The Penguin Lessons
What I Learned from a Remarkable Bird
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The Penguin Lessons
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Narrated by:
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Bill Nighy
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By:
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Tom Michell
About this listen
A unique and moving real-life story of the extraordinary bond between a young teacher and a penguin, this audiobook will delight listeners who loved Marley & Me, Dewey the Library Cat, The Good Good Pig, and any book by Jon Katz.
In 1975, 23-year-old Englishman Tom Michell follows his wanderlust to Argentina, where he becomes assistant master at a prestigious boarding school. But Michell's adventures really begin when, on a weekend in Uruguay, he rescues a penguin covered in oil from an ocean spill, cleans the bird up, and attempts to return him to the sea. The penguin refuses to leave his rescuer's side. "That was the moment at which he became my penguin, and whatever the future held, we'd face it together," says Michell in this charming memoir.
Michell names the penguin Juan Salvador ("John Saved"), but Juan Salvador, as it turns out, is the one who saves Michell.
After Michell smuggles the bird back to Argentina and into his campus apartment, word spreads about the young Englishman's unusual roommate. Juan Salvador is suddenly the center of attention - as mascot of the rugby team, confidant to the dorm housekeeper, cohost of Michell's parties, and an unprecedented swimming coach to a shy boy. Even through the collapse of the Perónist government and amid the country's economic and political strife, Juan Salvador brings joy to everyone around him - especially Michell, who considers the affectionate animal a compadre and kindred spirit.
Witty and heartwarming, The Penguin Lessons is a classic in the making, a story that is both absurd and wonderful, exactly like Juan Salvador.
Praise for The Penguin Lessons
“I loved this book, and you will, too! It’s as charming, heartwarming, and surprising as a penguin on a roof terrace. What’s more, The Penguin Lessons teaches an important truth: that a single act of compassion can be repaid a thousand-fold.” (Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig and the National Book Award finalist The Soul of an Octopus)
“[Tom Michell’s] tone suits the material perfectly.... You believe every word.... No fool, this penguin. No fools, these publishers, who have unleashed such a delightful and charming book just in time for Christmas.” (Daily Mail [UK])
“Heart-warming is a wholly inadequate phrase to describe this captivating story that is pure delight from beginning to end.” (The Bookseller [UK])
©2015 Tom Michell (P)2015 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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The Electricity of Every Living Thing
- A Woman's Walk in the Wild to Find Her Way Home
- By: Katherine May
- Narrated by: Katherine May
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 146
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 130
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Story5 out of 5 stars 132
In anticipation of her 38th birthday, Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She wanted time alone, in nature, to understand why she had stopped coping with everyday life; why motherhood had been so overwhelming and isolating; and why the world felt full of expectations she couldn't meet. She was also reeling from a chance encounter with a voice on the radio that sparked her realisation that she might be autistic.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Perfect!!!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-20-22
By: Katherine May
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Nurse, Come You Here!
- More True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle
- By: Mary J. MacLeod
- Narrated by: Jill Tanner
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 494
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 451
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 450
Mary J. Macleod and her husband left the London area for an idyllic place to raise their young children in the late '60s, and they found the island of Papavray in the Scottish Hebrides. There they bought a croft house on a "small acre" of land, and Mary J. (also known as Julia) became the district nurse.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great book!
- By Catt Pataky on 09-02-17
By: Mary J. MacLeod
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Netherland
- By: Joseph O'Neill
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 328
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 144
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Story4 out of 5 stars 145
Alone and un-tethered, feeling lost in the country he had come to regard as home, Hans stumbles upon the vibrant New York subculture of cricket, where he revisits his lost childhood and, thanks to a friendship with a charismatic and charming Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon, begins to reconnect with his life and his adopted country. Ramkissoon, a Gatsby-like figure who is part idealist and part operator, introduces Hans to an "other" New York populated by immigrants and strivers of every race and nationality.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Get Your Post-Colonial Gatsby ON!
- By Darwin8u on 04-13-12
By: Joseph O'Neill
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Wide-Open World
- How Volunteering Around the Globe Changed One Family's Lives Forever
- By: John Marshall
- Narrated by: John Marshall
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
John Marshall had read about the growth of voluntourism, and frankly, it was the only kind of extended trip he could afford. He'd heard that some peoples' lives were changed by a week of overseas service - what might half a year accomplish for his family? His wife, Traca, was all in favor of it; his kids, especially his 14-year-old daughter, were strongly opposed. Wide-Open World is the totally engaging, bluntly honest story of the Marshall family's life-changing adventure.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I enjoyed every minute
- By Chris on 05-15-15
By: John Marshall
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Ring of Bright Water
- By: Gavin Maxwell
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
'Ring of Bright Water' represents Gavin Maxwell's account of his life at Camusfearna, a remote cottage in the western Highlands, and in particular the two otters, Mijbil and Edal, who became his constant and much-loved companions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Kindness to Creatures Great and Small
- By Sariah on 01-19-18
By: Gavin Maxwell
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Dreaming of Jupiter
- By: Ted Simon
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 116
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 113
When Ted Simon rode 64,000 miles round the world on his 500c Triumph Tiger, he inspired thousands of motorcyclists to begin their own adventures, including Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who chronicled their travels in Long Way Round. Nearly 30 years later, Ted Simon took to the road again to retrace the epic journey he made in his 40s. He meets up with old friends and acquaintances, revisits old landmarks and locations, and rediscovers himself, as well as the world, along the way.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing book, Amazing Man
- By Roxanna on 08-16-18
By: Ted Simon
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Troubles
- By: J. G. Farrell
- Narrated by: Kevin Hely
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 90
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 77
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
Major Brendan Archer travels to Ireland - to the Majestic Hotel and to the fiancée he acquired on a rash afternoon's leave three years ago. Despite her many letters, the lady herself proves elusive, and the Major's engagement is short-lived. But he is unable to detach himself from the alluring discomforts of the crumbling hotel. Ensconced in the dim and shabby splendour of the Palm Court, surrounded by gently decaying old ladies and proliferating cats, the Major passes the summer.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely delightful read
- By E. Kim on 02-25-20
By: J. G. Farrell
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Freddy and Fredericka
- By: Mark Helprin
- Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie
- Length: 25 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 505
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 208
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Story4 out of 5 stars 214
Best-selling, critically acclaimed author Mark Helprin's work has drawn favorable comparisons to an elite group of literary legends, including James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Edgar Allan Poe, and Thomas Mann. Helprin's sheer comic brilliance shines in this ingenious farce.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Can't rate it high enough (and I'm a tough grader)
- By Annette on 09-06-05
By: Mark Helprin
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Essays of E. B. White
- By: E. B. White
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 235
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 209
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 207
Legendary author and essayist E. B. White writes, "The essayist is a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest." Covering a large number of subjects, this classic collection features 31 of White's most memorable essays.
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5 out of 5 stars
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E.B. White writes honestly, fearlessly and clearly
- By Bonny on 09-03-17
By: E. B. White
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Driving on the Rim
- By: Thomas McGuane
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 92
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Story4 out of 5 stars 71
The unforgettable voyager of this dark picaresque is I. B. "Berl" Pickett, M.D., whose die was probably cast the moment his mother thought to name him after Irving Berlin. Other insults piled on apace thereafter: the spasms of Pentecostal Sunday worship; the social debilitation of following his parents' itinerant rug-shampooing business; the erotic initiation at the hands of his aunt. It's hard to imagine what would have become of him had he not gone to medical school.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Delightful
- By Roy on 01-05-11
By: Thomas McGuane
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First Man In
- Leading from the Front
- By: Ant Middleton
- Narrated by: Ant Middleton
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 242
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 220
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 221
No one is born a leader. But through sheer determination and by confronting life’s challenges, Ant Middleton has come to know the meaning of true leadership. In First Man In, he shares the core lessons he’s learned over the course of his fascinating, exhilarating life. Special forces training is no walk in the park. The rules are strict, and they make sure you learn the hard way, pushing you beyond the limits of what is physically possible. There is no mercy. Even when you are bleeding and broken, to admit defeat is failure.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Leader, more like a lost sheep
- By Amazon Customer on 11-13-20
By: Ant Middleton
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That Bear Ate My Pants!
- Life and Near Death in an Ecuadorian Animal Refuge
- By: Tony James Slater
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
That Bear Ate My Pants! is the hilarious tale of one man's quest to better himself. Whether losing a machete fight with a tree, picking dead tarantulas out of a tank of live ones, or sewing the head back onto a partially decapitated crocodile, Tony's misadventures are ridiculous, unbelievable, and always entertaining.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Laughter is the best medicine
- By C C Johnson on 05-23-23
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Beautiful Animals
- A Novel
- By: Lawrence Osborne
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 116
On a hike during a white-hot summer break on the Greek island of Hydra, Naomi and Samantha make a startling discovery: a man named Faoud, sleeping heavily, exposed to the elements, but still alive. As the two women learn more about the man, a migrant from Syria and a casualty of the crisis raging across the Aegean Sea, their own burgeoning friendship intensifies. But when their seemingly simple plan to help Faoud unravels, all must face the horrific consequences they have set in motion.
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4 out of 5 stars
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please offer more of this author's books
- By S. Liskey on 07-20-17
By: Lawrence Osborne
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Gateways
- Original New Stories Inspired by Frederik Pohl
- By: Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, and others
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 96
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4 out of 5 stars 84
It isn’t easy to get a group of bestselling SF authors to write new stories for an anthology, but that’s what Elizabeth Anne Hull has done in this powerhouse book. With original, captivating tales by Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Ben Bova, David Brin, Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Larry Niven, Vernor Vinge, Gene Wolfe, and others, Gateways is a SF event that will be a must-buy for SF readers of all tastes, from the traditional to the cutting edge; from the darkly serious to the laugh-out-loud funny.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Spectacular.
- By Steve Reid on 08-21-15
By: Greg Bear, and others
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The Last Crocodile Hunter
- By: Bob Irwin, Amanda French
- Narrated by: David Tredinnick
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 58
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Story5 out of 5 stars 58
Bob Irwin's extraordinary life as a wildlife pioneer, father to wildlife warrior Steve and founder of Australia Zoo, told in his own words. Bob Irwin grew up in the Dandenong Ranges, where his passion for wildlife was born. A near-death experience while working as a plumber made Bob realise he needed to follow his dreams, so he and his wife, Lyn, moved their young family to Queensland, where they opened a wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast. The Irwin children grew up in around the Beerwah Reptile and Wildlife Park....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story!
- By Amazon Customer on 01-06-22
By: Bob Irwin, and others
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Getting Stoned with the Savages
- A Trip through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu
- By: J. Maarten Troost
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 655
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 425
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 429
After two grueling years on the island of Tarawa, Troost was in no hurry to return to the South Pacific until he began to feel remarkably out of place in modern America. He knew it was time to set off again for parts unknown. Here he tells the story of his time on Vanuatu, a cluster of islands where he struggles against typhoons, earthquakes, and giant centipedes but finds himself swept up in the laid-back, clothing-optional lifestyle of the islanders.
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5 out of 5 stars
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My new favorite author!
- By L. Worthington on 08-28-07
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Almost Anywhere
- Road-Trip Ruminations on Love, Nature, Recovery, and Nonsense
- By: Krista Schlyer
- Narrated by: Marisa Vitali
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 76
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 66
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Story4 out of 5 stars 66
What do you do when your world ends? At 28 years old, Krista Schlyer sold almost everything she owned and packed the rest of it in a station wagon bound for the American wild. Her two best friends joined her - one a grumpy, grieving introvert, the other a feisty dog - and together they sought out every national park, historic site, forest, and wilderness they could get to before their money ran out or their minds gave in.
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4 out of 5 stars
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No a travelogue - its a diary
- By Jonathan on 12-29-20
By: Krista Schlyer
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A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
- By: Julian Barnes
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 268
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 211
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Story4 out of 5 stars 213
This is one of the defining novels of English writer Julian Barnes. An entertaining melange of stories starting with a contemporary account of the launch of Noah's Ark takes us into unexpected areas of human foibles, activities, and tendencies.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not what I Expected
- By Mark on 02-20-08
By: Julian Barnes
What listeners say about The Penguin Lessons
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rachel cartwright
- 02-03-23
Fabulous story
I really enjoyed the way details of the biology of penguins and the history of Argentina were woven into the storyline .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- debbie
- 09-12-24
Wonderful read.
I Thoroughly enjoyed this book it was wonderful to listen to. I just completed it and I feel so good.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robin
- 11-16-16
Unusual and touching story
This is the true story of an unexpected companionship and what it taught the author. It has a dry British sense of humor which comes through in the narration. It could be make a good movie.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- BarbF
- 09-26-23
Heart-warming and hilarious!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, read superbly by Bill Nighy. His reading of Juan Salvato, the voice of the penguin, adds the right note of warmth, humor and a bit of sarcasm. The tales of Tom Mitchell's peripheral adventures were very interesting, but his connection with Juan really takes center stage. Very enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anita
- 01-19-16
I want a penguin!
Not a huge animal story fan - but this is one terrific story! Tom Michell and I are about the same age and I vaguely remembered stories of oil soaked penguins washing up many places. Knowing that there were people out there saving these adorable animals made me feel much better. I like to think that if I were in the same position, I would have had the the chutzpa to take one home with me. I fell in love with this little guy from the first. What's not to love about a creature who just wants to be, "one of the guys"?
Bill Nighy's narration is spot on. I can hardly wait to find more he has read, to listen to.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-04-17
Thank you
Thank you, Tom Michell and Bill Nighy for bringing Juan Salvado to us so perfectly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca
- 03-19-23
Wonderful
Beautiful story, well written and perfectly narrated. Thanks to the author for sharing Juan Salvador.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alison B. Arter
- 01-29-24
Just a wonderful tale
Loved the narration pace and accent; learned about penguins! On my way to Argentina to meet some!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Shiloh
- 09-08-16
sweet story
It was a nice, sweet story if you're looking for something light to read/ listen to. Had some funny & interesting parts as well. enjoyed the narrator.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dee Lazlo
- 12-06-15
Terrific true story beautifully narrated .
I suffer PTSD. in order to minimize nightmares I have a book playing while I sleep. it is pretty effective if you have a good narrator and a fun story. Bill Nighy is my favorite voice to listen to. His reading this beautiful true story of an adventurous young teacher who saves the life of a penguin and then keeps him at the Argentine boarding school where he is working is truly heartwarming. This is one I can play over and over.
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3 people found this helpful