![A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters | [Julian Barnes]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QDdOdxeML._SL175_.jpg "A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters | [Julian Barnes]")
A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
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- Regular Price :$41.99Special Offer: Learn how to get this for $7.49 !
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Average Customer Rating
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LENGTH10 hrs and 56 mins
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RELEASE DATE10-01-07
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AUDIO FORMATS
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Program TypeAudiobook
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PUBLISHER
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Publisher's Summary
After success with the main novels of Haruki Murakami, Naxos AudioBooks turns its attention to other major literary works of recent times.
©2007 Naxos Rights International; (P)2007 Naxos Rights International
What the Critics Say
“Barnes's witty and sometimes acerbic retelling of the history of the world. The stories are connected, if only tangentially, which is precisely Barnes's point: historians may tell us that "there was a pattern," but history is "just voices echoing in the dark . . . strange links, impertinent connections." Fascinating reading from the author of Flaubert's Parrot.” (Library Journal)
"Frequently brilliant, funny, thoughtful, iconoclastic and a delight to read." (Salman Rushdie)
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What Members Say
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"More Great Julian Barnes"
Where does A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?HISTORY OF THE WORLD is one of the best books I have yet to listen to, and I have listened to hundreds. Barnes is brilliant with his wide ranging intelligence and splendid writing style. Alex Jennings is one of my favorite narrators and has done equally well with other of Julian Barnes' books.
What did you like best about this story?These are stories that are linked in the most subtle (and not so subtle) way.
Have you listened to any of Alex Jennings’s other performances before? How does this one compare?Alex Jennings' narrations of other Julian Barnes books are truly wonderful.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?Some of these stories are quite funny, and others serious and philosophical.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful -
"A Look at our Place in History"
What made the experience of listening to A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters the most enjoyable?Good stories and a few great ones read by a talented narrator.
What did you like best about this story?That's difficult to say but I think that the stories being so different from one another but having unifying themes was one of the collection's strengths.
Which character – as performed by Alex Jennings – was your favorite?The character in the last story 'The Dream.' Somehow reminded me of Ricky Gervais...
If you could take any character from A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters out to dinner, who would it be and why?I'm not sure. That's a bit of a strange question...
Any additional comments?Overall Review: ‘A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters’ contains one of what I believe to be the best short stories I have ever listened to, the last story in the collection, titled ‘The Dream.’ For my money this story alone is worth the price of admission. I also thought the collection’s opener ‘The Stowaway’ was a standout.
I felt that the audiobook was a challenging one. The stories at first glance appear to be unrelated but are connected though the themes of voyage, discovery, and the interpretation of history. Barnes is deftly able to handle these subjects with a sense of good humor and the seemingly unconnected stories make for a unified piece once viewed together.
If you are familiar with Julian Barnes work then you should be pleased with this collection. If you are new to Julian Barnes it’s best to know that he’s a contemporary English writer who writes literary fiction. If you’re a fan of literary fiction and you like short stories then you can’t really go wrong here.1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
"Intelligent but ponderous"
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?No. It was ponderous
What do you think your next listen will be??
Was A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters worth the listening time?Not for me
Any additional comments?Interesting concept and structure; I quit before the ending. Wore me out.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
"Brilliant!"
Would you consider the audio edition of A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters to be better than the print version?Exceptional brilliant narration!
What other book might you compare A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters to and why?A Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy - maybe because of characters
Have you listened to any of Alex Jennings’s other performances before? How does this one compare?No
Who was the most memorable character of A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters and why?just in progress
Any additional comments?I`d like to listen more books narrated by Alex Jennings
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
"An uneven collection of smart short stories"
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?The stories were "smart" as contrasted with "interesting" or insightful, though some were better than others. It seemed like more of an intellectual exercise by a clever man rather than the kind of literature Barnes has written before, and the stories are tied together very loosely, if at all. Not close to his best work and not as good a style as his novels.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
"Not what I Expected"
The publisher describes this book as 'one of the defining novels of English writer Julian Barnes' and whilst it is a clever and creative look at human nature, I was disappointed because the title and Audible description did not adequately describe that the book was not actually a serious work about history.
I suppose I was looking more for a WORLD HISTORY FOR DUMMIES, so Barnes' stories took me by surprise.
Entertaining, none-the-less! For whiling away long hours of boring long-haul flying, and mindless train journeys, this was a good audio book to have tucked into my iPod.9 of 34 people found this review helpful -
Lucie San Francisco, CA, United States 05-21-12 Member Since 2006
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"Pedantic ... very little to do with History"
What disappointed you about A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters?It's not a history of the world as advertised ... unless you're crazy about wood worms and Noah's Ark
What do you think your next listen will be?Nothing by Julian Barnes
Which scene was your favorite?The story about the actor in the jungle, that was kind of interesting... not that I know why, the author stops and the story goes on and on about the definition of Love...
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters?too much to make a book
Any additional comments?make your own decision, but if you want a real interesting world history listen to The Mental Floss History of the World (Unabridged) available on Audible
0 of 2 people found this review helpful -
Sandra Arlington, VA, United States 05-31-10 Member Since 2005
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"Not what I expected either"
Think about this book as a loosely tied together collection of short stories which is not how it was described. It's first and last "chapters" (read stories) are entertaining enough, but I can't seriously recommend the entire book.
0 of 4 people found this review helpful