The Eyes and the Impossible Audiobook By Dave Eggers cover art

The Eyes and the Impossible

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The Eyes and the Impossible

By: Dave Eggers
Narrated by: Ethan Hawke
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About this listen

NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An enthralling novel for all ages by award-winning author Dave Eggers, told from the perspective of one uniquely endearing dog.


“Johannes is a highly engaging narrator whose exuberance and good nature run like a bright thread through the novel’s pages.” —The New York Times

Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes—to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park’s elders, three ancient Bison. His friends—a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican—work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance.

But changes are afoot. More humans arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats—an actual boatload of goats—who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes’s view of the world.

This story about friendship, beauty, and liberation (and running very, very fast) will make listeners of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.

©2023 Dave Eggers (P)2023 Listening Library
Action & Adventure Animal Fiction Animals Animals & Nature Dogs Fiction Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Literature & Fiction Social & Life Skills Feel-Good Suspenseful
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Critic reviews

2024, John Newbery Medal: Winner

★ “Utterly delightful…. Eggers touches on deep topics with a light hand, effortlessly building suspense and a wonderful sense of adventure.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “Eggers crafts a marvelous, fully fleshed protagonist in Johannes....whose compassionate narration delivers a rousing tale of community, joyful self-reliance, and the pleasures of running very, very fast.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Johannes is a highly engaging narrator whose exuberance and good nature run like a bright thread through the novel’s pages…. There is a deeper story here, too, about being yourself and finding freedom." —New York Times

Captivating Storytelling • Beautiful Prose • Outstanding Narration • Imaginative Plot • Vibrant Voice Acting
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I was completely wrapped up in this bittersweet story. It talks of friendship, freedom, and courage, all told from the perspective of a dog. The narrator, Ethan Hawke is excellent, and the story will enthrall both children and adults.

Lovely story and great narration.

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The narration by Ethan Hawke is terrific - the perfect match for Eggers’ story and cast of characters.

Didn’t want this book to end

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The story was fun, funny, charming, inspirational, and sad. All emotions were felt by reading. And Ethan’s performance was outstanding!

The performance!

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This book is fantastic, and Ethan Hawke makes it that much better. Our whole family loved this listen. Highly recommend.

Masterfully read

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We loved this! It is full of great adventure! It has really wonderful vocabulary too!

Unique!

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Our kids, ages 9 and 7, were immediately drawn in by the character of the Eyes. What was most memorable to me was the time I played the story during a carpool with two friends, very different in temperament and interests to my own children. Initially rowdy and unable to settle down, all fell silent as soon as the story began. The four children were so deeply concerned about the characters and the Eyes, they didn’t even notice that we had arrived at our destination and that I had parked the car.

Carpool: riveted

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This is such an inventive story -from the perspective of Johannes - the dog. Eggers’ writing borders on poetic at times, and is filled with such beauty and humor. I can’t imagine a better narration of this book— SO amazing!

Amazing story with the best narration

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Heartwarming. Emotionally gripping. Wise. Kind. These encapsulate this lovely novel. Yes, all things are possible.

Text is absolutely captivating! Narrator is outstanding!

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This put was a great different type of story through the eyes of animals. It is a wonderful story for all ages to read. I was sad that the story ended.

Waiting on the next book to continue the story.

A Joy of a Book

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I can hardly remember an audio book that I loved more than this one! The writing and story are superb, but Ethan Hawke’s narration really hits it out of the park. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it — I’m normally not a big fan of animal narrators — but I was hooked from the first chapter. This story is witty, insightful, compelling, and laugh-out-loud funny in parts.

On the Best-Ever shortlist!

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