Farnham's Freehold

By: Robert A. Heinlein

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Hugh Farnham is a practical, self-made man, and when he sees the clouds of nuclear war gathering, he builds a bomb shelter under his house, hoping for peace and preparing for war. But when the apocalypse comes, something happens that he did not expect. A thermonuclear blast tears apart the fabric of time and hurls his shelter into a world with no sign of other human beings.

Farnham and his family have barely settled down to the backbreaking business of low-tech survival when they find that they are not alone after all. The same nuclear war that catapaulted Farnham 2,000 years into the future has destroyed all civilization in the northern hemisphere, leaving Africans as the dominant surviving people.

In the new world order, Farnham and his family, being members of the race that nearly destroyed the world, are fit only to be slaves. After surviving a nuclear war, Farnham has no intention of being anyone’s slave, but the tyrannical power of the Chosen race reaches throughout the world. Even if he manages to escape, where can he run to?

©1964 Robert A. Heinlein, 1992 by Mrs. Virginia Heinlein (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Heinlein’s story is as engrossing now as it was in its original form decades ago.” ( Midwest Book Review)

Heinlein of his time...

If you read my other reviews, you know that I am a Heinlein fan. This is an excellent recording of a novel unique to the Heinlein cannon. Tom Weiner delivers a wonderful performance using a number of unique and engaging voices. When the story lags, the excellent narration carries things along nicely.

About half the book is the story of a family that survives a nuclear holocaust, and lives a survivalist life. The second half deals with their lives when they encounter a future culture. To go any further will spoil the plot.

But Heinlein always uses his novels to comment on culture, and this one addresses slavery and the slave mentality, marriage and fidelity, and prejudice and bigotry. Remember that this book was written in the early 1960s. What seems silly and obvious now would have been cutting edge and liberal then. The book has been criticized for its language and misogyny. No swearing - but lots of racial insensitivity.

This should not be your first Heinlein novel (Moon is a Harsh Mistress, or Starship Troopers are better choices). But if you are curious about the evolution of this sci-fi master, or if you want to hear a fair story with lots of social commentary from RAH, then this is for you!

Good Book

Any additional comments?

This is my 1st book by Robert Heinlein. And I have to say I did enjoy the book, I really did, but a couple things were less than perfect IMO.

#1 I got lost at the beginning of the book on which characters were talking, not sure if that's just me or if it was the narration. Other than that part, the narration was great.

#2 The ending was good, but I found myself looking for Farnham’s Freehold part 2. I wanted to know more. Its not a cliff hanger, but i do feel I have some loose ends that need tied.

Going into the book, I only knew it was about a guy surviving a nuclear Holocaust (which is the reason I got it). I enjoyed listening about how things would be in that situation, with the "Life Boat Rules" and all of a sudden having to reinvent EVERYTHING.

It is true this book has some racial insensitivity in it, but that's not what this book is about. The author isn't trying to see how many times he can throw out derogatory terms (if I recall correctly there only seemed to be 1 character that liked to use such words). The second half of the book isn't really about the "life of a slave" (work, work, try to escape, caught, whipped) type thing. Nor is it about "the shoe is on the other foot and lets see how you like it". It is much more political than that.

All in all
This book is a good listen and Its a good 10 hours of entertainment for 15 bucks.

Very interesting - thoroughly enjoyed the story!

What did you love best about Farnham’s Freehold?

I most enjoyed the ending (which I won't explain in detail) because second chances were involved.

Any additional comments?

I have long been a Heinlein fan and read this story many years ago. It was very interesting to have the characters and narration voiced. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

loved it

I want this and all his other stories to be movies.
I think there are 6 or so in pre production now.

Unexpected

If you’ve listened to books by Robert A. Heinlein before, how does this one compare?

If you like Heinlenn writing about politics, laws, and prejudice, then step straight in.

Any additional comments?

I went in hoping for another colonial story like Farmer in the Sky, and instead received a fascinating treatise on racism in America. Not what I wanted, but worthwhile.

Return to Fear

A visit to the time of the Cold War when we were all afraid it would turn to disaster. Compelling characters and story line.

Back to the Past

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

I would recommend this book, with qualifications. It was written quite a long time ago and much of the book takes place at a time when there was much anxiety over nuclear war. this is important to the story line. But suspending reality, the book was good. It had an interesting story line and made a statement.

If you’ve listened to books by Robert A. Heinlein before, how does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other Heinlein, but have read some. I enjoy the humanity he brings to his Sci Fi books; the stories could be any where about any one and they still are believable.

Which scene was your favorite?

I really don't have a favorite scene.

Do you think Farnham’s Freehold needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No follow up is necessary, it was a complete story with a pretty final ending. That said, if he wanted to do a follow up, there was room for one.

Good listen.

Would you listen to Farnham’s Freehold again? Why?

Yes. The story was interesting enough that I'm sure there are nuances that I didn't pick up the first time through.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Joe. I liked the irony of the role reversals in the future.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Thought the narrator had an annoying way of dragging out the last words of sentences.

I have no idea what this book was about

Also Heinlein's thing about daughters wanting to sleep with their dads is weird. It's in several of his books. Also a serious time piece of Heinlein being 'progressive' for the time about racism.

Not the greatest Heinlein book

While RAH is one of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi authors, this story was kind of a disappointment for me. While I understand it was written in the early 1960's, and probably acceptable for its time, the racist and misogynistic language is off-putting when read in the second decade of the 21st century. I get the same vibe that some readers get when reading Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.