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Playground

By: Richard Powers
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Eunice Wong, Kevin R. Free, Krys Janae, Pun Bandhu, Robin Siegerman
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024

A POWERFUL NEW NOVEL FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AND BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF
THE OVERSTORY AND BEWILDERMENT

Rafi and Todd are two polar opposites at an elite high school where they bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game. It sets them up for life: Rafi will get lost in literature, while Todd’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

Elsewhere, Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs; Ina Aroita grows up in naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home.

All of these people meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, marked for humanity’s next great adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out into the open sea. As the seasteaders close in, how will Evie play the ever-unfolding oceanic game? Will Ina engage in acts of destruction? Todd and Rafi, now estranged, still find themselves in competition: Todd unravels while working on an idea to redraw the boundaries of human immortality, while Rafi and the residents must decide if they will greenlight the new project on their shores and change their home forever.

Set in the world’s largest ocean, Playground explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize and interweaves profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.

'Is there anything Richard Powers cannot write? The world here is complete, seductive, and promising. The writing feels like the ocean. Vast, mysterious, deep and alive' PERCIVAL EVERETT

'An extraordinarily immersive journey through lives linked in mysterious ways - gripping, alarming and uplifting' EMMA DONOGHUE


‘Powers is a master of taking important topics of our times – from threats to our oceans and climate change to AI – and turning them into riveting and fiercely relevant books imbued with psychological insight and a deep awe for nature. This eloquent dance of the scientific and emotional makes him one of our finest story tellers. PLAYGROUND is brilliant, captivating and important – and the best book I’ve read this year’ ANDREA WULF

©2024 Richard Powers (P)2024 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about Playground

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A stunning read

I was swept away by compelling characters with disparate obsessions from poetry and the ancient game Go to deep sea exploration through Chicago to Polynesian and beyond to see both how everything connects, not only through data and near future AI but through love and play. Impressive and wide reaching.

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Educational

I think the narrators did a good job but I didn’t enjoy this. However it’s educational, intellectual, erudite and original. There was shock from some that it didn’t make the booker short list but it doesn’t fit the judges remit.

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An extraordinary book

This book is like a world within a world. It will live in my mind for a long time. The way Richard Powers writes about the environment, about the past, the present and the terrifying future is matchless.

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Bravo

Stunning story. I loved it so much! Narrators complimented each character and I loved them all! I wish it made the shortlist for the Booker Prize.

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Outstanding

The lives of amazing characters magically intertwined on our incredible watery planet, about which we learn lots. Superb narration from a cast of actors.

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Boring

There are a lot of unnecessary words used.
The character I found the most interesting, the African American, unfortunately grows into an unpleasant person.
The friends swear at each other, which I find unattractive.

The story does not reveal anything new about how we humans are progressing through the world.

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