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The Overstory

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The Overstory

By: Richard Powers
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2019

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A wondrous, exhilarating novel about nine strangers brought together by an unfolding natural catastrophe

An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. An Air Force crewmember in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan.

This is the story of these and five other strangers, each summoned in different ways by the natural world, who are brought together in a last stand to save it from catastrophe.

©2018 Richard Powers (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Metaphysical & Visionary Political Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

Critic Reviews

"Really, just one of the best novels, period." (Ann Patchett)

"The best book I’ve [listened to] in ten years." (Emma Thompson)

"Dazzlingly written." (Robert Macfarlane)
All stars
Most relevant  
Read at the speed of trees.

Plus 9 more words that i have no interest in using.

Absolutely Stunning

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This is great. Beautifully told, you follow the lives of a handful of characters held together by trees. Recommend.

Powerful story

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This is the best book I came across in a while. Such a beautiful language and story full of sorrow and hope.
Amazing book.

Beautiful book

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A thought-provoking and moving work of literature.
This book will change the way you view life.

A masterpiece

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A great big story with wonderful insights into trees but overall it is a story of defeat, I felt down and sad for weeks as trees and their human protectors are defeated by humans

Insight and defeat

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Interesting subject treatment, complicated, wet
Hard to believe this was the best book written in the world in 2018

Melodramatic

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Superb book. Must be read. This has changed, or modified, the way I see things.

Superb

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Beautiful insightful look at human psychology and our connection with our natural world. Wonderful.

Brilliant

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I love trees and nature. Reason why I picked up the book. Yet I was disappointed how lengthy and complicated the individual stories turned out to be, most of the time confusing the reader and you totally forget what was the book about in the first place. I also didn't like the reading performance/voice. She unfortunately didn't sound natural speaking in different cultural accents, which would help you feel the character so much better. I would recommend to someone who has plenty of free time in hand ( which os rare these days) and read the physical book.

I couldn't finish the book, and I always try to

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Richard Powers takes our current situation of environmental destruction and possible planet collapse and weaves A storyline of six characters which has a allegorical feel to it.
His Style is masterful and he also manages to bring A lot of factual data particularly about trees.
I would highly recommend this book. The reading style In this book in audible is subtle and evokes clearly each character.

Brilliant conceptually and a finally crafted work

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