The Book of Strange New Things cover art

The Book of Strange New Things

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Book of Strange New Things

By: Michel Faber
Narrated by: Josh Cohen
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £18.04

Buy Now for £18.04

About this listen

'I am with you always, even unto the end of the world . . .'

Peter Leigh is a missionary called to go on the journey of a lifetime. Leaving behind his beloved wife, Bea, he boards a flight for a remote and unfamiliar land, a place where the locals are hungry for the teachings of the Bible - his 'book of strange new things'. It is a quest that will challenge Peter's beliefs, his understanding of the limits of the human body and, most of all, his love for Bea.

The Book of Strange New Things is a wildly original tale of adventure, faith and the ties that might hold two people together when they are worlds apart. This momentous novel, Faber's first since The Crimson Petal and the White, sees him at his expectation-defying best.

©2014 Michel Faber (P)2014 Canongate Books Ltd Fiction First Contact Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Science Fiction
All stars
Most relevant
I was intrigued by the premise of this book: a missionary going to a strange new place to live with his flock and bring them the word of God, whilst maintaining a relationship with his wife who is only reachable via a form of email with no pictures.

It's difficult knowing what to write without giving away any plot. There *is* plot, but it's tenuous, and what there is is slightly fantastic to say the least. And by that I mean fantasy-like, rather than brilliant.

The team of people at the USIC base seem jaded and gelded. The happenings around Bea feel too far fetched to happen so fast. The way Peter and Bea react to each other's messages seems a little unconvincing.

I thought the narrator did a very competent job. I found him believable as Peter and felt he gave him all the colour and personality allowed for in the book. As for his pronunciations, bravo that man! I have no idea how they compare to the spellings in the text (a drawback of audio over a paperback), but they sounded convincing to me!

A Strange Book Indeed

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to The Book of Strange New Things again? Why?

I would rather read it. I did not enjoy the narrator's attempts to pronounce the words the aliens say when trying to speak English.

What other book might you compare The Book of Strange New Things to, and why?

This book is quite unique but the closest I could get to a comparison is Michael Faber's "Under The Skin".

What about Josh Cohen’s performance did you like?

Yes apart from the attempt to speak like the aliens. That was rather painful.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really

Any additional comments?

It is a good story and keeps you reading to see how it works out and what is really going on. I found the extensive Christian sermons very tedious and think they could have been shortened.

Different and Fascinating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Book of Strange New Things to be better than the print version?

I've not read it, but enjoyed the narration, so I can only assume so.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of the characters are flawed, which is part of their charm. I eventually grew to like Peter, but it took a while.

Have you listened to any of Josh Cohen’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I don't think so, but thought he was excellent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Probably Jesus-Lover Five's final scene, but many of the scenes involving the interactions with the aliens were moving - when you could understand them.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book. Found it haunting, and it left me a little rattled - a bit like Under the Skin did when I read it.

Creepy and Cloying; like life on Oasis

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great beginning. I’m not a science fiction lover not even a religious someone, and in my opinion this book goes beyond these elements into something more universal. Listen to it while traveling, loved it.

Aanrader

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I bought this audiobook having previously enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White by the same author. This book could not be more different but was also a compelling listen.

The book is set in the near future but, although staged in sci fi territory, the story is concerned with human themes: relationships, the nature of faith, belonging.

The imagined world is detailed, fascinating and convincing and will satisfy sci fi fans . The underlying human themes develop slowly and the book is a thought provoking commentary on the nature of modern human relationships and connectedness.

Credit must go to the narrator who manages the challenge of an entirely new language with great skill.

I really enjoyed this book and the issues raised remained with me long afterwards. A thought provoking and intelligent listen.

Not just for sci-fi fans, a compelling human story

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