

Outstanding.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews