Among Others

By: Jo Walton

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Startling, unusual, and yet irresistably readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.

Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science-fiction novels that were her closest companions. Then her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, and Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled - and her twin sister dead.

Fleeing to her father, whom she barely knew, Mori was sent to boarding school in England - a place all but devoid of true magic. There, outcast and alone, she tempted fate by doing magic herself, in an attempt to find a circle of like-minded friends. But her magic also drew the attention of her mother, bringing about a reckoning that could no longer be put off.

Combining elements of autobiography with flights of imagination in the manner of novels like Jonathan Lethem's The Fortress of Solitude, this is potentially a breakout book for an author whose genius has already been hailed by peers like Kelly Link, Sarah Weinman, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

©2010 Jo Walton (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2012
• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 2011

“Walton succeeds admirably. Her novel is a wonder and a joy.” (The New York Times)

"Katherine Kellgren’s Welsh accent, with its lyrical cadences, suggests that audio may be the most authentic way to experience this 2011 winner of the Nebula Award." ( Audiofile)

Amazing Narration

Where does Among Others rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks as one of the best books I've listened to all year due to the spectacular narration of Katherine Kellgren. The story is also worthy of all the awards it has won, as it kept me riveted with its fascinating world and characters.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the strong female lead and the world she lives in, with its magic working in the daily life of a teen girl living in 1979.

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

I felt this was truly a performance. I felt carried away to another world with her Welsh accent and her stunning portrayal of Mori the title character, an avid reader of science fiction..

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

Yes!

Any additional comments?

Sometimes, the story dragged on a bit when Mori spends so much time discussing the books she's reading. I wanted the story to move faster.

libraries, science fiction, fairies, magic, death

Not what I expected after farthing sixpence ha'penny but very dear. I love Jo Walton so much. This is a coming of age story and a story of coming into one's own- injured and still strong and capable. I am a librarian and a book lover so I had to love it. But I will keep the true theme of it to myself, wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. Lovely book. My only complaint- why would anyone leave South Wales? I'd give anything to be on the Gower or in the hills. Thank you Ms Walton. I am on to the next of your delights.

A magical tale, rather than a tale about magic

Among Others by Jo Walton is the coming of age tale of a teenage girl from a dysfunctional family, forced to move in with a father she's never known and then on to a boarding school where she is out of place. Along the way, she struggles to fit in and find friends, all while still grieving over the death of her twin in an auto accident from which she still has a limp. Against all this typical teenage angst, she also believes in magic and that her mother is a witch who means her harm.

From a fantasy perspective, the fantasy is mostly in her head. Other than her eventual boyfriend, she is alone in her perception of fairies and magical occurrences. All such instances have perfectly non-magical explanations. As such it is never made clear whether magic is limited to her ability to bend reality to fit her preconceptions (pierced ear became a means to prevent magical ability). Perhaps the most engaging aspect of the tale, is her fascination with actual sci-fi and fantasy and much of the tale is given over to her analyses of famous authors (Heinlein, Zelasny, LeGuin, etc.) at the time which is set in 1979. Clearly, magic becomes her means of dealing with the tough parts of life.

The narration is excellent with a great rendition of a Welsh accent with preservation of sufficient articulation to allow for an easy listen. Character distinction is respectable and pacing is well aligned with the plot.

My favourite novel

This is the only way to write about faeries, thank you Jo for such a wonderful story.

A Love Poem to Books

I rated the performance higher than the story because I thought that the narrator brought a special depth to this story. While the action of the book covers a relatively short period of time, from September 5, 1979 to February 29, 1980 the narrator does this interesting thing with the first person point of view character's accent. It moves from an educated Welsh accent to boarding school English as she spends time at the expensive English boarding school that her English aunts send her to, then slips back a little more toward the Welsh when she is again with her mother's family, but not as strongly marked.

Probably a pretty obvious progression, but it kind of crept up on me as I listened this book and some narrators/producers might not have bothered. I've tried a couple of Audible books recently that I did not buy because I sampled them and thought the narrator was sub par.

This is probably a love it or hate it book. I found it easy to identify with the main character who used books as a comfort and guide. I can see where others might find the references, not just to science fiction and fantasy stories, but to historical fiction, Victorian children's fiction, and Plato to be tiresome, but for me they enriched the narrative.

I don't know if this is book I could recommend unless I knew you very well, but I liked the audible version very much for some reasons that had nothing to do with just enjoying the story.

God the accent is painful!

I usually love the lilt and musicality of the Welsh accent, but as performed by this reader, it was so emphatic and so thick that it really became painful to listen to. It was like a Welsh valley girl constantly rambling on and on about nothing -- AAaaarrrgggghhhhHHH! Shut up already! I'm about 2/3 of the way through and I had to stop to give my brain a rest! Will I like it better when I finish it? (Oh, I WILL finish it!) I don't know. But for now, what started as a charming story became a forced march through teenage hell. Proceed with caution!

A very different coming of age story.

If you could sum up Among Others in three words, what would they be?

Blossoming, fannish, and different

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Love the accent. Really brought me me over to Wales with the voice.

Any additional comments?

It's not a usual coming of age story. The characters are all flawed, some with deep scars inside. Made it more real, more believable characters. Really enjoyed the book. Also enjoyed her discovering the fannish world and her love of books.

Meh, Not Sure It's Hugo Worthy

As an ode to science fiction, its ok. As a story on its own, there's hardly anything there until the very end.

Warm, heart-rending realist fantasy

Would you listen to Among Others again? Why?
Yes, and again after that... It's haunting, captivating, sweet and painfully real.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Among Others?
When the main character reveals what happened to her sister.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?
Unfortunately, the narrator was occasionally hard to understand because of her strong accent. Once my ear became 'tuned' this was less of a problem, but it was frustrating at times very early on.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No; I wanted to stretch it out because I enjoyed it so much.

Any additional comments?
This amazing book can be read on two levels almost all the way through: a completely realist book about a girl's imagination compensating for tragedy and disability; or a fantasy story about ghosts and fairies. Either way, or both, it's beautifully observed, wry, whimsical and wonderful. My only qualm is that the ending felt too sudden and a little contrived, as though the writer simply decided to finish as quickly and efficiently as possible (throwing most of the ambiguity away). Still, even with that caveat, this is one of the best books I've listened to all year.

Fantastic performance of a very good book

I finished this book a few days ago and have been struggling with how to review it. First, the narration was magical and I thought the narrator was Welsh! She was American (and sadly passed away), but kept my interest in this book from beginning to end.

Next, this is a love affair with books, libraries, bookstores, and book clubs. The main character loves Science Fiction and Fantasy. We hear about books and authors all the way through. Some I've read, others not. An ex is really into those genres so I'm sure he's read many of these books. This is a reader's story to be sure. I think someone on Goodreads made a list of the books mentioned here.

Then there is the story which I have some issues with. The girl is Welsh and sees fairies (my 23 year old assured me that it is normal in Welsh culture). Her twin has died and her family is messed up. The book consists of her journal entries, all dated.

Still I enjoyed it and would give it 4 and a half stars if I could. I listened to a trilogy of Jo Walton's and would certainly listen or read more of her work.