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Riddley Walker

Penguin Modern Classics

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Riddley Walker

By: Russell Hoban
Narrated by: Richard Pearce
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

'O what we ben! And what we come to...' Wandering a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape, speaking a broken-down English lost after the end of civilization, Riddley Walker sets out to find out what brought humanity here. This is his story.

'This is what literature is meant to be' Anthony Burgess

'Funny, terrible, haunting and unsettling, this book is a masterpiece' Observer

'A timeless portrayal of the human condition ... frightening and uncanny' Will Self

'A book that I could read every day forever and still be finding things' Max Porter

© Russell Hoban 2021(P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Classics Dystopian Fantasy Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction
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Critic reviews

Russell Hoban has brought off an extraordinary feat of imagination and of style ... funny, terrible, haunting and unsettling, this book is a masterpiece.
You are syntactically and emotionally and politically absolutely in the book's spell. The way it changes is unbelievable; it is a living thing. (Max Porter)
Extraordinary... a hero with Huck Finn's heart, lighting by El Greco and jokes by Punch and Judy... Fiercely imagined and intensely ponderable.
Suffused with melancholy and wonder, beautifully written, Riddley Walker is a novel people will be reading for a long, long time.
This is what literature is meant to be. (Anthony Burgess)
The strongest, most desolate and bewildered voice in modern fiction. In the mental silence that followed the closing of the last page, I wanted to applaud, through tears.
The book has an evangelical effect on people ... Riddley is an absorbing character, Hoban's language has a fantastic, rough poetry and the post-apocalyptic world is chilling and convincing. (Rachel Seiffert)
All stars
Most relevant
I love this book, but it isn't the easiest read - I know a few people who have started it, loved it, but flagged part-way.
This audiobook makes the devolved language really accessible.

Great performance of a wonderful book

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What a fantastic narration! It’s like a radio play - so full of feeling and intelligence. It must have taken a lot of thought and preparation. This is my favourite book, I have read it many times, but this narration really does it justice and I know I will listen again.

Bravo Richard Pearce!

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This book is an exciting glimpse into a dystopian world. Ridley himself has to make a terrifying journey that narrates with honesty and humour.

The story telling.

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The reader really brought this challenging book to life!
I read and enjoyed Ridley Walker, however, this Audible reader created a stunning and colourful world in my head. His style of reading and his pronunciation of the text formed tangible scenes and images for me and made the book so much more exciting and accessible.
Well done!

Stunning!

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If there is only ever one book you listen to, this should be it. Of course, the language takes a little getting used to but the narration is absolutely perfect, it can not be faulted.
The story ambles and wanders in a way that is very engaging. I highly recommend this book, but only when read by this narrator.

OMG amazing!

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