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The People in the Trees

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The People in the Trees

By: Hanya Yanagihara
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
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About this listen

In 1950, a young doctor call Norton Perina signs on with the anthropologist Paul Tallent for an expedition to the remote Micronesian island of Ivu’ivu in search of a rumoured lost tribe. They succeed in finding not only that tribe but also a group of forest dwellers they dub ‘The Dreamers’, who turn out to be fantastically long-lived but progressively more senile.

Perina suspects the source of their longevity is a hard-to-find turtle; unable to resist the possibility of eternal life, he kills one and smuggles some meat back to the States. He scientifically proves his thesis, earning worldwide fame and the Nobel Prize, but he soon discovers that its miraculous property comes at a terrible price.

As things quickly spiral out of his control, his own demons take hold, with devastating personal consequences.

©2013 Hanya Yanagihara (P)2013 Audible Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature
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Wonderfully read, I won't easily forget this book. What a story!! made all the more amazing that it's basis is in fact.

Disturbing

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Would you try another book written by Hanya Yanagihara or narrated by Jeff Harding?

I read "A Little Life", and it was possibly the best book I've ever read. That urged me to pick up another Hanya Yanagihara book - The People in the Trees.

Was The People in the Trees worth the listening time?

It was... not bad. But it was also not great. I found it a bit of a muddled story about lust and abuse that didn't come together well. (Hanya ended up completely nailing this theme in her next book "A Little Life"). It was a long book, and I listened to the end. To be honest, I think it was Jeff Harding's narration that won me over. His adaptation of the lead character was spot on for me.

Um... I'm not sure...

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There were times when reading this was wonderous and others times disturbing. The author is quite unique and somewhat an acquired tast. The best part was the raw examination of human nature and why it is wondrous and disturbing... because that is life.

Not for the faint of heart

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A book of little substance. 10 hours too long. Could have done so much more with the story. Certainly not in the same league as A Little Life. I really really struggled to finish.

Disappointing...

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Ruined the entire book for me. I went and got the kindle version to read and what a difference.

Horrid narration

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.