The Porpoise
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The Porpoise
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Narrated by:
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Tim McInnerny
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By:
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Mark Haddon
About this listen
Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Porpoise, written by Mark Haddon, read by Tim McInnerny.
‘I really am so very, very sorry about this,’ he says, in an oddly formal voice… They strike the side of a grain silo. They are travelling at seventy miles per hour.
A newborn baby is the sole survivor of a terrifying plane crash.
She is raised in wealthy isolation by an overprotective father. She knows nothing of the rumours about a beautiful young woman, hidden from the world.
When a suitor visits, he understands far more than he should. Forced to run for his life, he escapes aboard The Porpoise, an assassin on his tail…
So begins a wild adventure of a novel, damp with salt spray, blood and tears. A novel that leaps from the modern era to ancient times; a novel that soars, and sails, and burns long and bright; a novel that almost drowns in grief yet swims ashore; in which pirates rampage, a princess wins a wrestler’s hand, and ghost women with lampreys’ teeth drag a man to hell – and in which the members of a shattered family, adrift in a violent world, journey towards a place called home.
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Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Porpoise
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marie Čechová
- 03-06-19
Thrilling imaginative adventure with a lot to say
I got recommended this book by a friend and we were talking about the myth and the play before I read it. That said by the end, the jumps between timelines are such an integral part of this specific story that I cannot imagine it being told in any other way.
The storytelling is very adventurous and keeps the reader tightly watching all that happens never revealing too much, even leaving the main characters nameless for a while if the atmosphere demands it. It also uses images and symbolism and makes them real in the sense that what the characters feel is as much reality as anything else, even if the reader is aware they are in a delusional state.
There is a lot of mirroring of realitionship and family ties, strengthened with said symbolism of a sea, a porpoise, a coffin, a deer, a storm.
My favourite parts are the ones that suddenly but completely soundly delve into very difficult themes of abuse and trauma by showing the characters figuring out their personal journey in the world. It's all very cleverly done, read the book. I listened to it three times in a row.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 12-03-20
Another gripping Audible listen!
Chosen as a bookgroup book, The Porpoise might not be a book I would have chosen, I certainly didn’t have time to read it myself this month ... hence the beauty of having it read to one!
Tim McInnerny really brought alive Haddons story, a complex plot that moves backwards and forwards through centuries and destinations.
The description of Middle Eastern markets were particularly wonderful and evocative.
The best type of story, that leaves you wondering ...
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- TicTacToe
- 14-04-20
Well written and told but confusing story
A story which spans past and present and interweaves Ancient Greece and present day day Europe.
Interesting story , well told but at times confusing.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Grant Garden
- 16-08-19
Beautiful prose. Beautifully read.
This is my first book by Mark Haddon.
I found it strange, disturbing, confusing, compelling.
Tim McInnerny’s reading of it is superb. Faultless. Brilliant.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ricci
- 07-03-20
Magnificent
I like a classical tale, but sometimes in those old stories the characters can be flat or the plots a bit too diagrammatic. I like an action thriller but often I lose sympathy with the main characters. This novel has it all - suspense, action, sympathy, a long rich weave of story. Must remember to read more by Mark Haddon
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James D
- 15-05-19
A Stunning Novel
The Porpoise is truly immersive. It's a transporting novel which demands your full attention... time slips and folds in an often dream-like way, but you're never left comfortable for long... episodes of action and violence punctuate the flow. By the close of the novel (and it's an unexpectedly emotional one) you're utterly engrossed, wishing it didn't have to end. This novel is a departure for Haddon, highly recommended & extremely powerful.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ML
- 31-05-19
Compelling
This is a compelling listen, taking you to different places and building over time. Loved it.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- E Smith
- 29-06-19
Amazing
A very cleverly written book. Enjoyed every minute. Mark Haddon. Is a genius. I’ve just finished The Pier Falls and would recommend that too.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rosie123
- 12-09-20
Exquisite writing
I never get tired of hearing the threads of these familiar stories woven together into new cloth. The quality of the writing is a sheer joy and the way in which the familiar tales are presented leads the listener/ reader into nevertheless hoping each twist and turn will lead to a happy ending. I've listened to this twice now and I still find myself listening almost as if for the first time..
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- bookylady
- 22-10-19
A new take on Pericles
Overall this was an enjoyable story, told in two time periods with interlinked plot lines. The ancient Greek story which led to Shakespeare's Pericles is retold for a new age and it really works.
Great narration.
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