• The Circle of Reason

  • By: Amitav Ghosh
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (49 ratings)

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.
The Circle of Reason  By  cover art

The Circle of Reason

By: Amitav Ghosh
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.00

Buy for $25.00

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

Amitav Ghosh’s extraordinary first novel makes a claim on literary turf held by Gabriel García Márquez and Salman Rushdie. In a vivid and magical story, The Circle of Reason traces the misadventures of Alu, a young master weaver in a small Bengali village who is falsely accused of terrorism. Alu flees his home, traveling through Bombay to the Persian Gulf to North Africa with a bird-watching policeman in pursuit.

©2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.; 1986 Amitav Ghosh

Critic reviews

“A remarkable storyteller, a Scheherezade effortlessly spinning tales within tales, the possessor of a strong narrative voice quite like no other.” ( Newsday)
"Ghosh’s writing soars, producing electric images.” ( Baltimore Sun)

What listeners say about The Circle of Reason

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2

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

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

Circles within circles

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Although Amitav Ghosh is one of my favorite writers, I found this book confusing and not very interesting. Too many people moving around without compelling purpose.

What three words best describe Simon Vance’s voice?

Excellent as usual.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Ok

I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Glass Palace. It is a bit aimless but enjoyable

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Ghosh, I was disappointed

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

only to an avid Ghosh fan.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It seemed contrived.

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

Yes I have and he is consistently good, especially in a book with many characters.

Do you think The Circle of Reason needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

please no more on this story line.

Any additional comments?

Compared to Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke, Glass Palace, Hungry Tide, Circle of Reason had a less steady hand on the plot. The characters were thinner and less compelling: I gladly said goodbye to them at the end. In contrast, I have grieved for my own loss at the sound of "audible hopes you have enjoyed this content" (or turned the last page, in some cases) for all the other Ghosh titles.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

beautifully narrated,

The story is rife with intriguing characters and complex situations. It's difficult to follow at times. Narration is music to the ears so I didn't mind getting lost

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

What was this about

Authors trilogy was quite good. However this book seems to have no purpose or direction. The descriptions seem very interesting but they go no where. I like the unusual names but because there are so many central characters there is no way to know who is who

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!