Arrested Development: The LITTLE BROTHER and THE TRIAL Pairing

An individual can forget that Guantanamo remains open, that someone else defines for us who is and who is not an "enemy combatant," and that we may be a nation that uses torture as a tool. It is often the job of our novelists to remind us of such things.

Cory Doctorow hands us the tale of Marcus Yallow and his friends in the riveting novel LITTLE BROTHER. Marcus, falsely accused as involved in a terrorist plot, is imprisoned without charge or trial. Marcus's choice to fight back rallies readers to pay attention and to use the tools at their disposal to seek change.

How does LITTLE BROTHER compare to Kafka's 1925 classic THE TRIAL? Are they both protest novels?

Is the power of these novels increased by the audio productions?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amy Rubinate on August 1, 2011 at 12:11pm

Little Brother is on my short list of all-time favorite audiobooks! The power of the novel is definitely enhanced by the audio production. I listened to an NPR interview with Cory Doctorow where he read a portion of the novel. His read fell flat, and consequently the passage he was reading was less compelling. I had just listened to Kirby Heyborne's narration, and the side-by-side comparison was telling. When listening to Heyborne, I felt as if I were actually hearing Marcus tell his story. The book itself is amazing, but the sensitive narration brings out highlights important details a reader might gloss over, and gives an added shape and urgency to the story.

RSS

Welcome to
Audiobook Community

Sign Up
or Sign In

You can also sign up with: