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Stella Maris

powerful literary fiction from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author

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Stella Maris

By: Cormac McCarthy
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Julia Whelan
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About this listen

A profound exploration of the nature of reality and the human mind, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Road and No Country for Old Men.

'A drought-busting, brain-vexing double act’ – Guardian

Alicia Western is the following: Twenty years old. A brilliant mathematician at the University of Chicago. And a paranoid schizophrenic who does not want to talk about her brother, Bobby.

Told entirely through the transcripts of Alicia’s psychiatric sessions, Cormac McCarthy's Stella Maris is a moving companion to The Passenger. It is a powerful enquiry that questions our notions of God, truth, and life itself.

‘Cormac McCarthy was such a virtuoso, his language was so rich and new . . . his books were terrifying and absolute. His sentences were astonishing.’ - Anne Enright

 Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction

Critic Reviews

Remarkable… a staggering achievement
His sentences have the solidity of stones and the clarity of diamonds
A true work of literature… If McCarthy’s goal was for these books to haunt readers long after they are set aside, then he has succeeded.
Remarkable… [Stella Maris] harmonises both sadly and gorgeously with its recent predecessor. Side by side, both novels affirm the extraordinary poetry and strangeness of McCarthy’s vision
Like Bach’s concertos, these triumphant novels depart the realm of art and encroach upon science, aimed at some Platonic point beyond our reckoning where all spheres converge
Great additions to McCarthy's already outstanding oeuvre and proof that the mind of one of our greatest living writers is as sharp as it has ever been.
All stars
Most relevant
This was my fav in 2023. It is simply brilliant. I wasn't a massive fan of The Passenger but this one, although connected, was simply perfection particularly with Julia Whelan narrating it, I would say it is one of her best performances.

BEST BOOK EVER

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Possibly the most moving and thought provoking audio book I have listened to. Breath taking in it's vision and intimacy.

The best for last

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mcCarthy's Passenger and Stella Maris is really about Alicia and we see a much deeper view of her in this book. Ballerini and Whelan do an amazing job together.

brilliant performances

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I listened to it in one day. I did not want it to end. To me, Cormack McCarthy is a storytelling philosopher. His stories provide opportunities to move from one philosophy (or challenge to one's reality) to another. This is pure McCarthy, in my opinion. I am not worthy nor fully able to express my true opinion, but I thought it was brilliant.

Enjoyed every moment

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A bleak view of the world by an isolated beautiful person. McCarthy’s world is a bleak place. Abrupt ending that left me feeling sad. Great novel.

Haunting

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