What was that?

I can’t believe I have spent so many hours of my life that I’ll never get back listening to that nonsense. Pointlessness is the theme of this ridiculous story about literally nothing. Didn’t care what happened to anyone. Knew the ending at the beginning. The last scene— a suicide- took about 30 minutes too longer to explain. Ouch that hurt.

Superb classic

Don’t miss this page turner 1980s classic on audible or otherwise. Unforgettable! Read it now & be glad you did, tho not for prudes.

Beautifully written story!

It is hard to know where to begin heaping praise on Waterland— the engaging story, gorgeous language, and fantastic narration by Christian Rodska all combine to make for a perfect and unforgettable tale and listening experience. This is wonderful escapism steeped in history and eels, lust and ale.

It takes 2 reads, but the layers seem endless

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

layered, symbolic, internalized

What did you like best about this story?

The narrator. He tells the story as a memory and part internal conversation. He contradicts himself, because he is working through trauma. How the novel's structure mimics trauma is impressive and interesting to work through. The way he works through his trauma, the reader goes through it with him.

Which character – as performed by Christian Rodska – was your favorite?

No standouts. He does a good job making different voices for different characters.

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

It is best to, in order to pick up on the repetitions and parallels, which made the novel impressive.

Any additional comments?

The main plot is set during the narrators childhood, this memory is triggered by his current experiences. He frames the story with paralleled stories of the history of the Fens. At first, these historical stories are tough to attach to the main story--especially because of their lengths, but on the second read everything fits. It simply takes 2 reads.
The book questions reality and history--whether they are truly created and organized to distract us from the world's emptiness.

Brilliant author, provocative style, great performance

In my second reading of this book, I also listened along (using whispersync). Graham Swift's flashbacks and flash forwards, with occasional historical interludes were fascinating and captivating. I think the spoken version alone might be difficult, especially for the first read. I recommend reading along.

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