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The Famished Road
- Narrated by: Hugh Quarshie
- Length: 19 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
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.
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What listeners say about The Famished Road
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
- Kayla Richie
- 04-11-19
A Great Literary Marvel
Ben Okri's 'The Famished Road is my Favorite book in its genre. When I first came across this book back in 1991 I had never heard of Ben Okri and really only bought the book because he was noted as a Booker Prize Winner. That year it was the best money I ever spent. I was enthralled. I couldn't put the book down. The People became real to me and I wondered if the film studio's would make a movie out of it. This is my mirrored thoughts on the book by The Booker Prize Judge;
Ben Okri's beautifully written and moving novel combines fantasy and the vision of a child, the supernatural and the here-and-now to convey Nigerian peasant life in a changing world. It is the most ambitious as well as one of the most fullly realised of this year's novels. It brings a distictively black African way of writing and seeing things into the mainstream of European fiction.
Jeremy Treglowan
Chairman of the Booker Prize Judges
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
- tamara
- 08-12-20
A vivid explosion of the mytho-poetic in Africa
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.
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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
- elaine
- 03-12-20
Loved the characters who really came to life in t
Loved the way the characters came to life, one could actually visualise them. 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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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-12-20
Ethereal but quite hard to get through!
The atmosphere in this book is other worldly and really different to any book I have read before. I felt very immersed in the world Okri has created - however it is not easy going! It is convoluted and confusing, in a way that mirrors the frame the protagonist is in. I would be interested in reading this in hardcopy.
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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
- TheRealMrsB
- 04-09-20
A joy to listen to
I enjoyed listening to this book as much as I had enjoyed reading it. It''s definitely one I will return to again.
I loved the narrator's voice too.
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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
- Laurie & Jacquie
- 02-09-20
Amazing narrator!
I find it hard to find books with a good narrator, if I don't like them it's a struggle to listen to the book. This narrator is absolutely perfect and has many voices. I just can't get enough of this book on here. Highly recommend!
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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
- Buddhasamagama
- 23-07-20
Just beautiful
Hugh Quarshie sounds like the book sounded in my head
This is an absolute joy thank you sooooo much xxxx
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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
- Deborah Chilsend
- 02-07-21
excellent performance!
This book is wonderful. literally. it is full of wonder. I've never read anything like it and I'm a teacher of Literature. Okri masterfully weaves traditional African spiritualities into this historical commentary, chastisement, and encourage of humanity.
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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
- Fran Bull Fitzgerald
- 24-04-21
A work of genius, a brilliant narrator
Ben Okri is a writing wizard. I so enjoyed this work of great literature.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Dot Kostriken
- 11-02-21
worst book I've ever bought from Audible
This is not magical realism, not comparable to 100 years of solitude, sadly, just poor writing. Don't waste your time or money.