The Pride of Chanur

Chanur, Book 1

By: C. J. Cherryh

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

No one at Meetpoint Station had ever seen a creature like the Outsider. Naked-hided, blunt toothed and blunt-fingered, Tully was the sole surviving member of his company -- a communicative, spacefaring species hitherto unknown -- and he was a prisoner of his discoverer/captors the sadistic, treacherous kif, until his escape onto the hani ship The Pride of Chanur.

Little did he know when he threw himself upon the mercy of The Pride and her crew that he put the entire hani species in jeopardy and imperiled the peace of the Compact itself. For the information this fugitive held could be the ruin or glory of any of the species at Meetpoint Station.

©1982 C.J. Cherryh (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Great story

A fun romp thru a multispecies universe with different well developed view of intelligent species who have gender hangups and ethical misunderstanding s.

Too Alien to Follow Comfortably

Would you try another book from C. J. Cherryh and/or Dina Pearlman?

Maybe

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The alien names and grammar combined to make the story a bit difficult to follow, at times.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Her pronunciation/interpretation of the alien names did NOT flow off the tongue well.

Do you think The Pride of Chanur needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes. It was written that way.

Any additional comments?

The story would have been more enjoyable if the spaceship could do more battle damage.

Outstanding worldbuilding 1st and favorite Cherryh

Loved seeing humans through alien but relatable eyes. Well narrated - good pacing and voices.

Wonderful intro to the Compact, Hani, Kif, etc.

Would you listen to The Pride of Chanur again? Why?

Yes, definitely. I read this back in the 80's after I was intrigued by the cover. Seeing human Tully looking out from behind the feline Hani captured my imagination and Cherryh's storytelling surprised and captivated me. Having the story from Pyanfar's perspective as she figures out just what escaped on Meetpoint, and all that leads to, is great.Cherryh's ability to tell a story from an alien's perspective is to me, unequaled.The reader does a fine job too, capturing Pyanfar's attitude quite well.

What did you like best about this story?

The entire premise and introduction of the races of the Compact. Much of the experience thus far from this first book is superficial except for the Hani, but the foundation is there and I remember how Cherryh builds on it in later books, where we even get to think like a Kif. The unfathomable methane breathers who perplex and surprise us and the oxygen breathers alike. She did a fabulous job having distinctive alien races that aren't just sterotypes.

Which scene was your favorite?

Tough to say because many are memorable and I don't want to give anything important away, but one sequence stands out and can be kept sort of generic. I liked the tension when the Pride was trying to stay silent as the Kif searched for them, then Pyanfar's surprise for them with the food, and the description of the breakfast the crew shared after they finished preparing the "surprise." It was enjoyable to hear what Pyanfar thought about through the entire sequence, and how the crew conducted itself.The other was a very simple answer Tully gave Pyanfar that said so much in a few words, "Your crew laughed." That probably makes no sense out of context, but it captured so much of his experience on the station, and also gave me a great mental image of how the Pride crew acted before everything goes crazy and the story takes off.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh. There was plenty of tension but there was gallow's humor at times (including when I realized what Pyanfar was doing with the "surprise" mentioned above) or the behavior of the Kynnn's "trades" that made me laugh a couple times and smile a few others.

Any additional comments?

This is the first of five "Chanur" books. It is a standalone book and is wonderful by itself. I recall enjoying the trilogy (books 2-4) even more back in the 80's, but it is very important listeners realize that the next books are a trilogy. I remember reading the first or second of the trilogy and it was just such a hanging ending that my reaction was, "Oh no!" with the realization that I'd have to wait a while for the next book.I remember author C.J.Cherryh had an afterword (or maybe introduction?) thanking the publisher for allowing her to do that as she feared they would insist on her making it two books (and leaving out some parts of the story) or introducing/adding an artificial end to that book. Although it was tough on the reader, it allowed her to tell the story as she thought it should be told. Remembering that, I will purchase and download books 2, 3, and 4 all together when I have 3 credits saved up. For listeners of book 1 who like it, keep that in mind if/when you get book 2. The trilogy is one big story. Hey Audible, how about giving us the option to get the Chanur trilogy for one or two credits?

Cherished

I read these books years ago, read them to my children. My children are reading them to their children. CJ Cherryh is a wonderful world builder! It is so easy to immerse yourself and imagine yourself there....

Great narration, great story.

Science fiction classics in new light of Dina Pearlman.
It is worth listening for Chanur affairs

As good as I remembered.

I devoured SF books in my youth. Now, many decades later, I am trying to introduce them to my son. As I read them again, I come to find out that many don't stand the test of time. I guess I was not very discerning back then.

The Chanur series are one of the exceptions. It's the best of the C.J. Cherryh books that I've read. The main characters, as well as all the many alien races, are very well drawn. The lion-like aliens, their culture and their world are just different and unique enough to be alien, but not too weird to be sympathetic and human. Each book was a satisfying read as I saw the characters grow.

My only disappointment, then as now, is that somewhere in the series, I expected that human-alien interactions would become a major plot device, not a peripheral happening. Something for the author to explore?

Not as Good as Her Foreigner Series

The storyline was OK, but it was hard to follow in audio. It could be that my opinion was affected by the fact that I’m not a fan of fantasy, and this was a little more fantasy like than most sci-fi.

Can't wait to get to the next book

started to read the book 20+ years ago, but the book got lousy on a trip. finally got to finish it. only problem is its a little hard to follow on audio because the are so many strange names. different races, and characters within those races...

Good, classic sci-fi nearly ruined.

Cherryh does a terrific job of imagining sentient aliens and telling a story through their eyes. It takes a good reader to make that work. Sadly, Blackstone Audio didn't try very hard to find one.