The Power

By: Naomi Alderman

Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh, Naomi Alderman, Thomas Judd, Emma Fenney, Phil Nightingale

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

2017 Winner of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction

'She throws her head back and pushes her chest forward and lets go a huge blast right into the centre of his body. The rivulets and streams of red scarring run across his chest and up around his throat. She'd put her hand on his heart and stopped him dead.'

Suddenly - tomorrow or the day after - girls find that with a flick of their fingers, they can inflict agonizing pain and even death.

With this single twist, the four lives at the heart of Naomi Alderman's extraordinary, visceral novel are utterly transformed, and we look at the world in an entirely new light. What if the power to hurt were in women's hands?

©2016 Naomi Alderman (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"Electrifying! Shocking! Will knock your socks off! Then you'll think twice, about everything." (Margaret Atwood)
" The Power is a subtly funny, lyrical and utterly subversive vision of an impossible future. As all the best visionaries do, Alderman shines a penetrating and yet merciful light on to our present and the so many cruelties in which we may be complicit." (A. L. Kennedy)
"Alderman is a fluent and powerful writer." ( Sunday Times)

What did I just listen too?

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I can’t decide if this is a feminist masterpiece or a complete train wreck in the way it depicts women’s rise to power in a new world. What would we do if we held that kind of power over men? I’d like to think the world would be more rational but I doubt that would be the case.

Not the story I first listened to

This book has been edited and changed. I first listened to this book a couple of years ago and it was a much grittier look at the battle for the new matriarchal world. Margot’s disaffected son is completely missing, Mother Eve’s murder of the nun who challenged her, and several other important story arcs have completely disappeared. It feels like this is the version sanitised and pruned for the new TV series and it has become a lesser story for it. Still love the premise, and the story ge really- the original was 5 stars. This Hollywood version is not quite up there.

Just the very problem with power

Nigerian here. Naomi's Tunde is so spot on, a Yoruba demon they are called nowadays: good natured, handsome, brilliant, ambitious... Casanova. Spoiler, thanks for not killing him.

The book is an interesting take on the early stages of a suddenly matriarch world. The Power had caused a shift in the balance of power and it has corrupted more than a few.

Overall it's a remarkable listen with some great character development. It's easy to become obsessed with a Roxy and to explore the similarities between the motivations of some politicians and religious leaders.

Mind Blown!

This book really blew my mind and left me feeling emotionally charged at the end. Not just the story but the letters exchanged between Neil and Naomi - really had an impact. The fact that this book was actually written by a man makes it even more interesting! There were parts of this book that were down right gruesome and soo hard to digest - let alone imagine! I wanted to look away but couldn't "move on" with the story without reading every word! This really makes you re-think the way the world works today.. the cruelties, the injustice, the compassion, the peace - we all, male or female, have the power to change things that happen in this world today. Question is do we really want things to change and if so, what do we want the future to look like?

Entertaining story, nice structure, perfect performance

Story flows easily and in an addictive way despite a series of characters (and perspectives) that never meet. Performance is perfect. The different characters come to life, adding richness to the story

WOW

This story was amazing and the performance completely gripping. Thoroughly enjoyed it, didn't notice the time at all!

A thought-provoking read

The Power weaves a compelling narrative from the perspectives of a few characters whose stories we follow. In the process, it raises insightful questions about gender and society.

Ok but not for me

This book had a really good concept but it dragged on for too long. There was a lot of symbolism and aspects of this book to be unpicked and unpacked. But I found it quite boring at times.