We Spread

De: Iain Reid

Narrado por: Robin Miles

The author of the “evocative, spine-tingling, and razor-sharp” (Bustle) I’m Thinking of Ending Things that inspired the Netflix original movie and the “short, shocking” (The Guardian) Foe returns with a new work of suspense following an elderly woman trapped in a mysterious facility.

Penny, an artist, has lived in the same apartment for decades, surrounded by the artifacts and keepsakes of her long life. She is resigned to the mundane rituals of old age, until things start to slip. Before her longtime partner passed away years earlier, provisions were made for a room in a unique long-term care residence, where Penny finds herself after one too many “incidents.”

Initially, surrounded by peers, conversing, eating, sleeping, looking out at the beautiful woods that surround the house, all is well. She even begins to paint again. But as the days start to blur together, Penny—with a growing sense of unrest and distrust—starts to lose her grip on the passage of time and on her place in the world. Is she succumbing to the subtly destructive effects of aging or is she an unknowing participant in something more unsettling?

At once compassionate and uncanny, told in spare, hypnotic prose, Iain Reid’s “exquisite novel of psychological suspense” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) explores questions of conformity, art, productivity, relationships, and what, ultimately, it means to grow old.

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Reseñas de la Crítica

"Robin Miles provides such a commanding performance that she maintains a grip on the listener even as events of this story become less clear. Penny is an artist recently widowed by her prolific partner. After a fall at home, thoughtful and reserved Penny finds herself spirited to an assisted living home, where she finds just a few other residents living under increasingly mysterious circumstances. Events unfold strictly from Penny's point of view. She appears to be progressively unreliable, continually forgetting key decisions, including the arrangement with the living facility in the first place. Miles's voice captures Penny's mounting dread and doubt while seizing opportunities to engage in moments of control, making the impact of this story even more emotional."—AudioFile Magazine

If you don’t get it, you don’t get it.

You have to go into this with an open mind. I feel as though sometimes people want to be spoon fed the meanings behind stories. This is a simple story. But the meaning behind it is so much greater. The fact that it is narrated by the subject is important. We are only given her perspective. Our reality is what she gives us because it’s what she is experiencing. Stop looking for a great ‘ah-ha’ moment. This story is a slow burn of sadness.

thought provoking but unclear

I love Reid's first two books and enjoyed this one but it didn't quite hit me as powerfully. I found the story engaging and the perception of reality intriguing, though I'm not sure about the ending. While I enjoyed Penny's character, I never truly felt for her. Reid has always been known for his great character work. Here it didn't have the depth I've come to expect from him.

Suspenseful and heartfelt

A little creepy, very sad and melancholic. I really cared for Penny and felt her confusion.

Not sure what to think

Loved the performance in all its creepiness. But not sure what happened . I expected a mystery to unfold.

Not what I was expecting, very thought provoking

This isn’t what I expected but I really enjoyed it. A lot of things are left up to interpretation in the ending of this, but I believe that is the point as that’s what it’s like for someone whose mind is betraying them with progressive dementia. You’re reading from Penny’s perspective who is going through the inevitable real-life horror of a decaying mind and just how scary it feels to no longer be able to fully rely on yourself. As someone who works in a nursing home, I read this fully from the perspective that dementia was the only thing sinister happening. But there could have definitely been something more going on. It seemed suspicious that all of the residents there didn’t have any living relatives.

I could not understand why this was written

I felt the narrator was overly dramatic , using a tone more suited for drama in passages which would have benefitted from a more lel, realistic tone

I liked just not enough

The issue I had is that the storyline was spelled out to the reader. the mystery of it all was revealed early on so it became boring. Slower pace without mystery any more I finished listening out of stubbornness not pleasure. I did enjoy the portrayal of the 'elderly'. it was not stereotypical, and it was closer to how older people feel. That part was awesome. it was ok but I would of purchased something else in retrospect.

Beautiful yet quiet story

This is different from his last two. Less definitive with its closure but still captivating.

Very skilled writer

I can tell that the writer is very skilled. I just need something with a lot more action and a real plot. This book had neither.

Meh.

The ending was a rather painful and abrupt conclusion for me, though the premise of the novel was strong and fascinating.
I got totally irritated by the narrator's voice towards the end. Also, she went from dispirited and inert to empowered and rather whiny far more quickly than felt anywhere close to realistic in terms of character development.