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Flights
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
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Flights
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Summary
Winner of the Man Booker International Prize 2018
Flights, a novel about travel in the 21st century and human anatomy, is Olga Tokarczuk’s most ambitious to date. It interweaves travel narratives and reflections on travel with an in-depth exploration of the human body, broaching life, death, motion and migration.
From the 17th century, we have the story of the Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyen, who dissected and drew pictures of his own amputated leg. From the 18th century, we have the story of a North African-born slave turned Austrian courtier stuffed and put on display after his death. In the 19th century, we follow Chopin’s heart as it makes the covert journey from Paris to Warsaw. In the present we have the trials of a wife accompanying her much older husband as he teaches a course on a cruise ship in the Greek islands, and the harrowing story of a young husband whose wife and child mysteriously vanish on a holiday on a Croatian island.
With her signature grace and insight, Olga Tokarczuk guides the listener beyond the surface layer of modernity and towards the core of the very nature of humankind.
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What listeners say about Flights
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
- Nick D
- 14-03-21
Narration irritating
This is great book by an amazing author. It is narrated in a posh, highly-strung, gender stereotyped, irritating voice. I regret i downloaded it. I will buy a copy to read
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Corsaire
- 03-03-21
Vague and unfulfilling
Was hoping for a hard-to-define, engaging and thought-provoking listen like Maria Popova's Figuring, but this was rambling and whimsical without ever seeming to arrive at a point, or a point of interest. I certainly don't recognise it as a novel about travel or the human body, as it is described. It seems more like a collection of of rather peripatetic thoughts.
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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
- CarolynK
- 04-06-20
Brilliant writing but not a novel
The writing and some of the stories in this collection are mesmerising but be aware that this is not a novel. Included in the series of stories ranging from vignettes to novellas are some haunting tales; a Polish man on holiday in Croatia whose wife and child disappear, a Russian woman with an urge to escape a life dictated by love for her disabled child. Loosely linked by themes of flight and the cage that is the body, the stories build in power. Stick with it and you won't be disappointed.
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3 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
- zjawka
- 31-01-20
Unusual and peaceful
I loved the way Olga took us on the traveling board of different personalities. Genius
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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
- R. D. Rosengarten
- 14-02-23
Brilliant
Amazing iteration of that hybrid genre the lyric essay, fantastic translation and excellent narration. Loved this. Highly recommended if you’re not looking for plot, which I never am!
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Bananas in Pyjamas
- 22-11-21
Pretentious ramblings
Endured 4 hours before I gave up completely. The book comes across as the pretentious disconnected ramblings of someone trying to find underlying meaning where there is none. The voice of the narrator is also unappealing and distracting. Perhaps it would be (slightly) better as a written book than an audiobook but somehow I doubt that, since the content itself if so uninspiring.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Chris
- 05-07-20
Pointless
I have to admit to enduring only 3 hours before giving up and skipping through. This is not a novel but a vignette off various unconnected bits of travel related stories.... Some might find it dreamy but I found it dull, pointless, irritating and jarring...I rarely don't finish a book, but this I could not figure on for more than five minutes. Maybe it's a better read than a listen although I am a touch bemused b as to how's it won the booker prize...
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-09-22
The voice is too annoying to continue
Got it and thought it would be a good supplement for my paper version. The voice of the narrator is too unsettling to continue. Such a shame. I regret did not listen to the sample first.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mrs Prudence Irvine
- 16-05-19
Confused portrayal
The light tone of the narrator seemed incongruous with the narrative. A voice more matched to less brittle literature. Consequently, I couldn’t get past two hours of listening.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Rachel Hart
- 08-09-19
Gave up
Maybe audio is not the best format for this chaotic, confusing & frustrating book. Was it supposed to be funny? Was the narrator supposed to be so smug & mocking? Reminded me of Olivia Laing’s work, which I would listen to again. But not this. Gave up after 90 mins.
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2 people found this helpful