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Warlight

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Warlight

By: Michael Ondaatje
Narrated by: George Blagden
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Warlight by Michael Ondaatje, read by George Blagden.

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018

An elegiac, dreamlike novel set in post-WW2 London about memory, family secrets and lies, from the internationally acclaimed author of The English Patient

‘The past never remains in the past…’

London, 1945. The capital is still reeling from the war. 14-year-old Nathaniel and his older sister Rachel are abandoned by their parents who leave the country on business, and are left in the dubious care of a mysterious figure named The Moth. Nathaniel is introduced to The Moth’s band of criminal misfits and is caught up in a series of teenage misadventures, from smuggling greyhounds for illegal dog racing to lovers’ trysts in abandoned buildings at night.

But is this eccentric crew really what and who they claim to be? And most importantly, what happened to Nathaniel’s mother? Was her purported reason for leaving true? What secrets did she hide in her past? Years later Nathaniel, now an adult, begins to slowly piece together using the files of intelligence agencies – and through reality, recollection and imagination – the startling truths of puzzles formed decades earlier.

©2018 Michael Ondaatje (P)2018 Penguin Audio 20th Century Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Heartfelt War

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Critic reviews

"A novel of shadowy brilliance." (The Times)

"Fiction as rich, as beautiful, as melancholy as life itself, written in the visionary language of memory." (Observer)

"Ondaatje brilliantly threads the mysteries and disguises and tangled loyalties and personal yearnings of the secret world...and has constructed something of real emotional and psychological heft, delicate melancholy and yet, frequently, page-turning plottiness. I haven’t read a better novel this year." (Telegraph)

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never really got into the story, only occasionally was I really curious to see what would happen. maybe more of a reading book than a listening one. that being said, there are plenty of beautiful sentences and original images that transport you to the mysterious world of the main character's cloudy recollection of his youth. glad I read something by Ondaatje, but not really hungry for more.

4 stars for the good writing, 2 for the story

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Compelling, yet subtle drama where past and present are cleverly interwoven to keep reader’s attention throughout. Sad, complex themes conveyed in Ondaatje’s masterly prose. I found the narrator excellent. Definitely recommend.

Warlight

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A subtle novel of characters glimpsed through a teenager’s and then young man’s eyes as he tries to understand the world of espionage his mother lived and worked in. Touching and credible.

Haunting and beautifully written

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Set in post war London a beautiful study of family relationships, love,aching loss, substitute relationships and growing up on very rocky foundations. Resilience and various facades of resilience that developed in individuals as they went through the long and deep reverberations left by wartime experiences. An excellent reader who you don’t really register as he just draws you in to the story.

Beautiful, tender and exquisitely sad.

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This is an uncanny experience of a book. One enters small worlds and existences radiant with beauty and stillness or suddenly alert and stark. A mesmerising evocation of the twilit wartime experiences of the protagonist and those he thought he knew, or longed to know. Some enthralling characters here; George Blagden has just the right voice, tone and pitch to bring them alive.

Achingly beautiful and infinitely surprising

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Was really entranced by this novel, delicately spun over several intertwining time frames.
The narrator does an excellent job, discret yet perfectly suited to the story.
Had low expectations but actually galloped through it and would read again, even considered just starting straight over !
Going to get some others by this author

Beautiful delicate and intricate story, excellent narrator

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A characteristically beautifully written story about what happens when the espionage ends and normal life (almost) resumes.... there's nothing sepia toned, or whimsical in this, an array of characters weave in and out of Nathaniel's (the books narrator) early years like silver shadowed spectres, all charged to keep an eye of Nathaniel and his sister Rachel, while his parents are...where?

There are endings not finished and beginings never really explained - indeed like the shadows created by the war time searchlights sweeping across a night sky trying to pick out enemy aircraft... post war London feels so tired, dark, lost and as shell shocked as the folk appearing at the side of Nathaniel & Rachel...the contrast to rural Suffolk made the county feel bright green and almost wholesome by comparison.

It reminded me a bit of Childers 'Riddle of the Sands' in that it doesn't appear much is happening - but early on you begin to feel the quiet drip of tension... but the writing is so good, so deceptively simple you find yourself there in the varied homes, or on the canals.

Read with especially quiet elegance by George Blagden - he knew and understood every breath and comma and full stop - and it was his reading that really added to the story's drama...

A really quite brilliant book

Elegant shadows

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I had great expectations with this being a man booker nominated read. Certain aspects I loved; the historical period, the sublime language. Simply a shame the story is somewhat dull, I only wish the author had written the story from a more interesting characters perspective such as the sister, Rachel.

The audible presentation is faultless and the narrator wonderful.

Oh dear, a tad on the dull side.......

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Excellent narration; great story. I enjoyed not having everything spelled out to me: allowing the listener to fill-in the gaps.

Thoroughly recoomend

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What an absolute treat, wonderfully measured writing and read beautifully. I will definitely return to it.

Perfect...

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