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Swamplandia!

By: Karen Russell
Narrated by: Arielle Sitrick, David Ackroyd
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Publisher's summary

From the celebrated 29-year-old author of the everywhere-heralded short-story collection St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves (“How I wish these were my own words, instead of the breakneck demon writer Karen Russell’s...Run for your life. This girl is on fire” - Los Angeles Times Book Review) comes a blazingly original debut novel that takes us back to the swamps of the Florida Everglades, and introduces us to Ava Bigtree, an unforgettable young heroine.

The Bigtree alligator-wrestling dynasty is in decline, and Swamplandia!, their island home and gator-wrestling theme park, formerly number one in the region, is swiftly being encroached upon by a fearsome and sophisticated competitor called the World of Darkness. Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, has just died; her sister, Ossie, has fallen in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, who may or may not be an actual ghost; and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, who dreams of becoming a scholar, has just defected to the World of Darkness in a last-ditch effort to keep their family business from going under. Ava’s father, affectionately known as Chief Bigtree, is AWOL; and that leaves Ava, a resourceful but terrified 13, to manage 98 gators and the vast, inscrutable landscape of her own grief.

Against a backdrop of hauntingly fecund plant life animated by ancient lizards and lawless hungers, Karen Russell has written an utterly singular novel about a family’s struggle to stay afloat in a world that is inexorably sinking. An arrestingly beautiful and inventive work from a vibrant new voice in fiction.

©2011 Karen Russell (P)2011 Random House
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Editorial reviews

The Bigtree clan is a family in crisis. The mother, Hiola, has passed away and she was not only the main gator wrestler and star attraction at the Swamplandia theme park, but the glue that held the family together. Now on the verge of losing their beloved home, the Bigtrees find they are ill-prepared to deal with the real world into which they've been thrust. Each member of the family leaves their sheltered enclave convinced they can somehow turn things around. Yet do they leave Swamplandia more to save it or to escape it?

The narration duties here are divided in some very interesting ways. Actress/writer Arielle Sitrick plays the main character of young Ava in the chapters focusing mainly on Swamplandia. David Ackroyd takes on the role of Kiwi, the older teenage son, with his chapters being told mainly from a rival theme park, a place that's a bizarro alternative universe version of his previous home. The two narrators see things quite differently. Sitrick voices Ava as the winsome innocent and the mystic heart of a Swamplandia where anything is possible; however, did the nostalgic world she remembers ever really exist? Ackroyd plays Kiwi as the somewhat naive yet most practical member of the family. He has big plans and learns quickly, but finds things are not quite so easy out in the real world.

Karen Russell's Swamplandia is an amusing and well crafted piece that's a bit Florida gothic and a bit magical realism. Will Ava's rare red gator save the day? Maybe Kiwi with his big plans and Forrest Gump-like luck will come through after all? Will younger sister Osceola ever marry her long-dead ghost boyfriend? Then again, perhaps the various family pipe dreams are destined to fail, as perhaps is Swamplandia? In the end the characters and the listener have to question just what a happy ending for this quirky family would even look like. That's the journey that Russell takes you on with Swamplandia, and it's a colorful, original trip well worth taking. Cleo Creech

Critic reviews

“[Russell] has thrown the whole circus of her heart onto the page, safety nets be damned. . . . Russell has deep and true talent.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)
“Vividly worded, exuberant in characterization, the novel is a wild ride. . . . This family, wrestling with their desires and demons . . . will lodge in the memories of anyone lucky enough to read Swamplandia!” ( The New York Times Book Review)
“The bewitching Swamplandia! is a tremendous achievement.”( Entertainment Weekly)

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What listeners say about Swamplandia!

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting. Not my favorite

It kept me interested throughout, but just wasn't the outcome I hoped so strongly for. Hard to listen to at some points, but features real life struggles for many people/families.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Beautiful stage, not much else

The first half of this book is so delicious. Sadly, all the intricate and lovely world building does not seem to go anywhere.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Spoiled by bad reading.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This book was hard to stick with. The sentences were read in a repetetive dropping cadence that did nothing for the rich vocabulary of the writing. The young girl reading had no training or editing, mispronouncing many words.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The story was interesting, the descriptions were unusual and conveyed emotion and intelligence. Wish I could have read it instead.

Was Swamplandia! worth the listening time?

Had to do it to fulfill a Book Club requirement while traveling. It was vexing.

Any additional comments?

As others have stated, I'm annoyed with Audible, and the book publishers,for this poor effort.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Tough

I enjoyed so many aspects about this book but it was a tough tough tough story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Much more than gator wrestling

What did you love best about Swamplandia!?

The prose was crisp, the characters believable. I enjoyed the exotic location in the Florida swamps and the unique perspective offered by the characters with little exposure to the modern/outside world.

What did you like best about this story?

The perspectives of the teenage boy and how he adapted to the difficult situation.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Read by a whiny little girl

Would you try another book from Karen Russell and/or Arielle Sitrick and David Ackroyd ?

I tried listening to this book, but couldn't stand listening to the whiny girl that read it. I finally read it (on my Kindle), and absolutely loved the book!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Swamplandia!?

Ava Bigtree's Huck-Finn-like trip through the world of the swamp in Florida. But really, the most memorable part of the book was not a "moment" but the overall use of language, which is amazing! It is colorful, inventive, clever, evocative, fun and beautiful!

How could the performance have been better?

Well, it could have been a different reader for Ava.

Did Swamplandia! inspire you to do anything?

Stay away from Florida!

Any additional comments?

I truly think this is one of the best books I've ever read. "Read" not "listened to."

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Quirky and Wonderful!

This book was on a lot of "Best Books Of the Year" lists, so I thought I would give it a try and I was not disappointed. The first time I tried to listen I cut it off after a half hour, but stick with it!!! It is a quirky, character driven, wonderful book and you will love the narrator. Best Buy!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Storytelling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, absolutely. A well-crafted, expertly written coming of age story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Swamplandia!?

Like all good writing, there isn't just one pivotal scene, but nuggets throughout that strike you.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoy just a great story with good writing, this is worth checking out.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unexpectedly good!

Would you listen to Swamplandia! again? Why?

No - I have a good memory and do not usually reread (or relisten) to books. But, if I did, I would listen to Swamplandia again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Swamplandia!?

I don't think the memorable moments, for me, were as much about the story as about the language. Karen Russell is able to "turn a phrase." I especially thought the things she said about what children feel about a lost mother were beautiful and rang true..

Have you listened to any of Arielle Sitrick and David Ackroyd ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you could rename Swamplandia!, what would you call it?

I like the name.

Any additional comments?

Beautifully written book. I did not expect to like it as much as I did given the topic, but it was engrossing and I could not stop listening.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Worst performance Ever

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I could not get past this narrator's voice. She sounds like a high schooler and not in a good way. Her diction is terrible. Her voice is so nasal it gave me a headache. I am so disappointed they would ever choose someone so inept to narrate.

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