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The Greenlanders

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The Greenlanders

By: Jane Smiley
Narrated by: Ralph Lister
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About this listen

Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author Jane Smiley's The Greenlanders is an enthralling novel in the epic tradition of the old Norse sagas.

Set in the 14th century in Europe's most farflung outpost, a land of glittering fjords, blasting winds, sun-warmed meadows, and high, dark mountains, The Greenlanders is the story of one family - proud landowner Asgeir Gunnarsson; his daughter Margret, whose willful independence leads her into passionate adultery and exile; and his son Gunnar, whose quest for knowledge is at the compelling center of this unforgettable audiobook. Jane Smiley takes us into this world of farmers, priests, and lawspeakers, of hunts and feasts and long-standing feuds, and by an act of literary magic, makes a remote time, place, and people not only real but dear to us.

©1988 Jane Smiley (P)2014 Audible Inc. Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Magic
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This book is something of a hard sell. An epic tale of medieval Greenland as the climate changes and society starts to fail. For ages I couldn't face it but actually it is fantastic. It has a compelling story, sympathetic and beautifully realized characters and it's an amazing piece of writing- it's epic, intimate and will transport you to a different world. Think 'Some Luck' in 14th century Greenland. The style takes a little getting used to but stick with it, it's great.

Epic, intimate and transporting

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What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Everything

Has The Greenlanders put you off other books in this genre?

Just the author and narrator

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed, couldn't get into the book at all, neither the storyline nor the narrator, I managed about half an hour and put it away in disgust.

The Greenlanders

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