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Shahnameh
- The Epic of the Persian Kings
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson, Francis Ford Coppola - introduction
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
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Shahnameh
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Summary
The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years. Containing four grand tragedies and four beautiful love stories, the audiobook is currently going into its fifth edition. It has been a smashing success. We are delighted to present a 12-hour audio experience of this text (performed by the award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson) against the backdrop of evocative sound design and music editing of Hamid Rahmanian the creator of the Shahnameh project.
Now, make sure you have a good set of headphone/speakers and tighten your seat belts. This immersive audio experience will take you on a journey back to the soundscape of ancient Iranian heroes, monsters, lovers, and warriors. This is going to be one heck of a ride.
About the Book: Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings is the illustrated edition of the classic work written over one thousand years ago by Abolqasem Ferdowsi, one of Persia's greatest poets. This new prose translation of the national epic is illuminated with over 500 pages of illustrations and will be published in April 2013. The lush and intricate illustrations in this edition have been created by award-winning graphic artist and filmmaker Hamid Rahmanian, incorporating images from the pictorial tradition of the Persianate world from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The new translation and adaptation by Ahmad Sadri, retells the mythological and epic stories of the original poem in prose format. This Shahnameh is an extraordinary literary and artistic accomplishment.
Published by Liveright , distributed by W. W. Norton & Company Hardcover with slipcase, 592 pages, 500+ four-color illustrations ISBN 978-1-63149-446-8
Critic reviews
"Creating this audiobook breathes new life into the Shahnameh stories. It is an immersive experience, making these ancient tales tangible for those who are new to these incredible heroic stories and a delight for those already familiar with the poem" (Francis Ford Coppola)
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What listeners say about Shahnameh
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Behzad Noferesti
- 28-03-22
The best audiobook I’ve ever listened to
As an Iranian who has always found it hard to read the original text and understand it, this was the first time I could listen to the whole book and follow the story line. From the beginning, this audiobook was more than your average read of a book but rather an amazing performance of music, story telling and voice acting which added much depth. As the cherry on top, sound effects takes you to the middle of battle grounds! Highly recommended for Iranian and non-Iranians alike for yourself or as a gift! One of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- i bought this
- 03-11-21
Phenomenal
Incredible story and delivery. All of us English speakers can be thankful for this translation and performance. It's hard to imagine that it would be better it its native Farsi
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Immortals
- 10-10-23
A legend by the legend
A truly wonderful epic narrated by Francis Ford Coppola. Truly immersive and enjoyable. The only downside is the beauty of Persian poetry is always difficult to capture in other languages.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amanda
- 03-07-21
Recommended
Amazing stories didn't want them to end . The story is well told and the narrator made the stories more real as you listen. This is a great listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-01-24
Thanks for reintroducing me to a forgotten part of my soul,
Done In the style of the Darveesh (storytellers) who keep Saadi, Ferdosi & Hafez alive by narrating the stories live in coffee shops to this day, an Enjoyable work that leaves the listener thinking the stories are fantastic fairytales but With slight research about the characters (ie: Rostam & Sohrab) the reader will find they are as real as the Pharos of Egypt.
The English translation has lost content and meaning by the unwillingness to convey the Shahnameh as Factual (forbidden history) thus editing out large meaningful parts or Mr Coppola was let down by the budget or the translators from ancient Farsi to English.
In terms of the Actor and his delivery, even my Father would’ve been proud of his skills and the production though the music should’ve been preformed by authentic persian Santoor, Tabbl and Flute players rather than synthesised mishmash.
So with hindsight this work shows me the mindset of its producers and leaves me wanting to tweak this or direct the next Ancient Persian Project to ensure my frustration is short lived (relying on others during any production)
Emad
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Milad
- 29-03-19
Fantastic
It is a fantastic book, that makes you laugh and cry. The translation was committed to the old Txt but skilfully has mad it enjoyable for modern audience.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mehrnaz
- 06-03-21
A cinematic experience
Amazing that such an old piece of art can be enjoyed in different forms. I liked the narration and the sound effects which made it feel cinematic. It was at times hard to follow. I recommend not taking long breaks between listens.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-12-20
This book have to be read by everyone
Very educational , I think this book should be thought at universities, what you should know before starting the Journey in life ,
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M J
- 22-11-20
Excellent.
As an Iranian, I never read the Shahnameh partly because it's quite a difficult read, partly because my Farsi isn't great. This book does a fantastic job retelling stories I used to hear when I was younger. The music and sound effects add another layer to the story too. Highly recommended!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angel
- 10-11-23
Wow
Best audiobook I listened to. Amazing production and sounds and amazing voice acting + story
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