Deliverance

By: James Dickey

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

The smash-hit best seller that inspired the acclaimed 1972 film starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox is now available in unabridged audio for the very first time.

The setting is the Georgia wilderness, where the state's most remote white-water river awaits. In the thundering froth of that river, in its echoing stone canyons, four men on a canoe trip discover a freedom and exhilaration beyond compare. And then, in a moment of horror, the adventure turns into a struggle for survival as one man becomes a human hunter who is offered his own harrowing deliverance.

This classic tale is vividly read by movie and TV star and Audie Award-winning narrator Will Patton.

©1970 James Dickey (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

100 Best Novels ( The Modern Library)

All-Time 100 Novels ( Time)

"Will Patton's narration is nothing short of haunting. His Southern tone steadily declines from that of a man pondering all that is possible in the world to that of a shattered soul." ( AudioFile)

How did I miss this?

Heard about the movie all my life but so glad I got the book first!!!

Great story about a lost river

I liked the book because I have a lot of experience on artificial lakes in California. Lots of buried towns with lost stories. The story takes place in the south but resonates anywhere with that vibe.

The narrator was perfect.

like listening to a storyteller

narration was wonderful. I felt like I was sitting in someone's living room, listening to an older man tell a story while he sat rocking in his rocking chair.

Might be the perfect audiobook

James Dickey takes you down the river. When you are done, you will be battered, bruised, broken and in awe. Will Patton was spot on. The movie is for the timid - listen to this book.

Spectacular match of storytelling & narration

What did you love best about Deliverance?

James Dickey has an amazing way with words. Several times I re-listened to passages just to enjoy the dialog and descriptions again. Many times I would think "yes, that feels true" whether he was talking about things I've done (gaining confidence in a canoe) or things I hope I never do (tracking someone through the woods). And I can't imagine anyone doing a better job reading this than Will Patton! He made the book come alive for me.

What did you like best about this story?

A classic story that holds up well over time and is expertly told. You could set this in current times, make the guys lose cell coverage and nothing else would really change.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

It felt like I was sitting next to Will Patton while he told me a story of a trip he took. It never sounded like reading or even acting. He infused the whole book with life and character without overdoing it. We just re-watched the movie and found myself constantly disappointed by the lack of his voice (even though I knew he wasn't in it).

Who was the most memorable character of Deliverance and why?

While Lewis is an interesting character, this is Ed's journey. I like seeing a character go through experiences that helps them learn more about themselves and push their limits.

Any additional comments?

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves good storytelling.

Compelling

Beautifully written and performed. I had no idea the movie was created from such visual, visceral, and riveting prose. For the last two hours I could do nothing else but listen to this book.

Beautiful book!

Loved the description of the river, the trip and Ed’s thoughts. I felt like I was there with Louis, Ed, Drew and Bobby as they travel down on their weekend adventure that would always be a part of them and me.
Will Patton did an excellent job of narrating the book, it was slow but you could feel the words and experience the story.

Beautifully written narrative

What an incredible listening experience that Deliverance delivers! To begin with, having seen and enjoyed the action aspect of the film, I found myself far more moved by the strikingly poetic narrative than by any of the action that I had hoped for when making my purchase . Listening to the lead character describe his thoughts and emotions throughout his daily life was so satisfying that I almost hated to hear events unfold so quickly. The action is disturbingly nerve rattling and very exciting but this book is sooo much more. Add Will Patton's flawless performance and you have yourself a top notch audio experience. I wish I had a quarter of the writing talent that Dickey displays here, I'd write a much better review. But, to sum things up, I'll say, this book didn't leave this listener with a rape scene in mind as much as it's beauty of carefully carved out words and it's imagery so skillfully wrought by the author that remains in my mind.

Never Underestimate Running Water.

This book was on sale sooooo many times and after reading the reviews I had an inclination to read it. So finally I broke down and bought it. There was many references of James Dickey's writing to be poetic. Which should have been a clue to me since I don't like poetry. This isn't my typical type of book to listen to, but I always loved a good survival story. The first hour was really boring and I was defiantly ready for an adventure by the time it actual came, about the time they got on the river. Ed started out as a complete bore, not only to himself but to me too. This book is good, but for me it was a little wordy and descriptive. The narrator was good and authentic sounding. With all the description of the book and the low sound of the narrator I did have a tendency for my mind to wonder, mostly when Ed was in his own head mussing. On the plus side I was able to fully visualize the land. Once the action started happening I was right there in the wilderness fighting for our lives along with the rest of the gang. Overall I would give this book a rating of 3.5.

Wait for it

Story started slow and got really good. Good narrator - liked his masculine voice for this book about guys.