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)

Welcome depth and presentation to a familiar story

James Dickey's straightforward storytelling made this "I've already seen the movie" backwoods canoe adventure well worth taking again, while Will Paton's brilliant and engaging characterizations made it hard to leave this experience behind once it was all over. A great presentation and welcome depth to a story we all grew up with.

Extraordinary

This book popped up as an "also narrated by Will Patton" promotion after I finished another Audible title. I love how Will Patton reads, so in spite of the fact that I'd seen the movie and knew the story, I purchased it.

Oh, my!!! I thought the movie was very memorable years ago, but the story was much more. Will Patton makes James Dickey's prose and this novel well worth the listen.

this book was written in 1970 and it is excellent.

when I was young I saw it at the movie theater and it was excellent. it's been popular 4 many people. it touches many different genres of life.

Brilliant but 1st person narration gets old

Dickey writes great. But there's quite a bit of action here and the 1st person ("I did this and then this and then this") is not particularly suited for that, especially during the lengthy cliff-climb scene. Protagonist Ed--who works in a photography studio--comes across very poetic, maybe more than one would expect, which is not surprising since Dickey was a poet. Great story though. More at the beginning and ending than the film; otherwise the book is very fateful to the action.

So good

When I thought deliverance All that came into my mind was squeal like a pig boy! That was not what I encountered while listening to this book. Fabulously written, and building suspense. If you're headed camping, download this and listen to it around the campfire. That's what I did, and it was perfect

better than the movie

I read this book after seeing the movie and was amazed! Its a fantastic story and listening to it was just as much fun as reading it! I highly recommend it!

very very descriptive. loved it!

I love how descriptive the author was. He made it easy to envision yourself there. The narrator was amazing as well. I wouldn't have done the voices nearly as well in my mind if I would have read it

This. Is. Unsettling.

I remember how creepy this movie was. I have distinct pictures in my mind from seeing it as a teenager. I haven't seen it in a very long time. Except for curiosity and some nostalgia for the recently deceased Burt Reynolds, I don't think I want to see it again after listening to this haunting book.

This book terrified me. It is not for the faint of heart. The true making of nightmares. But I loved it. The writing is surprisingly poetic and layered. So much nuance and detail without ever straying from the path. I was not bored, not did my mind wander, for a moment. No word seemed extraneous or out of place.

The overwhelming beauty in nature is represented throughout, making the whole thing even more frightening. Excellent performance by the reader.

Perfect narrator, interesting story

I guess I never saw the movie. My husband had and liked it so decided to get this so we could listen to it together. I loved the narration. He was perfect for it. The story, maybe not so much. It is rather dark but definitely kept you interested. I guess this is not what you would call a chick book but definitely something a dude would enjoy!

enjoyable story

enjoyable story about over coming a river they were unprepared for, and just trying to survive