• Nine Lives

  • In Search of the Sacred in Modern India
  • By: William Dalrymple
  • Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
  • Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (12 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.
Nine Lives  By  cover art

Nine Lives

By: William Dalrymple
Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.72

Buy for $20.72

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

Shortlisted for the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize 2010. Winner of the 2010 Asia House Award for Asian Literature.

A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day.

©2009 William Dalrymple (P)2011 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"An absolutely beautiful book, clean and honest and edifying and moving. I love so much about it: a delight." (Elizabeth Gilbert)
"Dalrymple's study of people and beliefs in India ranks with the very finest travel writing... A series of biographies which unpick the rich religious heritage of the subcontinent, it makes its political points more powerfully than any newspaper article and displays deep knowledge of the culture." ( Observer)

What listeners say about Nine Lives

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

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

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

Good Book Rendered Awfully

The author tries to bring out the contrast of the perceived India and the real India. Many of the stories narrated here are known to educated Indians or observant Indians, bringing the same to a global audience is welcome. The sad part though is the narrator has no clue about Indian culture and was often mispronounced the Indian nouns. I wish the author had at least reviewed the narration.

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
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting stories, distracting naration

Where does Nine Lives rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Ranks in the middle

Would you be willing to try another book from William Dalrymple? Why or why not?

Yes, interesting writing style and great insights into India, though can get a little bogged down.

What didn’t you like about Daniel Philpott’s performance?

Several recording errors were left in the recording, which was pretty annoying.
I found the narrators Indian accents a little distracting at times, especially as at times they were a little over the top. Some of the quoted dialogue came across as a little unnatural, which I would attribute to the narrator 'over performing' the lines.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, not a 'page turner' as such.

Any additional comments?

A book to be in the right mood for, but some really interesting material. Unfortunately, the narration probably detracted more than it added.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!