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The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith

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The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith

By: Peter Carey
Narrated by: Mark Lucas
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About this listen

Peter Carey hilariously conjures up dystopia in his picaresque The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith.

‘My name is Tristan Smith. I was born in Chemin Rouge in Efica - which is to say as much to you, I bet, if I declared I was from the moon.’

Severely afflicted, doomed never to be taller than three-foot-six, Tristan Smith faces death and danger from the first moment of his energetic and ambitious life. Here, for the first time, is the truth about him, from his birth in the Republic of Efica in the year 371 to the present day.

When he goes on trial for multiple offences in Voorstand, a nation of rampaging global dominance, Tristan must plead his case to the very culture that has done for his own.

Peter Carey's piercing allegory of imperialism is unmatched for originality and inventiveness.

©1994 Peter Carey (P)2019 Bolinda Publishing Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Psychological Thriller & Suspense Fiction
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This is the first Peter Carey book I have read. I found the story and timeline confusing at times as the years were on a different calendar. Hard to flip back on an audio book to double check The ending was unsatisfactory and felt incomplete. Some interesting concepts about our civilisation were explored.
Narration was excellent, with many different accents for the multitude of characters.

Novel plot ok, narration excellent

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