• The Persistence of Vision

  • By: John Varley
  • Narrated by: Peter Ganim
  • Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Release date: 09-18-08
  • Language: English
  • Publisher: Audible Studios
  • 4 out of 5 stars 3.8 (98 ratings)

Regular price: $9.95

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Publisher's Summary

On the surface, this Hugo and Nebula Award-winning classic is about a drifter who comes to stay in a New Mexico commune founded by a group of deaf-blind people. But beneath the story, author John Varley examines deep, universal issues. What is the nature of communication? What does an individual gain - or lose - by subsuming himself to the whole? Can an outsider ever truly "belong"?Varley says that he has had more response to this story than anything he has ever written, that some readers have even told him it changed their lives. Listening to The Persistence of Vision, it is easy to understand why.
©1978 Mercury Press, Inc. (P)2008 Audible, Inc.
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Critic Reviews



Hugo Award, Best Novella, 1979
Nebula Award, Best Novella, 1978
All-Time Best Novellas (Locus Magazine)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By Kindle Customer on 12-03-08

Don't think you like Sci-Fi? Try this one!

Great science fiction writers are plagued by pigeon-holing. I mean, there's just as much good writing and deep character development in the best sci-fi as there is in so-called "mainstream" fiction. John Varley's Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella is a perfect case in point.

Yes, Varley has created a mini-society - a cult, of sorts - that exists in a cloud of myth. And, yes, the story resolves in a slightly fantastical way. But at its heart, PERSISTENCE is a classic tale of an outsider encoutering a culture he doesn't understand - yet inexorably finds himself drawn in. It is only through this very different world that he can truly discover himself.

This is a terrific piece of writing that is as accessible to those who shy away from sci-fi as it is to the most hard-core fan. And, with Peter Ganim's terrific narration, it is a perfect listen for a (slightly long) day's commute.

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5 of 6 people found this review helpful

4 out of 5 stars
By Andrew on 10-31-08

Interesting Diversion

A story about perception, social experimentation and lots more. The author explores many interesting themes and provides a diverting 2 hourish narrative. In the vein of Silversberg - THE WORLD INSIDE /Harry Harrison - MAKE ROOM MAKE ROOM. Dystopian fiction with a hopefull twist.

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3 of 4 people found this review helpful

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful
3 out of 5 stars
By Stuart on 04-15-18

Brilliant story, spoilt by the narrator

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No

What did you like best about this story?

I have been a fan of John Varley for about 30 years, and love the depth and uniqueness of this story about one man's search for himself in a deaf/blind community.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It sounds like he was reading it a word at a time, rather than reading ahead. Very stilted

Was The Persistence of Vision worth the listening time?

Yes

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