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Title details for The Ferryman by Justin Cronin - Wait list

The Ferryman

A Novel

by Justin Cronin
Scott Brick
Audiobook
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Next to impossible to put down . . . exciting, mysterious, and totally satisfying.”—STEPHEN KING
 
From the author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia—where the truth isn’t what it seems.

A POLYGON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
The islands of Prospera lie in a vast ocean, in splendid isolation from the rest of humanity—or whatever remains of it.
Citizens of the main island enjoy privileged lives. They are attended to by support staff who live on a cramped neighboring island, where whispers of revolt are brewing—but for the Prosperans, life is perfection. And when the end of life approaches, they’re sent to a mysterious third island, where their bodies are refreshed, their memories are wiped away, and they return to start life anew.
Proctor Bennett is a ferryman, whose job it is to enforce the retirement process when necessary. He never questions his work, until the day he receives a cryptic message:
“The world is not the world.”
These simple words unlock something he has secretly suspected. They seep into strange dreams of the stars and the sea. They give him the unshakable feeling that someone is trying to tell him something important.
Something no one could possibly imagine, something that could change the fate of humanity itself.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 2, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780525631620
      • File size: 573810 KB
      • Duration: 19:55:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 27, 2023
      Bestseller Cronin’s first novel since his Passage trilogy is a fantastic extravaganza all its own, with a plot that hinges on unpredictable twists that run far ahead of reader expectations. Proctor Bennett, an elite resident of the socially regimented archipelago world of Prospera, works as a “ferryman,” assisting aging fellow Prosperans to transition peacefully to their next “iteration,” the reconstitution of their personalities in younger bodies. Proctor discharges his duties with great professionalism—until the ferrying of his own father goes dramatically awry, exposing cracks in Prospera’s edenic veneer. Now a dangerous fugitive on the run from his own forced iteration, Proctor enters an unlikely alliance with rebellious subversives inhabiting the Annex, the island that is home to Prospera’s disgruntled working class. Having established the foundations for what appears to be a classic dystopian tale, Cronin then pulls the rug out from under his story, audaciously expanding its scope far beyond the hermetic parameters that have shaped Proctor’s account up to that point and pushing it into the realm of provocative conceptual science fiction. Cronin’s firm command of the plot’s sinuous dynamics, and his creation of believable characters shaped by well-wrought strengths and flaws, make this bold gesture work. The result is a sensational speculative tale that is sure to get people talking. Agent: Ellen Levine, Trident Media.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrated by Scott Brick and Suzanne Freeman, this mind-bending novel is a complex contemplation of society. Cronin's masterful world-building is showcased, as well. The utopian island of Prospera hosts privileged residents until their embedded health monitor falls below 10% and they are ferried to the Nursery island to be physically reconstituted and returned as freshly erased 16-year-olds. Proctor Bennett ferries citizens to the Nursery until his world unravels when he discovers the disturbing truth behind Prospera. This lengthy novel presents a multitude of plot twists. The imaginative writing will keep listeners guessing, but the circuitous plot hinders the pace. Though Brick's emotional portrayal of Bennett borders on melodramatic, Freeman and Brick's skillful delivery of the narrative steers listeners through this intricate work. M.M.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Hidden from a world ravaged by climate change, Prospera is a utopian paradise located on a remote archipelago. Prospera's lucky citizens spend their days pursuing their every desire. Their health is continually monitored, and when it falls below 10 percent, they are ferried away to the Nursery. While in the Nursery, their memories are wiped clean, and they are reborn in younger bodies for the next iteration of their lives. Head ferryman Proctor Bennett transports individuals on their final journeys, but when he is called to accompany his father, his father leaves him with a message that upends his world. Soon Proctor must confront the realities of both Prospera and the Annex, where the increasingly discontented laborers reside. Cronin's (The Passage) much-anticipated latest is a richly developed, twist-filled dystopian novel. Narrators Scott Brick and Suzanne Elise Freeman give voice to Proctor, his wife Elise, and the many citizens of Prospera and the Annex, capturing the privilege of the wealthy and the anger and hope of their staff. Though Cronin's world is complex enough to be occasionally confusing, Brick and Freeman's atmospheric narration provides a steadying presence. VERDICT Detailed worldbuilding, a failing civilization, and the hope of humanity make for an engrossing listen.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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