
Strange Stones
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Narrated by:
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George Backman
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By:
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Peter Hessler
Full of unforgettable figures and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Strange Stones is a far-ranging, thought-provoking collection of Peter Hessler’s best reportage - a dazzling display of the powerful storytelling, shrewd cultural insight, and warm sense of humor that are the trademarks of his work.
Over the last decade, as a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three books, Peter Hessler has lived in Asia and the United States, writing as both native and knowledgeable outsider in these two very different regions. This unusual perspective distinguishes Strange Stones, which showcases Hessler’s unmatched range as a storyteller. “Wild Flavor” invites listeners along on a taste test between two rat restaurants in South China. One story profiles Yao Ming, basketball star and China’s most beloved export, another David Spindler, an obsessive and passionate historian of the Great Wall. In “Dr. Don”, Hessler writes movingly about a small-town pharmacist and his relationship with the people he serves.
While Hessler’s subjects and locations vary, subtle but deeply important thematic links bind these pieces - the strength of local traditions, the surprising overlap between apparently opposing cultures, and the powerful lessons drawn from individuals who straddle different worlds.
©2013 Peter Hessler (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















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The narration is Fantastic! because George Backman speaks the Chinese names in Chinese, so it is a fascinating listen to hear a sentence start off in English, break into the Chinese name pronounced authentically, and resume in English.
Peter Hessler lived in China many years, speaks the language, and lived in neighborhoods where he was the only foreigner. His experiences with neighbors, businesses, authorities, and with other non-Chinese people living, working or studying in China are really interesting and sometimes funny and poignant.
The book also includes his move back to the US west, and readjustment to American society and people. Which is also an interesting point of view and also a bit humorous.
Armchair journeys and expat living in China / USA
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Entertaining
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FUN
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Expat observations
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What I can tell you is that Peter Hessler's storytelling ability is simply masterful! No matter what the topic, it seems he can make any situation come alive and give feeling / emotion to characters you've never seen or met.
If your even mildly curious about Chinese culture and truly want an inside look at their common people, you won't regret giving this book a shot!
Another Classic from Hessler...
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I particularly appreciated that all the Chinese names and words in the audio book were correctly pronounced by the narrator. Regardless of the foreign language, it's amazing how rare this is in audio books. If you are going to the expense of recording an audio version of a book, how much more trouble is it to get the names and occasional expressions right? I suspect those of us who care about such things (I realize we're a small group) we have Mr. Hessler to thank for that.
Perceptive book, great narration
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Peter Hessler is a true storyteller
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funny, entertaining
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Where does Strange Stones rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Its full of good stories, the reading was too slow and distracting. By speeding up the reading speed to 1.25 the listening improved by 100%. I was tempted to stop listening until I tried the speed up trick.Great stories with incite into China
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The only thing I was annoyed by in this audiobook was the lack of clear delineation between chapters (or stories). Sometimes it would take me a few minutes to realize I was listening to a new story since there was nothing in the narration to indicate that. But that's a small quibble.
Highly recommend all of his China based books.
Great collection of stories
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