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The Overstory

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The Overstory

By: Richard Powers
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2019

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A wondrous, exhilarating novel about nine strangers brought together by an unfolding natural catastrophe

An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. An Air Force crewmember in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan.

This is the story of these and five other strangers, each summoned in different ways by the natural world, who are brought together in a last stand to save it from catastrophe.

©2018 Richard Powers (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Metaphysical & Visionary Political Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

"Really, just one of the best novels, period." (Ann Patchett)

"The best book I’ve [listened to] in ten years." (Emma Thompson)

"Dazzlingly written." (Robert Macfarlane)
All stars
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If you are a ’book-reading-person’; read this book. If you are not a ‘book-reading-person’, this is part of what you are missing out on. You can however love the Overstory anyhow in the forest.

I read “The Secret Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben two summers ago. The Overstory is for me a refresher and reminder of the awe we owe life - and trees, told through the lives of people connected to them, as we are; every one of us.

Aaah! Brilliant.

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good story with well written characters. it has made me think about trees differently. the writing is almost poetic. I think the ending was a bit disappointing but a great book beautifully read.

so good I listened twice

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excellent narration, beautifully executed. I enjoyed all of this from start to finish. recommend

five stars from me for this book about trees

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The premise and purpose if this book is about slow development being it's own reward, so I should not be too disappointed at how long it took me to complete it. With little free time, this book did feel like a slog in the short times I had, but I felt I had learnt something by the end. I love that in literature, so am so glad I persevered.

Clever and Fascinating but Slow throughout

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This book is sweeping in its scope and vision, with many interlocking stories and characters, and an interesting format. However, I found it overly long, not helped by the slow narration. It’s the only book I’ve ever read on 1.2x speed, and there were still whole portions of it where I found it dragged. Despite this, I would thoroughly recommend it - it’s both thought provoking, and entertaining. I found it the perfect accompaniment to my regular walks in nature.

Such a beautiful book, but long

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