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Bewilderment

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize

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Bewilderment

By: Richard Powers
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021

THE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING, BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THE OVERSTORY

'It changed how I thought about the Earth and our place in it. . . . It changed how I see things and that's always, for me, a mark of a book worth reading.' Barack Obama on The Overstory
'Really, just one of the best novels, period.' Ann Patchett on The Overstory
'Breathtaking.' Barbara Kingsolver on The Overstory
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Picked as one of the 'Best Books of 2021' in the Sunday Times

Theo Byrne is a promising young astrobiologist who has found a way to search for life on other planets dozens of light years away. He is also the widowed father of a most unusual nine-year-old. His son Robin is funny, loving, and filled with plans. He thinks and feels deeply, adores animals, and can spend hours painting elaborate pictures. He is also on the verge of being expelled from third grade, for smashing his friend's face with a metal thermos.

What can a father do, when the only solution offered to his rare and troubled boy is to put him on psychoactive drugs? What can he say when his boy comes to him wanting an explanation for a world that is clearly in love with its own destruction? The only thing for it is to take the boy to other planets, while all the while fostering his son's desperate campaign to help save this one.
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'The best book I've read in 10 years. A remarkable piece of literature ... a lodestone.' Emma Thompson on The Overstory

'Radical and exciting.' Jessie Burton on The Overstory

'A remarkable piece of fiction.' New York Times on The Overstory

'An extraordinary novel.' Guardian on The Overstory

© Richard Powers 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Space Exploration Interstellar Solar System
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Critic Reviews

He composes some of the most beautiful sentences I've ever read. I'm in awe of his talent (Oprah Winfrey)
Both touching and finely written
Deftly crafted . . . packs an emotional punch
Heartfelt . . . with fantastical digressions to other planets and a rueful celebration of our own
Powers has the rare gift of being able to deal with big ideas while keeping you interested in the lives and emotions of his characters (Sebastian Faulks)
Beautiful and thoughtfully written
A compelling story about love in a dying world
It is impossible to deny the importance of Powers's message
Powers is . . . a wizard when it comes to telling us about trees, rivers, insects and birds
Extraordinary . . . Powers's insightful, often poetic prose draws us at once more deeply toward the infinitude of the imagination
All stars
Most relevant
Beautiful. heartbreaking. Thought-provoking. A world where what is science and what is speculative is thrown into question in the best kind of way

Beautiful

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Spoiler free review:

For the first 10th of the book I found it beautiful, poetic, educational and the authors love of nature definitely rung through. I’d have adored this book as a young adult full of excitement and hope about how one person’s actions can make a difference & excited for advocacy for disabilities *autism* (& I’d have found this book encouraging). Unfortunately as I’ve gotten older I’m a little more/too jaded. Let’s face it- the world is slowly dying and we’re responsible; our actions and negative impacts are kind of irreversible. I don’t need a 10+ hour book to remind me of this.

The author was obviously an environmentalist (which is a good thing) but there’s a difference between having a 1 hour stimulating 2+ way conversation about the environment and political factors here and there to listening to a 10 hour monologued lecture on it (I’m exaggerating here a little harshly I’ll admit).

Whilst there were positive beautiful moments here and there it’s an allegory to the selfishness of human nature, politics, funding, schooling and healthcare. I (personally) prefer my books to be a bit more of a positive escape from reality.

It delves into illness (autism specifically), science, astronomy, nature, funding, human judgment, human selfishness. If these are your interests you’ll hopefully love it. You probably have to be in the right mind frame to appreciate it- I wasn’t. I’d recommend an environmentalist to read this- they’d probably love it and be fueled with a yearning for action and justice- but for me it fell flat.

Also it was interesting seeing Robbie’s progression and whilst a lot of the book was obviously based on/inspired by reality I couldn’t help but intriguingly wonder how much of his treatment was realistic to the current times/technologies. I’m (in this case) optimistically thinking something like this will probably ONE DAY in the distant future be a reality (just as anti-cancer pills are finally now a thing)- it was an interesting concept.

I wish I loved it more- I just truth be told wasn’t expecting/in the mood for a satirical novel and the beauty, poeticism of it faded (for me personally).

I’m a jaded millennial this felt too environmentally preachy but I’m bias and probably not the target audience

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Gripping from start to end. Mind expanding, beautifully written and expertly narrated. Can't recommend this enough.

Powerful book!

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While there is beauty to be found in the wonder of the child in this story, overall it’s quite depressing, ending in a way that made me think the author had given up. The narration was enjoyable to begin with but became monotonous at times.

Depressing, but some beautiful descriptions

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I really enjoyed this book. Unique take on the real life issues we are currently dealing with regarding climate change and what that means for future generations. I loved unpacking the relationship between father and son and son and the world!

Brilliant and timely

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