Beggars in Spain

De: Nancy Kress

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

Nebula Award Winner, Novella, 1991

In a world where the slightest edge can mean the difference between success and failure, Leisha Camden is beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent, and one of a growing number of human beings who have been genetically modified to never require sleep.

Once considered interesting anomalies, now Leisha and the other "Sleepless" are outcasts, victims of blind hatred, political repression, and shocking mob violence meant to drive them from human society and, ultimately, from Earth itself.

But Leisha Camden has chosen to remain behind in a world that envies and fears her "gift," a world marked for destruction by a deadly conspiracy of freedom and revenge.

©1993 Nancy Kress (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Superb....An exquisite saga of biological advantages." ( Denver Post)
"A depth of imagination unusual even among science fiction writers." ( Analog)
"[T]hrilling drama, compelling dialectic." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Good, recommended, though at times iffy!

This was a very listenable audiobook with some interesting ideas. It certainly held my attention and kept me involved. At the same time, it constantly seemed to be channeling other, similar books. Most frequently, "Atlas Shrugged", with many long-winded and somewhat repetitive passages about makers and takers, in the one-dimensionality of many of the characters, and in the (SPOILER?) decision of the makers to separate themselves (unlike Ayn Rand's, however, Kress does not seem to making a political statement with one "side" clearly in the right; this is a much more balanced examination of the societal split). Then we have similarities to Ender's Game, and other books about super children. And other similarities that have drifted from my mind... sorority stories? Animal Farm?

And yet it remains readable and enjoyable. The premise is interesting. I often wished that the author had limited the extra abilities of the sleepless to just not sleeping, and gone into more detail about that. I mean, the brief touching upon parents who couldn't deal with babies that never slept was a glimpse into what could have been a really fascinating exploration; and I would have liked to see more of the psychological effects on adults of not sleeping - of no downtime, of no escape, of solitary nights, etc. In the book it's pretty much all up side, and augmented by several other "super powers"... I'd rather have seen more detail and more realistic balance of benefits and deficits of sleeplessness.

Kress is always great

Such a philosophical study in the individual and the specific and the speed of change.

The pass of time and changes in society

Good book, very forward thinking. A little slow in some parts but overall a good thought provoking book.

Chapter breaks

I think that authors use chapters to allow themselves and their readers a chance to dwell on a cliff edge or contemplate recent events. This reading steps all over that sacred space. As for content-maybe a low-key Ayn Rand except Kress seems more human.

Mostly very good

The first part is great, but the court room dialog can get quite tedious in the second part.

Atlas Shrugged meets Gattaca, but less believable

Beggars in Spain is an interesting thought experiment, but unfortunately, the follow through was unsatisfying. The world and characters felt very limited and I don't think the subject portrayal aged well, in terms of elitism, ableism, 1%ers, etc. I did finish the story, but I jumped to 1.75 speed or higher to get through some of the longer diatribes. It has its good moments, but felt just okay overall.

The book will most likely appeal to people who like Atlas Shrugged esque premises and social science fiction (i.e. without starship battles or time travel).

I think the biggest obstacle for my enjoyment was the main character Leisha Camden, whose fixed perspective, naivete, and (painfully) slow realizations make her an unreliable poster child of the "super smart" sleepless group. I had trouble buying the degree of separation between sleepers and sleepless anyway, and Leisha's portrayal compounded my skepticism.

Nancy Kress is something like a genius

this was my first book of
Nancy Kress but it is absolutely not my last

Interesting concept and a well-written story.

This is a very good book that considers some interesting questions about biological advancement and distinction in society.

More relevant today than ever

I only recently discovered Nancy Kress. I listened to the Yesterdays Kin series before this and loved it so I thought I would try this series. I wasn't disappointed. This book explores themes of class warfare, economic inequality, physical and mental inequality. It explores how a society might cope with huge differences brought about by genetic manipulation. The characters are well written and complex. They are written in a way that lets you see things from their perspective and really care about them. I think there is a lot in the book that gives some perspective to the current political climate. The narration is also very good and really brings the characters to life. In our world many of us fear being left behind by technology and this story does a good job exploring what might be possible without being completely utopian or dystopian.

Interesting Topic

Would you listen to Beggars in Spain again? Why?

Interesting story. Liked the character and plot development for both characters and changes in the behavior of the United States population.The sleepless do seem to have all of the advantages until later in the book, when you realize they have needs and limitations, same as all human beings. I hated the leader of the sleepless Sanctuary, a testament to Ms. Kress' writing because I usually don't care enough about the characters to actively hate them after I put the book down.

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that the main sleepless character softened into a member of the human race.

What about Cassandra Campbell’s performance did you like?

Ms. Campbell has a gift for voice inflection. She does not rely on over-dramatization or drastic changes in pitch or tone (men v. women for instance); minor changes to inflection set mood, character and frame of mind.

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

I found myself hating Jennifer Sharifi, the champion for the Sanctuary more than usual for any good book I read.

Any additional comments?

I liked the