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Question 7 cover art

Question 7

By: Richard Flanagan
Narrated by: Richard Flanagan
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Publisher's Summary

By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this genre-defying daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die.

At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, literature, place and memory is about how reality is never made by realists and how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.

©2023 Richard Flanagan (P)2023 Penguin Random House Australia Audio

What listeners say about Question 7

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Well worth my reread

It’s three weeks since publication and I’ve read it twice. Too quickly the first time. The second, with the benefit of hindsight, so rich and thoughtful.

The audio production is a little scratchy, even to the extent of leaving in an editorial comment by the narrator. But it felt like I was in Flanagan’s study with him reading to me.

Historical, memoir, love letter, time, genocide. It packs a lot in, and there is space for the reader to ponder.

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A meditation on life and memory

Beautifully written and read by Richard Flanagan. Part memoir, part reflection on life and memory, part rumination on indigeneity, colonialism and racism. Thought provoking exploration of the use of the atom bomb against Japan in World War II and the nature of war itself. Ranging widely and deeply this was a pleasure to listen to…

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An Extraordinary book

Not a chronological memoir but a tapestry of memories some crystal clear and others dreamlike. He has had an unusual life and I’m grateful he has the ability to share it the way he has.

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1 person found this helpful

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Stunning

Another masterpiece from one of Australia’s best authors and storytellers. Highly recommended. A must read.

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The honesty of the author Richard Flannigan

This book is so much more than a pean to Tasmania and a deeply thoughtful and honest man’s recollection of his family. His insights into memory, truth, ethical behaviour, history and possibilities are astounding. I know that anyone who reads this book will be enriched by the experience and will have the ability to view the world through a new powerful lens.

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Absolutely Superb

I loved this book very much. It was so emotive and honest. thank you!

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What a beautiful dream...

Finishing Question 7 was like waking up from a strange and beautiful (if not slightly disturbing) dream. A dream that took me through the concentration camps of Japan, the streets and towns of rural Australia, the deep Tasmanian bush, and finally beneath the weight of running water and up into the stars as life threatened to leave my body in a harrowing tale of survival and rebirth. This is a wonderfully disjointed series of prose - a thoroughly enjoyable ride without knowing where the hell you are on the map. Yet somehow it all comes together and feels whole. I think Flannagan's deeply personal, Australian-story somehow speaks to us all if only for it's familiarity in time and place, and our shared cultural history. Don't try and follow a line, just enjoy the beautifully writing and let it carry you along to wherever you might find yourself when you close the book.

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A brilliant yet raw story threading some of the personal aspects of Flanagan’s family history with world events

Absolutely loved it and in particular linkages between the arts (H G Wells’ novel) and major world events. This is brilliantly narrated by Flanagan in all its rawness. That said the audiobook has some strange numbering which seems to add no value and is a little distracting.

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The sincerity of the author/reader

I liked his honesty. The way he describes his parents - with love, insight and sincerity. The way he links historical events with the present and links everything - including his own death to nature and human nature.

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A rich tapestry … I plan to reread it soon xx

I love the way Richard weaves his stories together, in the same way that our lives consist of real life and memories, stories from the past and the stories we are creating.

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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.