The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi audiobook

The Patience Stone

By Atiq Rahimi
Translated by Polly McLean
Read by Carolyn Seymour

Blackstone Publishing
3.30 Hours • 1
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In Persian folklore, Syngue Sabour is the name of a magical black stone, a patience stone, that absorbs the plight of those who confide in it. It is believed that the day it explodes, after having received too much hardship and pain, will be the day of the Apocalypse. But here, the Syngue Sabour is not a stone but rather a man lying brain-dead with a bullet lodged in his neck. His wife is with him, sitting by his side. But she resents him for having sacrificed her to the war, for never being able to resist the call to arms, for wanting to be a hero, and in the end, after all was said and done, for being incapacitated in a small skirmish. Yet she cares, and she speaks to him. In fact, she begins to speak to him more and more, opening up her deepest desires, pains, and secrets. While in the streets rival factions clash and soldiers are looting and killing around her, she speaks of her life, never knowing if her husband really hears. And it is an extraordinary confession, without restraint, about sex and love and her anger against a man who never understood her, who mistreated her, who never showed her any respect or kindness. Her admission releases the weight of oppression of marital, social, and religious norms, and she leads her story up to the great secret that is unthinkable in a country such as Afghanistan. Winner of the Prix Goncourt, The Patience Stonecaptures with great courage and spare, poetic, prose the reality of everyday life for an intelligent woman under the oppressive weight of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

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Summary

Summary

A Library Journal Best Audiobook of 2010

In Persian folklore, Syngue Sabour is the name of a magical black stone, a patience stone, that absorbs the plight of those who confide in it. It is believed that the day it explodes, after having received too much hardship and pain, will be the day of the Apocalypse. But here, the Syngue Sabour is not a stone but rather a man lying brain-dead with a bullet lodged in his neck. His wife is with him, sitting by his side. But she resents him for having sacrificed her to the war, for never being able to resist the call to arms, for wanting to be a hero, and in the end, after all was said and done, for being incapacitated in a small skirmish. Yet she cares, and she speaks to him. In fact, she begins to speak to him more and more, opening up her deepest desires, pains, and secrets. While in the streets rival factions clash and soldiers are looting and killing around her, she speaks of her life, never knowing if her husband really hears. And it is an extraordinary confession, without restraint, about sex and love and her anger against a man who never understood her, who mistreated her, who never showed her any respect or kindness. Her admission releases the weight of oppression of marital, social, and religious norms, and she leads her story up to the great secret that is unthinkable in a country such as Afghanistan.

Winner of the Prix Goncourt, The Patience Stonecaptures with great courage and spare, poetic, prose the reality of everyday life for an intelligent woman under the oppressive weight of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews

“This story from an Afghan-born author is a powerful one, giving voice to the historically downtrodden Afghan woman…truly an expansive work of literature.” —New York Post
“With a veiled face and stolen words, a woman keeps silent about her forbidden pain in an Afghanistan marred by men’s foolishness. But when she rediscovers her voice, she overcomes the chaos. Atiq Rahimi tells the story of this woman’s heartbreaking lamentation to awaken our consciences.” —Yasmina Khadra, author of The Swallows of Kabul
“[A] clever novel…readers get a glimpse of daily life in a country terrorized by conflict and religious fundamentalism. Rahimi paints this picture with nuance and subtlety…[His] sparse prose complements his simple yet powerful storytelling prowess. This unique story is both enthralling and disturbing.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“The Patience Stone is perfectly written: spare, close to the bone, sometimes bloody, with a constant echo, like a single mistake that repeats itself over and over and over.” —Los Angeles Times
“Artfully represents the everyday realities of life for women living under the Taliban regime in present-day Afghanistan…This 2008 Prix Goncourt–winning tale, which includes an introduction by Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner), is poetic and powerful. Expressing the full range of human emotion in her heart-wrenching performance, narrator Carolyn Seymour (An Education) literally gives voice to a woman representing a nation of women. Strongly recommended especially for those with an interest in literary fiction and women’s studies.” —Library Journal (starred audio review)
“Rahimi’s lyric prose is simple and poetic, and McLean’s translation is superb. With an introduction by Khaled Hosseini, this Prix Goncourt–winning book should have a profound impact on the literature of Afghanistan for its brave portrayal of, among other things, an Afghan woman as a sexual being.” —Library Journal
“In his brilliantly written novel, Afghan author Atiq Rahimi holds the reader transfixed with a gripping account of the appalling conditions in his country, wracked by war, atrocity and under-development…[He] captivates the reader with his crystal-clear prose. Every word counts in short sentences redolent with symbolism and in a plot whose tight arc holds the reader spellbound from beginning to end. The frugal and incisive language is just as significant here as the distanced viewpoint of the narrator, who follows the events from outside at a consistent distance.” —The American Muslim
“Only pick-up this book if you have time to read it in one sitting, because once you start reading you won’t be able to put it down until you have read the last sentence. This is a remarkable story that captures your attention from beginning to end. There is never a dull moment.” —Library Thing member review
“Winner of Le Prix Goncourt 2008, considered France’s highest literary honor, this disturbingly powerful slim volume gives voice to the too-many silenced women living ‘somewhere in Afghanistan or elsewhere.’ Written almost like a dramatic play script complete with what read like stage directions—not surprising since Atiq Rahimi also happens to be an award-winning filmmaker—The Patience Stone would surely make for a powerful production. For now, you’ll have to settle for the haunting 142 pages, but mark my words…it’s coming to a stage or screen near you.” —BookDragon
“The Patience Stone is a short but emotionally intense tale…The voice of the woman is almost painful to read. Atiq Rahimi does an excellent job at maintaining her voice throughout the short but powerful tale. As a woman, I found her plight both chilling and disturbing. The terseness of the tales only serves to heighten those feelings. The Patience Stone is a book that should be read by everyone, if only to ensure that the voiceless women of Afghanistan are finally heard.” —Book Illuminations
“A slender, devastating exploration of one woman’s tormented inner life, which won the 2008 Prix Goncourt…The novel, asserts [Khaled] Hosseini in his glowing introduction, finally gives a complex, nuanced, and savage voice to the grievances of millions.” —Words without Borders

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Author

Author Bio: Atiq Rahimi

Author Bio: Atiq Rahimi

Atiq Rahimi, born in Afghanistan, fled to Francein 1984 and is now a renowned filmmaker and writer. The film of his novel Earth and Ashes was in the official selection at Cannes in 2004 and won a number of prizes. He returned to Afghanistan in 2001 to set up a writers’ house in Kabul and to offer support and training to young Afghan writers and filmmakers.

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Details

Details

Available Formats : Digital Download, Digital Rental, CD, MP3 CD
Category: Fiction
Runtime: 3.30
Audience: Adult
Language: English

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