The Parade

A novel

De: Dave Eggers

Narrado por: Dion Graham

From the bestselling author of The Monk of Mokha and The Circle comes a taut, suspenseful story of two foreigners' role in a nation's fragile peace.

An unnamed country is leaving the darkness of a decade at war, and to commemorate the armistice the government commissions a new road connecting two halves of the state. Two men, foreign contractors from the same company, are sent to finish the highway. While one is flighty and adventurous, wanting to experience the nightlife and people, the other wants only to do the work and go home. But both men must eventually face the absurdities of their positions, and the dire consequences of their presence. With echoes of J. M. Coetzee and Graham Greene, this timeless novel questions whether we can ever understand another nation's war, and what role we have in forging anyone's peace.

Great book, regrettable reader

The Audible reader does the author and the listener a disservice by reading the character Nine's dialogue in such a way as to make him sound ridiculous. Yes, a good reader will help a listener discern one character from another, but it is not right to bias a listener by creating a negative impression of a character.

Loved it!

I loved everything about this story! Excellent narration. Story was interesting from start to finish.

What Will Occur Because of Our Actions?

A short, but thought-provoking story. Recommended for someone who reads for more than entertainment.

Short, but not sweet

This book was recommended to me by someone that lives in the Horn of Africa because it is a story full of the idiosyncrasies of living in a war-ravaged country. The tech and the mode of working seem far-fetched, and the personalities, a bit extreme. It really tells the story of a single event that could go very bad. It may be helpful to someone working for a large company with vast resources, but for the average cross-cultural worker, there is very little that is relatable. No SAT phones, no guns, no grenades, no back-up. Read it if you find yourself looking for something, otherwise, move closer to the bottom of your reading list.

Quick page turner

Thought the book was well planned, was eager to finish it, mostly because nine was driving me crazy, I won’t say more as not to spoil it. Quick read goes by in a day, felt like it should have been included in a selected works or collection. wouldn’t have thought a book about paving a road could be so intriguing, there will be some predictability for anyone who has read other books of this nature about “3rd world” issues with unstable countries and culture shock. Honestly anyone who has done some traveling will cringe at some of the decisions the characters make. Nonetheless it was just the right length to not become overwhelming. People who have a hard time with finishing a long novel or are short on time in general will find it appealing . It was a literary snack. Would be a great read on an international flight. lol

Another Challenging Eggers Work

Dave Eggers is an enigma. This is the fifth book of his that I have tackled and I’m never sure exactly why I have undertaken it. Not that he’s not a fine writer. He is. But he’s all over the lot. His subject matter ranges from the reaction to the current state of society, as in Zeitoun and The Circle, to fever dreams like Hologram for the King and What is the What.

Maybe that is the attraction. His work shows a deep commitment to what he’s trying to express and he draws you in to follow his struggle. Sometimes he loses me completely but often I really enjoy the trip.

The Parade falls somewhere in the middle. This is a very short book that on the surface deals with an incredibly dull topic: road paving. Two characters are assigned to drive a mechanized paving vehicle connecting two previously hostile Middle Eastern countries. The characters are relatively two-dimensional and there’s little action as we follow their mission. But Eggers’ style creates an atmosphere of dread that mesmerized the reader. You know the story is going somewhere and you will continue the slog.

I won’t give away the rationale of the story except to say that there is one and I felt it was well developed and relevant to today’s culture. As I write this I realize that Parade reminded me a little of Beckett and some of the Absurdist Theatre pieces of the Sixties. Even fifty years later, they still have something to say to us. I only gave the book three stars because of its slow pace and lack of dramatic arc, but I don’t regret spending these few hours inside Eggers’ head. The narration was very well done and in keeping with the style of the writer.

The Not-So Obvious Ending

Funny and tragic story; what can possibly go wrong with well-intentioned and ill-informed foreign aid? This story could have taken place in almost any third-world county, and without too much effort certain aspects could have been changed—but the ending would be the same. Dave Eggers has a policy position, but it is very subtle and best seen across various books.

Lovely

Dion Graham continues to be a wonderful narrator of Dave Eggers work. This is maybe my favorite eggers story so far.

Repetitive and Tedious

I like this author, but I couldn’t finish this book. The author has created a very unlikable character and gave chapter after chapter of the same thing. A few of his books were quite enjoyable, not this one.