Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Hello America  By  cover art

Hello America

By: J. G. Ballard
Narrated by: David Ledoux
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.19

Buy for $18.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Following the energy crisis of the late 20th century, America has been abandoned. Now, a century later, a small group of European explorers returns to the now climatically mutated continent. But America is unrecognizable - the Bering Strait has been dammed and much of the country has become a desert, populated by isolated natives and the bizarre remnants of a disintegrated culture. The expedition sets off from Manhattan on a cross-country journey, through Holiday Inns and abandoned theme parks, to uncover a shocking new power in the heart of Las Vegas.

©1994, 1981 J. G. Ballard (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This fable lifts a great freight of ideas effortlessly.... The story of an expedition driven on by wishes of possession and power but guided internally by myths of America whose sources lie in the late 20th century." ( Guardian)

What listeners say about Hello America

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

If you like Ballard, don't buy this audibook!

What disappointed you about Hello America?

I haven't written a review this critical ever. If I don't like it, I usually skip it. However, I am a huge Ballard fan, and I am truly appalled at the shoddy quality of the narration. David Ledoux might have been poorly directed in the studio, but whatever the case may be, it almost seemed like he was trying to sabotage the book.

How could the performance have been better?

His voice modulation bordered on hysterically bad. I laughed out loud a few times, shook my head in disbelief, but marched on because, as I said, I love Ballard and I wanted to listen to this book. Imagine the cheesy voice over guy from early to mid 2000s movies, with all that forced gravitas and urgency apropos of nothing. Now imagine that applied to Every. Single. Sentence.

Any additional comments?

This guy doesn't get Ballard and doesn't get the book. A complete joke of a narration. Don't buy this garbage.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful