The Tiger's Wife

A Novel

By: Tea Obreht

Narrated by: Susan Duerden, Robin Sachs

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Award Finalist and New York Times best seller...

“Spectacular...[Téa Obreht] spins a tale of such marvel and magic in a literary voice so enchanting that the mesmerized reader wants her never to stop.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend, loss, and love, Téa Obreht, the youngest of The New Yorker’s 20 best American fiction writers under 40, has spun a timeless novel that will establish her as one of the most vibrant, original authors of her generation.

In a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her - the legend of the tiger’s wife.

Named one of the best books of the year by: The Wall Street Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine; The Economist; Vogue; Slate; Chicago Tribune; The Seattle Times; Dayton Daily News; Publishers Weekly; Alan Cheuse, NPR’s All Things Considered.

“Stunning...a richly textured and searing novel.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

“[Obreht] has a talent for subtle plotting that eludes most writers twice her age, and her descriptive powers suggest a kind of channeled genius.... No novel [this year] has been more satisfying.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“Filled with astonishing immediacy and presence, fleshed out with detail that seems firsthand, The Tiger’s Wife is all the more remarkable for being the product not of observation but of imagination.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“That The Tiger’s Wife never slips entirely into magical realism is part of its magic.... Its graceful commingling of contemporary realism and village legend seems even more absorbing.” (The Washington Post)

©2011 Tea Obreht (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Stunning...a richly textured and searing novel.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

“[Obreht] has a talent for subtle plotting that eludes most writers twice her age, and her descriptive powers suggest a kind of channeled genius.... No novel [this year] has been more satisfying.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“That The Tiger’s Wife never slips entirely into magical realism is part of its magic.... Its graceful commingling of contemporary realism and village legend seems even more absorbing.” (The Washington Post)

READ the book!

Loved the story---fascinating stories juxtaposing recent & not so recent events. I really liked the characters. Nice contrast of the rational & superstitious ways of seeing the world. It was a hard listen though. While the narration was competent, every word understandable, Duerden did not, to me, seem the voice of the character who was telling the story. Subtle but disturbing. The grandfather's voice was worse--an old man who needed a drink of water.

breathtaking

The richness of the intertwining stories build and present a glimpse into a world filled with magic and secrets. The power of culture, tradition, mourning and hope. I will be holding this tale in my heart and searching over it in my mind for some time to come.

masterful writing, but a bit hard to take

Beautiful descriptions, poignant observations, and at times the story was really fascinating, but much of it was gloomy, being set in the midst of the Balkan wars. This was not helped by the narrator's almost constantly urgent tone. Good literature, but I feel I need some fresh air after reading it!

Engrossing tales within tales, but ends flat

I think I voice similar sentiments as other reviewers. This story is amazing and engrossing. Each tale begins so far away from the main story, but manages to end up tying together the story in the present. There are great juxtapositions between science and supernatural, love and war, right and wrong. Because of the beautiful and elaborate descriptions throughout the book, in comparison, the ending seems quick, dry, flat, with a good part of the tale left untold. Sure, the author gives you enough information for you to surmise what happens, but why end so abruptly? It really does feel like the author was forced to hastily finish up the last chapter for a deadline. If you like extremely descriptive stories that make you feel like you in the characters' world, then you will like almost all of this book. The enjoyment of listening to the first 11 hours makes up for the disappointing last 5-10 minutes, but I wish the ending was given the care and time the rest of the story received.

Hard to follow

This novel was difficult for me to follow. Not only was the story confusing, the narrator was monotone. Not an enjoyable read.

Gorgeous

Wonderful story, told so expressively and with so much skill that you can't believe the author is only 25. Beautifully read by Susan Duerden. Highly recommend. I will probably listen to this one again.

Perhaps it's an unfamiliar speech pattern

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I believe the book is well written, and descriptions are rich and full.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the intertwining of plots

How could the performance have been better?

The main narrator, Susan Duerden, reads every sentence as if it is the height of suspension. In the suspensful parts of the book this works well. Unfortunately, it is not possible to remain at the very edge of cliff the entire tale.I found the voice inflection grated on me. With this in mind, I found it difficult to get through the book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"May I have some water?" asked the deathless man.

beautiful

beautiful character driven narrative with vivid sensory descriptions. touching love story between grandfather and grand daughter. intriguing bits of magical realism. thought provoking meditation on death, its inevitability, and its necessity. the relationship between the dead and the living explored.

More than a Grandfather story

Loved it again and again. The narrators are PERFECTION. I made a connection not previously made the first 2 times I listened.

Interesting, but not sure it's worth all the hype

The Tiger's Wife is a dazzling show of newcomer Tea Obreht's literary power. For being only 25 years old, I'm both mesmerized and insanely jealous.

Though I was impressed, I was ultimately disappointed and perplexed. The novel is dense and reads much like heavy literature. The story is interesting but it ultimately never goes anywhere. I think readers should know this novel is more of an academic exploration, a character study rather than a mystery waiting to be solved.

Susan Duerden is decent and does well pronouncing all the Serbian names and locations but I think she's overly British for this tale and I think they could have picked someone with a different accent. Robin Sachs brief interludes are terrific and really add depth and texture to the terrific character of the grandfather. I wouldn't change his bits at all.

The Tiger's Wife to me, is a heavily layered journey, emphasis on the heavy. It is enjoyable once you're a few chapters in but much of this novel felt like work. I recommend people read this book with a spirit of academic study. It doesn't read like a relaxing, engaging story but rather a maze of characters, time, location, wars, points of view and everything in between. It's a complicated book with little revelation and resolution.

By the end, I'm not sure the journey was worth it which is why I'm rating the book with 3 stars.