The Eyes and the Impossible

By: Dave Eggers

Narrated by: Ethan Hawke

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

From the award-winning author of The Every comes an endearing story of a dog who unwittingly becomes a hero to a park full of animals.

Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes—to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park’s elders, three ancient Bison. His friends—a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican—work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance.

But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats—an actual boatload of goats—who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes’s view of the world.

A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make listeners of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.

©2023 Dave Eggers (P)2023 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"Johannes is a highly engaging narrator whose exuberance and good nature run like a bright thread through the novel’s pages…. There is a deeper story here, too, about being yourself and finding freedom." —New York Times

★ “Utterly delightful…. Eggers touches on deep topics with a light hand, effortlessly building suspense and a wonderful sense of adventure.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “Eggers crafts a marvelous, fully fleshed protagonist in Johannes....whose compassionate narration delivers a rousing tale of community, joyful self-reliance, and the pleasures of running very, very fast.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Fun lighthearted story

A nice warm-hearted break from reality. Hearing the inner lives of the park animals come to life was a great way to spend the weekend.

You’ll want friends like this!

A wonderful animal story. The author does such a fantastic job of humanizing them each with its own personalities. Live it!! A feel hood book. Need more like this ❤️

Incredible

I loved the narrator, this is such an excellent listen especially if you’re a lover of animals

An outstanding story built for reading aloud!

The narrator was MOST EXCELLENT, and I am charmed by the story. The only thing that would have been better would be to have Mrs. Klaich, my 4th- and 6th-grade teacher, here to read it aloud after our noon recess, as she did other gems of stories such as A Wrinkle in Time and The Bridge to Terabithia. Like my new favorite coyote--mesmerized with pictures in squares--I am enthralled with these imagined wise animals in the park.

Excellent Narration

Excellent narration for this Newbery winner! Children will fall in love with the characters. It's a story to be shared.

The narrator did a masterful job!

A perfect example of a beautiful story that will appeal to children but will be enjoyed by adults and reread by adults who read it first as children.
Ethan Hawke makes this audio book into a one person dramatic performance that is Oscar worthy. He is the characters and makes the narrative come alive with genuine emotion and excitement. He made me believe that talking, thinking animals living in community would sound just like that!
Thank you Mr Eggers for this classic and for not writing down to the children.
Congratulations on the Newberry-well deserved!

A Joy of a Book

This put was a great different type of story through the eyes of animals. It is a wonderful story for all ages to read. I was sad that the story ended.

Waiting on the next book to continue the story.

On the Best-Ever shortlist!

I can hardly remember an audio book that I loved more than this one! The writing and story are superb, but Ethan Hawke’s narration really hits it out of the park. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it — I’m normally not a big fan of animal narrators — but I was hooked from the first chapter. This story is witty, insightful, compelling, and laugh-out-loud funny in parts.

Great cast of characters

Really enjoyed Ethan Hawke as the narrator! This was a delightful fun read where each animal has something unique and interesting to offer in the telling of this story of exploration and self discovery

Didn’t want this book to end

The narration by Ethan Hawke is terrific - the perfect match for Eggers’ story and cast of characters.