Bliss cover art

Bliss

Preview

Get this deal Try for £0.00
Offer ends April 30, 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £7.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Bliss

By: Peter Carey
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
Get this deal Try for £0.00

£7.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends April 30, 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £27.99

Buy Now for £27.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Peter Carey's first novel and first Miles Franklin winner, Bliss remains a work ahead of its time.

It takes dying during a heart attack for Harry Joy to realise that the life he thought was happy is actually hellish. His wife is a cheat, his kids are a source of shame, his company spruiks carcinogens.

While Harry is resuscitated, he will never be the same, for, having seen his own misery, he can no longer deny the injustice around him. But before he can be redeemed, a whole new perdition awaits him in this darkly funny and prescient fable about the idiocy of defiling nature.

©1981 Peter Carey; produced by arrangement with Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd (P)2018 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Fiction Genre Fiction Horror Literary Fiction Metaphysical & Visionary Occult Scary Heartfelt

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Untouchable cover art

What listeners say about Bliss

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Vision Splendid

I saw the Ray Lawrence film of this book in the early 90’s. It became one of my all time favourite films. It’s still as relevant today as when Peter Carey wrote this book. I read it and have now listened to it. Beautifully narrated.
My appreciation is part sentimental and part a love of the books concepts.
Beautiful storytelling craft.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

highly recommended

A lovely, complex, human story. Carey's debut is amongst his best works. Truly satisfying 9/10

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Didn’t want it to end - wonderful narration

I saw the film when I was in my early 20s and the story has haunted me for many years. It’s magical and irreverent and tells us about time, and journeys, communicating a deep yearning for nature and living simply. It is so wonderfully read by Humphrey Bowers that I was dreading the final chapter, lulled as I was into the soulful world of Harry Joy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!