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  • The Gone-Away World

  • By: Nick Harkaway
  • Narrated by: Matt Bates
  • Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (38 ratings)

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The Gone-Away World

By: Nick Harkaway
Narrated by: Matt Bates
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Publisher's Summary

The Jorgmund Pipe is the backbone of the world, and it's on fire. Gonzo Lubitsch, professional hero and troubleshooter, is hired to put it out - but there's more to the fire than meets the eye. A story of love and loss; of ninjas and pirates; and of a friendship stretched beyond its limits. But it is also the story of a world, not unlike our own, in desperate need of heroes - however unlikely they may seem.

©2008 Nick Harkaway (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Breathtakingly ambitious... A bubbling cosmic stew of a book, written with such exuberant imagination that you are left breathless by its sheer ingenuity." ( Observer)
"A post-apocalyptic triumph... Immensely rewarding... Genuinely terrifying." ( The Times)

What listeners say about The Gone-Away World

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Inventive and genuinely both funny and moving

Quintessentially British in its turns of phrase and sense of humour and written by someone who can really write - both in terms of expression and in terms of having something consequential to say about human motivations and drives, including about love, forgiveness, forbearance and friendship. Science fiction at the better side of soft and good company to Atwood and Mitchell.

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Overtold and garrulous

It had an unusual style but it was hard to get through because of all the superfluous showy language and ideas stretched too far. Tried too hard to be funny, and didn't create depth of character, particularly in the females.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a gem that gets better with each subsequent reading

The first time I read this, I nearly gave up. I really struggled with keeping the story straight, and then it really stopped making sense half way through. If you’re having a similar experience, I’m here to say “Don’t give up! Trust the process, it’s worth it!!” This has become a perennial favourite book of mine - poignant, surprisingly funny, tender and insightful. A parable of what happens if we let ourselves become a cog in the machine. Stick with it, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

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