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The Book of Strange New Things
- Narrated by: Josh Cohen
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
'I am with you always, even unto the end of the world . . .'
Peter Leigh is a missionary called to go on the journey of a lifetime. Leaving behind his beloved wife, Bea, he boards a flight for a remote and unfamiliar land, a place where the locals are hungry for the teachings of the Bible - his 'book of strange new things'. It is a quest that will challenge Peter's beliefs, his understanding of the limits of the human body and, most of all, his love for Bea.
The Book of Strange New Things is a wildly original tale of adventure, faith and the ties that might hold two people together when they are worlds apart. This momentous novel, Faber's first since The Crimson Petal and the White, sees him at his expectation-defying best.
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What listeners say about The Book of Strange New Things
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
- Mrs Anne Dunne
- 26-10-14
Not just for sci-fi fans, a compelling human story
I bought this audiobook having previously enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White by the same author. This book could not be more different but was also a compelling listen.
The book is set in the near future but, although staged in sci fi territory, the story is concerned with human themes: relationships, the nature of faith, belonging.
The imagined world is detailed, fascinating and convincing and will satisfy sci fi fans . The underlying human themes develop slowly and the book is a thought provoking commentary on the nature of modern human relationships and connectedness.
Credit must go to the narrator who manages the challenge of an entirely new language with great skill.
I really enjoyed this book and the issues raised remained with me long afterwards. A thought provoking and intelligent listen.
28 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca Ward
- 28-04-15
The Book of Ssssstrange New Things
Really interesting ideas, and engaging story.
Was originally only going to give it 3 stars, as I felt quite a few things were unresolved and some of those big ideas were left high and dry. However, I've been reflecting on the story, and the characters for a few days - I really cared about what would happen to them, and the book and the strange environment have stayed with me. Surely the sign of a clever and involving piece of work.
22 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
- mandy
- 30-11-14
A really interesting adventure
If you could sum up The Book of Strange New Things in three words, what would they be?
original, interesting, creative
What did you like best about this story?
the moral dilemmas that Peter faces is very real and relatable despite the fantasy setting of the story.
What does Josh Cohen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
I really liked his interpretation of the Oasians voices and pronunciation
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
the fear that the Oasians felt when Peter hurt himself, really brought home for me how important it was to them to have a religious leader, and the bond they felt with this man.
Any additional comments?
I am a huge fan of The Crimson Petal and the White. To be honest, if it weren't for my love of that book I would have passed this title over on the basis of it's subject matter. However, Faber's skill meant that I thoroughly enjoyed a book which was about two things I am essentially not very interested in!
17 people 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
- Lou
- 26-10-14
A Strange Book Indeed
I was intrigued by the premise of this book: a missionary going to a strange new place to live with his flock and bring them the word of God, whilst maintaining a relationship with his wife who is only reachable via a form of email with no pictures.
It's difficult knowing what to write without giving away any plot. There *is* plot, but it's tenuous, and what there is is slightly fantastic to say the least. And by that I mean fantasy-like, rather than brilliant.
The team of people at the USIC base seem jaded and gelded. The happenings around Bea feel too far fetched to happen so fast. The way Peter and Bea react to each other's messages seems a little unconvincing.
I thought the narrator did a very competent job. I found him believable as Peter and felt he gave him all the colour and personality allowed for in the book. As for his pronunciations, bravo that man! I have no idea how they compare to the spellings in the text (a drawback of audio over a paperback), but they sounded convincing to me!
11 people found this helpful
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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
- C
- 10-10-14
The book of boring old things
What disappointed you about The Book of Strange New Things?
Long winded, slim on plot and characterisation, poor editing (how many similes and descriptions of sweatiness does this book need?!)
What will your next listen be?
Nothing by michel faber, that's for sure. I would not have believed that this is the same guy who wrote crimson petal. What a let down
How did the narrator detract from the book?
He had a tendency. To stop in the. Middle
Of sentences. As if he hadn't read ahead to know it still carried on
Very annoying
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Book of Strange New Things?
I would have chopped about 2/3rds of the book. Certainly the endless passages of scripture teaching.
I would have added
- a plot
- proper back stories of key characters
- different character viewpoints
- subtlety
Any additional comments?
I think I'm actually going to return this book. It took up too many hours of my life that I'll never have back
37 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
- Roberts Rachel Jane
- 10-02-15
Moving and thought-provoking
Where does The Book of Strange New Things rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
A highly unusual story,beautifully written that made me think about a lot of things I'd never really considered before. As always Faber's characters are absolutely believable.
What about Josh Cohen’s performance did you like?
The whole book was brought to life by Josh Cohen's virtuoso performance. He really breathed life into the characters with an impressive range of voices and accents.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Elizabeth
- 29-10-14
Different and Fascinating
Would you listen to The Book of Strange New Things again? Why?
I would rather read it. I did not enjoy the narrator's attempts to pronounce the words the aliens say when trying to speak English.
What other book might you compare The Book of Strange New Things to, and why?
This book is quite unique but the closest I could get to a comparison is Michael Faber's "Under The Skin".
What about Josh Cohen’s performance did you like?
Yes apart from the attempt to speak like the aliens. That was rather painful.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Not really
Any additional comments?
It is a good story and keeps you reading to see how it works out and what is really going on. I found the extensive Christian sermons very tedious and think they could have been shortened.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- william
- 27-05-15
Largely uneventful, irritating narration
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Probably not, it's very dull.
Would you recommend The Book of Strange New Things to your friends? Why or why not?
No, it is boring. Infuriatingly uneventful; the protagonist's character s developed for 3/4th of the book, in largely the same way (casual link to personal history, repeat).
Would you be willing to try another one of Josh Cohen’s performances?
Absolutely not. Strikes me more as a stage actor than a narrator – gets way too involved in putting on voices. The aliens' voices are very irksome to listen to for the number of hours required to complete the book, and when they sing it's genuinely excruciating. Might just be personal, but I want a book read to me, not hear an actor audition for a stage role.
Was The Book of Strange New Things worth the listening time?
Barely.
Any additional comments?
Committing to hearing one person's voice for 16+ hours is a big decision – I recommend people listen to as many samples as possible before downloading.
8 people found this helpful
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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
- costermonger
- 21-12-16
A work of great imagination and an impressive performance
If you've read 'The Crimson Petal and the White' and are expecting something similar you'll be... bewildered. But this novel has the same qualities of immersion in an unfamiliar world and immense humanity. It's thematically denser, and saves the unravelling of plot for the final quarter, but it's worth your patience. There are some big challenges for a narrator in here, and Josh Cohen does a great job.
3 people found this helpful
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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
- david atkinson
- 22-01-15
worst book i've read in a long time
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
this is a dreadful book with huge plot holes and inconsistencies. the characters have no redeeming qualities, i found them irritating and illogical.
Has The Book of Strange New Things put you off other books in this genre?
no
How could the performance have been better?
the alien speak was awful
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
no
Any additional comments?
dont get this book
11 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Julie
- 15-03-15
Not sure Michel Faber does resolution...
If you are familiar with Michel Faber's works you won't be too surprised by the ambling nature of the novel. An evangelistic pastor is recruited by a mysterious corporation to bring the gospel to an alien race on a planet they wish to colonise. It's less about a plot than an exploration of a set of possibilities and human nature in extreme circumstances. I think I enjoyed it even though the pronunciation of the "alien" speech was absolutely tortuous and made me glad the narrator wasn't with me in person to cover me in spit.
Thought provoking and given the recent extreme weather in Vanuatu possibly prescient.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Julia
- 10-09-16
Bad story, good narrator.
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
It was okay, but not mind-blowing.
What was most disappointing about Michel Faber’s story?
It had a lot of potential that remained unexplored. The way I understand it, the author took on a very limited point of view of emphasise that it was Peter's outlook and priorities that counted, but then a first-person narrative would have suited this novel much better. As it is, the reader is left with the feeling that many important issues have remained unexplored.
What does Josh Cohen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He brings an boyish enthusiasm to Peter that fits his personality, and the way he reads the Oasans is also good (and not easy to pull off).
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
No, unless they fixed the plot holes in the novel.
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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
- Lauren
- 11-01-15
Slow and without resolution.
This book had a few interesting concepts, none of which were explored. The ending was particularly poor, I think a better ending May have saved the book, unfortunately not the case.
