Play Audiobook Sample
My Life as a Fake Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 1,673 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, Peter Carey's My Life as a Fake is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature and lying. In steamy, fetid Kuala Lumpur in 1972, Sarah Wode-Douglass, the editor of a London poetry journal, meets a mysterious Australian named Christopher Chubb. Chubb is a despised literary hoaxer, carting around a manuscript likely filled with deceit. But in this dubious manuscript Sarah recognizes a work of real genius. But whose genius? As Sarah tries to secure the manuscript, Chubb draws her into a fantastic story of imposture, murder, kidnapping, and exile-a story that couldn't be true unless its teller were mad. My Life as a Fake is Carey at his most audacious and entertaining.
Download and start listening now!
"I love Peter Carey. If every artist is indeed a thief, Carey is a literary larcenist. I've read three of his novels this year and all were fantastic and all seemed to be written by an inspired ventriloquist who juggles voice to voice, scene to scene, on a tightrope of his own fancy."
— Rob (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“My Life as a Fake is so confidently brilliant, so economical yet lively in its writing, so tightly fitted and continuously startling.”
— John Updike -
“Ingenious…Carey is as diabolical as the hoaxes that his book includes.”
— New York Times -
“A fantastic…novel that takes an eerie, questioning look at the art of storytelling.”
— People -
“A wholly absorbing, bizarrely madcap comedy and a telling commentary on the sometimes baffling sources of art…Though fiction, the book is anything but fake. It’s truth, beauty, and comedy wrapped in one sprightly package.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“Fast, furious, and fantastical stuff…Carey is Australia’s finest living novelist and nothing he writes is dull.”
— Guardian (London) -
“Carey is that rare artist brave enough to flee success, a tactic that underlies his dazzling track record. Each of his novels sets him a different challenge; in each, he excels. A triumph in its own right, My Life as a Fake leaves us wondering how he’s going to delight and disconcert us in his next book.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch -
“Complex and masterful…A haunting story whose surreal events are as captivating and memorable as the misguided aspirations of its characters.”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune
Awards
-
Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 2004
-
Shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2004
-
Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2005
My Life as a Fake Listener Reviews
-
" Much as I like Peter Carey I just found the central premise of this baffling and the use of magic realism unconvincing and jarring. I liked the characters but just felt like I was missing something throughout. "
— Simon, 2/17/2014 -
" Compelling and confounding, this is a well written tale of literary intrigue with characters that seem insane and actually might be, but that are so utterly themselves, thanks to Carey's writing, that you don't really care. It has a strong undercurrent of "Frankenstein" about it and a strange story spun in short chapters and different perspectives. I don't know if the absence of conventional quotation marks to signal dialogue is an Australian thing or not, but it definitely enhanced the doubt and frenzy of the story. "
— Jamie, 1/31/2014 -
" interesting twists and turns in this book "
— Keri, 1/19/2014 -
" An unusual story that kept me intrigued till the end. "
— Leslie, 1/10/2014 -
" aku nggak ngerti. Sumpah! :D "
— Endah, 1/7/2014 -
" Well-written and engaging, this was a fast read that sucked me in quickly. I really enjoyed the mystery as it unfolded and the flawed characters. Nothing life-changing but a good weekend diversion. "
— Megan, 12/26/2013 -
" A really challenging and fascinating read from the author of Oscar and Lucinda! Which I have yet to read. "
— Andrea, 11/18/2013 -
" Carey is a literary master and this story left me satisfied. A mix of supernatural and realism. His creativity amazes. A great read for anyone who likes a story a bit left of centre. "
— Randall, 11/4/2013 -
" A great read! It keeps you guessing until the end and maybe well after you've read it. "
— Eleni, 8/28/2013 -
" The title of this book had me expecting something really insightful. While the story is somewhat compelling it really didn't make a big impression. And I'm not sure how I feel about his choice to discard quotation marks completely. "
— Melissa, 7/14/2013 -
" What an odd book. Shades of Frankenstein. Even more surprised to find, after finishing, that it was based on true events. "
— Alisa, 2/24/2013 -
" This was a strange kind of book....The story involves the tale of a possible "fake" poet and involves ties with England, Australia, and Malaysia. Difficult to unravel what is really the truth here. "
— Jenny, 3/22/2012 -
" Puzzling, but eminently readable--lots of meat between the lines concerning authorship, truth and desire. "
— Ann, 3/11/2012 -
" It was an interesting read, fairly gripping with a crazy, protracted story. It was well written too but I didn't relate to the characters or really love it somehow. "
— Lucy, 11/7/2011 -
" A slightly goofy literary hoax caper that meanders through the tropics of South Asia and the literary world of post-war Australia. Also one of the better takes on Frankenstein I've read in a while. "
— Alison, 10/27/2011 -
" Read this one in two days. I loved the writing style, particularly the dialogue. It wasn't anything life-altering, but it was a good story. "
— Briana, 7/11/2010 -
" I love Carey and, while I've read reviews that thought the real-life story was more compelling than his, I don't know the original to compare. His worlds are bright and the action swift. "
— Mike, 10/23/2008 -
" Enjoyed the narrator and the perspective on true poetry geeks. Almost made me want to read poetry. There was tension throughout, dangling success always one step beyond. "
— Harry, 2/1/2008 -
" I stuck with this book since I was on a long plane ride. It starts a little slow but is well written and intriguing. It left me thinking about it when I finished. "
— Kellie, 3/21/2007 -
" liked this much better than Theft. "
— Joan, 11/24/2005 -
" Pseudo-story of the Ern Malley hoax, served extra creepy. "
— Penny, 2/2/2005 -
" Somewhat confusing but nonetheless interesting. Not up to Jack Maggs nor Ned Kelley though. "
— John, 12/2/2004
About Peter Carey
Peter Carey is the author of ten previous novels and has twice received the Booker Prize. His other honors include the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Born in Australia, he has lived in New York City for twenty years.
About Susan Lyons
Susan Lyons has appeared on numerous television shows, including A Country Practice, Police Rescue, Something in the Air, and All Saints. Among her film credits are Winds of Jarrah and In a Savage Land. She is married to Tony Award–winning actor Jefferson Mays.