The Darling

By: Russell Banks

Narrated by: Mary Beth Hurt

Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The Darling is Hannah Musgrave's story, told emotionally and convincingly years later by Hannah herself. A political radical and member of the Weather Underground, Hannah has fled America to West Africa, where she and her Liberian husband become friends and colleagues of Charles Taylor, the notorious warlord and now ex-president of Liberia. When Taylor leaves for the United States in an effort to escape embezzlement charges, he's immediately placed in prison. Hannah's encounter with Taylor in America ultimately triggers a series of events whose momentum catches Hannah's family in its grip and forces her to make a heartrending choice.

Set in Liberia and the United States from 1975 through 1991, The Darling is a political/historical thriller, reminiscent of Graham Greene and Joseph Conrad, that explodes the genre, raising serious philosophical questions about terrorism, political violence, and the clash of races and cultures.

©2004 Russell Banks (P)2004 BBC Audiobooks America, Inc. & HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Fiction (Unabridged), 2005

"A rich and complex look at the searing connections between the personal and the political, this is one of Banks's most powerful novels yet." (Publishers Weekly)
"Banks brings the full weight of his storytelling genius and psychological perceptiveness to a novel as compulsively readable as it is eviscerating in its dramatization of cultural divides, political mayhem, psychotic violence, and profound alienation." (Booklist)

Perfect.

I was exhausted when this book ended. It seemed to touch so perfectly on all of the strange and horrible mishaps of the late 20th century. The book really is a masterpiece. Mary Beth Hurt did a wonderful job. The whole experience was a rare work of art.

well crafted book

I loved his writing style as well as leaning a lot about Africa. surprises abound. I felt a tenderness toward characters that in real life I might not take the time to know. Master storyteller.

Superb narration for a terrific story

This is one of the best, if not the best, title I have listened to on Audible. The voice of the central character seemed very authentic to me, as she described both the external conflicts going on in Liberia and the heartrending internal conflicts and contradictions going on inside of her. In addition, Mary Beth Hurt does an amazing job with the narration!

intense but ultimately not compelling

The plot of this novel is certainly riveting--you are carried along with the story, always interested to know what comes next. And yet I found it ultimately distancing, perhaps because Hannah never really felt authentic to me. She seemed to be a symbol or a caricature rather than a real woman. The story is most successful at showing the effects of American imperialism on a small country in Africa that was, in some ways, doomed from the start. And Banks does a very good job at weaving the real history of Liberia and its monstrous leaders into the fate of his fictional characters. And yet--it just never gelled for me. The narrator did a good job of capturing Hannah's passivity and preternatural calm, but in a way this just heightened my sense of Hannah's one-dimensionality.

haunting and riveting

Aside from seeing the movie version of The Sweet Hereafter, this was my first experience with Russell Banks. What a gifted, compassionate writer. His sense of place is so pronounced and his characters, while often deeply flawed, stayed with me a long time.
Mary Beth Hurt gave a wonderful reading.

A good read.

Any additional comments?

Another person reviewed the book stating the main character was a bit of a spoiled brat. I have to agree with the writer on that one, and yet it was still an engaging story. The main character is extremely cynical. I did not identify with her as a mother, a wife, a friend, or any of the roles she played. I usually am extremely impressed with Russell Banks ability to create characters who have depth that surpass most authors. I'm glad I purchased it. It's not my favorite, but it is an intriguing story. The narration is superb. It's worth the listen. It would be a good pick for a book discussion.

Truth.

How Mr Banks is able to always show us the many facets of our struggles as people with causes and beliefs is a mesmerizing treat to this reader.

One of the Best!

The Darling is one of the most engrossing novels that I've ever read. The main character (Hannah) is fascinating -- complex and admirable yet mysteriously aloof from some important aspects of her life. The depiction of events in Liberia, with just enough history and political insight, makes the story compelling. This is a great book.

extraordinary and beautiful

Russell Banks is one of our greatest novelists in the English Language. His body of work shows an artistry with the language that few others meet.

This novel ranks with Cloudsplitter. Banks' characters are flawed people, but the reader is enriched and enlighted by listening or reading them come to terms with their lives.

In Darling Banks explores what it means to be moral by exploring complicated lives led fully. He brings a deep mediation on lyalty, empathy, language, social change, and loveas his main character explores her life.

The narration is nearly perfect. This is an excedllent audio experience.

Unexpectedly great book

I downloaded this expecting another book. One of the best books I have experienced on audio. The reader does an excellent job, the story is fascinating, the writing is some of the best I have read recently.