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The Constant Gardener (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.00) - 8,119 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Tessa Quayle—young, beautiful, and dearly beloved to husband Justin—is gruesomely murdered in northern Kenya. When Justin sets out on a personal odyssey to uncover the mystery of her death, what he finds could make him not only a suspect but also a target for Tessa's killers.
A master chronicler of the betrayals of ordinary people caught in political conflict, John le Carr├® portrays the dark side of unbridled capitalism as only he can. In The Constant Gardener he tells a compelling, complex story of a man elevated through tragedy, as Justin Quayle—amateur gardener, aging widower, and ineffectual bureaucrat—discovers his own natural resources and the extraordinary courage of the woman he barely had time to love.
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"An excellent book dealing with abuses in drug testing in Africa. Tessa Quayle is trying to draw attention to abuses with a TB drug and is murdered together with her friend a doctor. Her husband, Justin who has not been involved in her crusaded takes up her mission, learns about it and is also murdered."
— Ian (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Amazingly seductive, pulling you in deeper all the time.”
— David Halberstam, New York Times bestselling author -
“Illuminates the tangle of hypocrisy, politics, and passion roiling beneath that steadfast British restraint.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“A cracking thriller.”
— Economist -
“The Constant Gardener reveals a new and far more Dickensian le Carré…His novel unabashedly wears its heart on its sleeve.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Brilliant.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Richly detailed, full of righteous fire to offset its desperate prognosis.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London) -
“Tough-minded, fast-moving, and uncompromising, The Constant Gardener is a tale of personal transformation.”
— Boston Globe -
“Admirably weaving together several themes—corporate power, underdevelopment, globalization—that will resonate with a wide audience.”
— BusinessWeek -
“Nobody writing today manipulates suspense better. A powerful moving novel that stands with le Carré’s best. It is, in order words, essential reading.”
— Sunday Telegraph (London) -
“Le Carré has never been angrier or more satisfyingly entertaining.”
— New York Daily News -
“The book breathes life, anger, and excitement.”
— Observer (London) -
“The Constant Gardener is not only about the triumph of the gray men who rule the world. It’s also a love story, and as we watch Justin take on his wife’s cause in spite of himself, we realize that there are parts of ourselves that the gray men will never reach.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Le Carré’s manifold skills at scene setting and creating a range of fearsomely convincing English characters, from the bluffly absurd to the irredeemably corrupt, are at their smooth peak here…The result is heart wrenching.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“The most intimate of le Carré’s thrillers since the salad days of George Smiley…at its core the old, familiar story of a decent man driven to avenge the wife he never really knew.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“When his activist wife is found raped and murdered in a remote part of Kenya, her ineffectual husband, a career diplomat stationed in Nairobi, seeks out those responsible. Many le Carré fans found this new opus a disappointment, but we occasional visitors to his domain of espionage and sleuthing appreciate his elegant style, rich characterization, and Graham Greenish exploration of moral ambiguity. He reads as well as he writes. His sonorous voice and nuanced delivery perfectly complement his authorial personality.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A London Guardian Pick of Best Books of the 21st Century
The Constant Gardener Listener Reviews
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Marie Claire Zanatta, 3/1/2023
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" A good book - but i think there was a bit of bad language in it "
— Carrie, 2/17/2014 -
" As if I weren't jaded enough where the pharmaceutical industry is concerned... "
— Larisa, 1/23/2014 -
" I loved this book. It's brilliant. Read it. "
— heidipj, 1/5/2014 -
" Great even if you've seen the movie and basically know what's going to happen. Some great lines, such as, "don't you dare call me girl, she told him furiously - but not aloud." I love that line. "
— Kalilah, 12/31/2013 -
" This author ties together world events and really makes you think about what is going on. "
— Jen, 12/25/2013 -
" Good portrait of the good, the bad, the fallible and the lost. Believable expose. "
— Stien, 12/19/2013 -
" This was a very complicated book with lots of intrigue and it did not have a happy ending. And although fiction I think some of the things about the drugs company's may be true. "
— Helen, 12/19/2013 -
" Fantastic read. Saw the movie before reading the book. The book was way better "
— Piers, 12/18/2013 -
" In The Constant Gardener, Le Carre turns his attention to the venal side of big pharma. A great theme - and tautly written - but the characters are not wholly credible - this somewhat undermines the whole - rendering this a superior airport thriller rather than one of Le Carre's classics. "
— Derek, 12/16/2013 -
" Action. love. political intrigue. This really had it all. And it kept me turning the page for 500+. I longed for the happy ending, but the ending was really perfect. "
— Katie, 12/11/2013 -
" Great, but very sad, also a great movie and attack on corruption among big pharmaceutical industries. "
— Janet, 12/11/2013 -
" Lima bintang kalau saja terjemahannya bagus. :D "
— Kimi, 2/12/2013 -
" I initially didn't like this book as much as The Honourable Schoolboy by the same author. I found the plot a little far fetched and the ending a little disturbing. After some thought, the way it ended began to make more sense, and I would give it a 3 1/2. "
— Laurel, 7/28/2011 -
" One of the most brilliant books I have ever read. "
— Jocelynne, 3/12/2008 -
" Listened to this book as an audio book and was very confused most of the time. Hard to tell what was a flashback. "
— Maureen, 12/10/2006 -
" A spine-chilling tale of pharmaceutical skullduggery, set in Kenya. Excellent characterisations and descriptive passages. "
— Piet, 5/31/2006 -
" I loved the movie and its book is really good as well. "
— Courtney, 3/19/2006 -
" One of Le Carre's better stories. Nice to see a novel set in Africa from him. The movie was an excellent version of the book. Rachel Weisz is one of my favourite actresses. Highly recommend both the book and movie. "
— Bill, 2/24/2005 -
" Wow! This is the first book I have ever read where I actually thought the movie was better than the book! Shocking! I did enjoy the story, though it did drag a bit and I adore the characters of Tessa and Justin. They are also portrayed beautifully in the movie. "
— Monica, 6/2/2004 -
" Took me forever to read this. Good, but too long & wordy. "
— Valerie, 10/31/2001
About John le Carré
John le Carré, the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (1931–2020), was an English author of espionage novels. Eight of his novels made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list between 1983 and 2017. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, his third book, secured him a worldwide reputation as one of the greatest spy novelists in history. Numerous major motion pictures have been made from his novels, as well as several television series. After attending the universities at Berne and Oxford, he taught at Eton and spent five years in the British Foreign Service, serving briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. Being a member of MI6 when he wrote his first novel, Call for the Dead in 1961 in Hamburg, it necessitated the use of a nom de plume, by which he continued to be known. His writing earned him several honorary doctorate degrees and the Somerset Maugham Award, the Goethe Medal, and the Olof Palme Prize.