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All the Light We Cannot See
- Narrated by: Julie Teal
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
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All the Light We Cannot See
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Publisher's Summary
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTION
A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II
Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure’s agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.
In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure.
Doerr’s gorgeous combination of soaring imagination with observation is electric. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is his most ambitious and dazzling work.
Critic Reviews
'Far more than a conventional war story, It's a tightly focused epic revolving around two unusual main characters … Doerr paints with a rich palette, using prose that resonates deeply and conveys the ephemera of daily existence along with high drama, sadness and hope … A bittersweet and moving novel that lingers in the mind' Clifford Beal, Daily Mail
‘TIt is easy to understand why Doerr’s book is regarded by many as an epic and a masterpiece’ Justin Cartwright, Observer
‘This novel will be a piece of luck for anyone with a long plane journey or beach holiday ahead. It is such a page-turner, entirely absorbing… [Doerr’s] attention to detail is magnificent’ Carmen Callil, Guardian
‘Doerr’s novel seems poised somewhere between the sublime and the twee. It very much lands on the right side of things, thanks to the author’s eye for detail and the suspenseful rhythm of his chapters — often only a page or two — which expertly cut back and forth in time. He can bring a scene to life in a single paragraph … Delicate and moving … the novel takes hold and will not easily let go’ Lidija Haas, The Times
‘Boy meets girl in Anthony Doerr’s hauntingly beautiful new book, but the circumstances are as elegantly circuitous as they can be’ Janet Maslin, The New York Times
‘I’m not sure I will read a better novel this year … Enthrallingly told, beautifully written and so emotionally plangent that some passages bring tears’ Amanda Vaill, Washington Post
‘This jewel of a story is put together like a vintage timepiece … Doerr’s writing and imagery are stunning. It’s been a while since a novel had me under its spell in this fashion.’ Abraham Verghese
‘“All the Light We Cannot See” is a dazzling, epic work of fiction. Anthony Doerr writes beautifully about the mythic and the intimate, about snails on beaches and armies on the move, about fate and love and history and those breathless, unbearable moments when they all come crashing together.’ Jess Walter
What listeners say about All the Light We Cannot See
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Deb
- 12-03-2016
All the Light....... I enjoyed to hear
This story was brilliantly written. I was captivated.
Reader was excellent and kept me listening late into the night.
Marilyn and her Father and Uncle were so interesting with characters interwoven in a story that brings the life of France before and during the War to life.
The German children used for Hitler's demonic reign brought me to tears with the hardships they endured during their training.
Living in Australia we really have no idea of how hard it would be to live in a war torn environment. For that I am glad!
This story is a must read and I am looking forward to reading more from this author and hopefully with the same reader.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Peter Wijnsma
- 06-12-2023
Difficult to follow at times….
The story is very well written with a lovely use of words and sentences. I did find it very difficult to follow the story line with so many jumps and flashbacks. Unsatisfying ending. I’m left with too many questions. There is too much detail in the unimportant parts and too little detail in the actual story. I still enjoyed the book and hope the series can enlighten me.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MTK
- 18-12-2016
Good story but let down by narrator
I loved the premise of the book, very original and touching. However, I think they should have chosen a different narrator- I am bilingual and she completely butchered the French phrases in the book (I very often couldn't actually understand what she meant) and it really ruined the mood for me!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-01-2021
SO beautiful
Such a beautiful story of love, hope, tragedy and destruction. My number one fiction recommendation. Will note disappoint.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-01-2021
Wonderful Story
This intriguing story kept me captivated with its characters, its twists and turns. Very beautifully narrated with appropriate character voices and expert pronunciations (for various languages), which really added to the story for me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susan
- 06-10-2016
Beautifully written
I loved this book. The way each story intertwined is beautifully told. The descriptions are all so real, you can visualise each situation.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jamie
- 02-02-2016
Amazing Story.
An engaging civilian perspecrive of two lives unknowingly intertwined during WWII. I didn't want to stop.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hugh Ekeberg
- 31-08-2016
Superb
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Beautifully crafted enchanting and captivating story. Thoroughly recommend. It is a moving, gritty and realistic story. I have no doubt it will become a classic.
What does Julie Teal bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Fantastic narrator. Her voice carries really well while listening in the car, walking or relaxing. She truly brings the characters to life male or female. A pleasure to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bronte
- 24-04-2016
A sense of loss now the book is finished!
What will I do without the stories of Verner, Marielor and the 'sea of flames'... Doerr's writing is compelling and I was drawn into the worlds and lives he created, so much that I will miss these characters. There are parts that have you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, as you will the characters to survive or not... Julie Teal's narration is soft and poignant and way she says 'static, static, static'... become sign posts throughout! More please...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lisa
- 26-01-2017
amazing beautiful story. very clever.
a very good read. this is the first audio book that I want to buy.
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