A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters

De: Julian Barnes

Narrado por: Alex Jennings

This is one of the defining novels of English writer Julian Barnes. An entertaining melange of stories, starting with a contemporary account of the launch of Noah's Ark, takes us into unexpected areas of human foibles, activities, and tendencies.

After success with the main novels of Haruki Murakami, Naxos AudioBooks turns its attention to other major literary works of recent times.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©1989 Julian Barnes (P)2007 Naxos Rights International

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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)

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

spectacular literature

this is one of the most clever, best written books I have ever Read or listened to. Julian Barnes is one of the greatest authors of his generation.

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.

8 1/2 out of 10 1/2

This was not as humorous as I was expecting it to be. I enjoyed eight of the 10 chapters, and those two chapters I didn't enjoy I really didn't enjoy. my opinion the first chapter was the best chapter. Overall, I would say, I was entertained and that's not a bad thing.

Top drawer!

Would you consider the audio edition of A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters to be better than the print version?

Because of Alex Jennings, yes. Though, of course, Julian Barnes is to blame. What a combination!

What was one of the most memorable moments of A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters?

Hard to say, when I was laughing so hard

Have you listened to any of Alex Jennings’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He's always wonderful

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

Laugh

Any additional comments?

I would listen to Alex Jennings read the phone book!