The Power

Visceral, Stirring and Inspirational

Would you consider the audio edition of The Power to be better than the print version?

I only listened to the audio version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Power?

There were so many moments, but overall the finding of the 'power', as told by several different perspectives, was so intense and made you think so much. It made me reflect on so many issues in my daily life I never would have reflected on otherwise.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?

I loved Ally. Her journey and how she changed over the course of the books, leading up to her final realisations of what she had become were incredibly moving and thought-provoking.

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

Absolutely!

Any additional comments?

The narration was the best I've ever heard on an audiobook. Wonderful.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Reeling from the power of this book.

I may become a bit evangelical in my wish to share this book... It is astonishingly good. This book makes me feel invincible. (Hope I remember soon that I don't, in fact, have The Power so I'm not!)
Can't say too much in case of spoilers, but it's so clever and thought-provoking and engaging, it's hard to 'put down'. It is blunt in places - the reversal of women using rape as an instrument of war, for example - but some bits so subtle it's almost painful to realise how immune we are to incipient sexism until we hear it reversed in this way. The conversation between the two authors at the opening and closing of the book is a superb illustration, and the final line just says it all.
Honourable mention should go to the narrator who is *phenomenal*. Great dramatic performance AND she's very good at the many different international and regional accents, which is often such an irritation.
Can't praise it highly (or articulately) enough.

42 of 46 people found this review helpful

Great narration and engaging story

Please get Adjoa Andoh to narrate all of the books on audible. Her narration is engaging beyond belief, and she inhabits each character uniquely. With regards to the story itself, I very much enjoyed the idea of turning the genre structure of our current society inside out with the help of a novel within a novel set 1000s of years in the future. Looking forward to more from Naomi Alderman.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Okay, yes, oddly stared...

So... I really enjoyed this, but as a whole piece! There were certainly sections that frustrated me, or I did not understand why they were integral to the whole arc of the story- even if they might be interesting . Some of the actors voices also drove me a little mad but overall and for the 'main' characters I found her enjoyable to listen too. As a whole story, as a comment on society and a almost parallel universe idea it was sound and extremely enjoyable. This book did leave me thinking about the world differently which is what all good books should do.
Highly recommend!

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Brilliant!

This is a must read for anyone who cares about relationships, human rights and everything in between. What starts off as a fantastic twist of fate which finally sets women on the path to the potential for proper equality gently and systematically turns the tables and shows how the gaining of power can corrupt. A morality tale for the 21st century, highlighting where inequality is still riff in the world and pondering whether if women ruled the world it would be any better? It's also an incredibly brilliant read!

24 of 27 people found this review helpful

Awesome, in the true sense of the word

Would you listen to The Power again? Why?

Yes. The story is both compelling and well written, and the Adjoa Andoh is easily one of the best narrators I've heard.

What did you like best about this story?

The tenacity of the plot; prologue and epilogue serve as a heady contrast to the main body of the work, especially in audiobook format.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

It's difficult to say without spoling the plot. There are so many viewpoints and reflections of our patriarchal society, it really is something to listen to. This book would be an excellent read for teenagers of both sexes.

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

Easily.

Any additional comments?

Alderman takes a subject currently under much discussion - that of whether gender is innate, or even an undeniable factor in how people are in themselves, and how they treat each other; or if we are all people, some of the female sex and some of the male, all capable of the same highs and lows.

I am so very glad this book didn't trek down the well travelled road of females being more nurturing, more caring; that a matriarchal society would be inherently better. After all, the sex of ones brain is not biologically discrete from the rest of ones body; and although society likes to think so, men and women are only physically different. The most compelling thing, for me, were the many moments of 'what if' triggered whilst listening to this.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

a clever and provocative narrative

This was an absolute find. Thought-provoking and compelling, I could have listened to this in one sitting.

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Wow! A shocking, visceral novel.Loved every minute

Any additional comments?

It is hard to do justice in a few lines to the amazing nature of this book. Naomi Alderman's vision of a world where women hold power over men through an astonishing physiological mechanism, is both terrifying and electrifying. The Power is about use and misuse of power, what sexual dominance actually means, how a shift in power can produce world-altering results and how power corrodes humanity and the psychology of relationships. The characters are wonderfully written and the attention to detail is fantastic. The plot is absorbing and full of twists and turns. Every female and male character adds to the story and brings it to a thought-provoking end. This is a novel that made me wince, laugh, cry and feel very uncomfortable at times. But it also held me spellbound, caught in a story I didn't want to end. Interestingly, as a female, I found many of the female characters unlikeable and deeply disturbing and I am still trying to work out why that was. This book will stay with me for a long time and I am desperate to discuss it with female friends.
The narration was fantastic.

13 of 15 people found this review helpful

A thriller to make you think

My head is still buzzing several days after finishing this story and I don't think I have ever read something that horrified and inspired me quite as much as this. Naomi Alderton has a fresh and insightful voice and the ability to write a thrilling and captivating tale to really make you think about power and its abuse, both in an imagined future and the real world we live in today. The narration of this audiobook is first class but a special mention has to be made of Adjoa Andoh who is one of the best narrators around.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

amazing

This book is beautifully written; Naomi Alderman has an excellent ear for the voices of her cast. I especially liked her narration which added to the text- no rushed prose and emphasis perfect. There wasn't one point where I could guess what happened next. The characterisation was rich and complex, believable flawed people. What a pleasure to hear.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful