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Publisher's Summary

The best-selling author of The Debt to Pleasure and Capital returns with a chilling fable for our time.

Ravaged by the Change, an island nation in a time very like our own has built the Wall - an enormous concrete barrier around its entire coastline. Joseph Kavanagh, a new Defender, has one task: to protect his section of the Wall from the Others, the desperate souls who are trapped amid the rising seas outside and are a constant threat. Failure will result in death or a fate perhaps worse: being put to sea and made an Other himself. Beset by cold, loneliness, and fear, Kavanagh tries to fulfill his duties to his demanding captain and sergeant, even as he grows closer to his fellow Defenders. A dark part of him wonders whether it would be interesting if something did happen, if they came, if he had to fight for his life....

John Lanchester - acclaimed as "an elegant and wonderfully witty writer" (New York Times) and "a writer of rare intelligence" (Los Angeles Times) - has crafted a taut, hypnotic novel of a broken world and what might be found when all is lost. The Wall blends the most compelling issues of our time - rising waters, rising fear, rising political division - into a suspenseful story of love, trust, and survival.
©2019 Orlando Books Limited (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • JFCincy
  • 2019-03-08

Are there chapters missing?

There is something wrong with the structure of this book. The fight scenes on the wall are repetitive. I actually went back to check and make sure the same scenes weren't repeated in other chapters. But it was the transition between Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 that made me question the logic of the book. At the end of Chapter 19, the group sees a flotilla of boats. Up until this point, strangers were the enemy. Anyone could turn on you. Punishment was arbitrary and illogical, so I was ready for a fight scene with the people on these ships. Instead, Chapter 20 starts off on day three with everyone getting along. What happened before that? Are there chapters missing?

In Chapter 22, everyone sees another boat approaching and their reaction is exactly what I expected between Chapter 19 and Chapter 20. Terror, fear, and dread. Even the children are afraid. I didn't read anymore.

After 20 chapters, I have no emotional connection to a single one of the characters. And the actions of the characters seem random, especially in the oppressive, loveless, unforgiving, environment that surrounds them. Between the boring, the repetitive, and the fickle behavior of the characters, I gave up.


To The Publisher.
This book is difficult to find because there are so many books, and a newspaper, that begin with, "The Wall. . . . " Without the author's name, I couldn't find it. I had to search recent book reviews to find the author's name. I then came back to Audible to find the book.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • JDS
  • 2019-04-16

A Slice of Future Time

A tightly woven, incredibly poignant, vision of what future generations may plausibly experience. At base, humans default to in-/out-group behavior, shown so vividly here. Listen to it in
conjunction with The Inhospirable Earth for an additional kick to start truly caring for this precious orb.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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  • Carianti
  • 2019-05-02

Surprise!

I did not expect I would like this book but the reviews were positive enough that I thought I'd give it a go. I was much surprised and pleased to find it quite a bit more interesting than I thought it would be. The main character was well developed and his experiences multi-faceted...exciting, tender, introspective and reasonable, under the circumstances.
There were a couple of times when things happened that were totally unexpected, which was another excellent positive to the story.

Alas, it had to end and I was left adrift afterwards. (No pun intended since being adrift in the sea is a big part of the story.) Frankly I wanted more story! It felt like we were left without a proper ending....possibly a sequel afoot? Hope so.

Highly recommend.