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Ransom

By: David Malouf
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's Summary

Malouf's fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature.  

David Malouf shines new light on Homer’s Iliad, adding twists and reflections, as well as flashes of earthy humour, to surprise and enchant. In this exquisite gem of a novel, Achilles is maddened by grief at the death of his friend Patroclus. From the walls of Troy, King Priam watches the body of his son, Hector, being dragged behind Achilles’ chariot. There must be a way, he thinks, of reclaiming the body - of pitting compromise against heroics, new ways against the old, and of forcing the hand of fate. Dressed simply and in a cart pulled by a mule, an old man sets off for the Greek camp.... 

Lyrical, immediate and heartbreaking, Malouf’s fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature - themes of war and heroics, hubris and humanity, chance and fate, the bonds between soldiers, fathers and sons, all newly burnished and brilliantly recast for our times.

©2009 David Malouf (P)2014 Audible Inc.

What listeners say about Ransom

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
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    3 out of 5 stars

Way easier than reading it

For Year 12 VCE English, listening to the book instead of reading it made it way easier to understand and process, as the book itself is a little hard to digest due to the writing style. For busy VCE students, listening to it on your commute to and from school or as you're taking notes is a lot easier than sitting down and trying to decipher it.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ransom: an exercise in storytelling.

Episodic and keeping with the rhythm of Homer's original work. Ransom delivers a beautifully woven story.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Truly heartfelt and triggers your imagination

This is one of the best novels I've heard, it sparks me to imagine the parts within the story such as the river scene. Read this book it won't disappoint.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Victorian VCE Students

This is the right book for the English comparative. The guy who reads it is also clear and the guy who did the audiobook for one of the prequels of Game Of Thrones so his got some pull. Good luck with your exams and I hope this review helps!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Its okay

its just a bit boring and the way Achilles is interpreted isn't accurate. the writing is also very strange and uses a lot of descriptive words that don't need to be there. overall it's okay

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Ransom, is brilliant

love this, so wonderfully written and in voice made me feel l was there. Myths and gods are so essential for our lives today

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Ransom

The language is hard to follow at the beginning however, it gets easier as the story goes on. All in all, Ransom is a highly theatrical and dramatically engaging story.

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Boring

This book is probably the worst book I have ever read in my entire life.

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2 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Awful

who at VCAA decided that this novel would be an engaging read for us poor year 12 students

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