Play Audiobook Sample
The Ginseng Hunter Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.06) - 451 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
Set at the turn of the twenty-first century in China along the Tumen River, which separates northeast China and North Korea, The Ginseng Hunter follows the daily life of a Chinese ginseng hunter, who lives alone in the valley, spending his days up in the mountains looking for ginseng and preparing for winter. He is little aware of the world outside until shadowy figures hiding in the fields, bodies floating in the river, and rumors of thievery and murder begin to intrude on his cherished solitude. On one of his monthly trips to Yanji where he buys supplies and visits a brothel, he meets a young North Korean prostitute. Through her vivid tales, the tragedy occurring across the river unfolds, and over the course of the year the hunter unnervingly discovers that the fate of the young woman and those of four others rest in his hands.
Download and start listening now!
"This book is like a haiku. Simple and brilliant, with an ending that changes one's perspective on the work as a whole. No review can really do justice to Talarigo's tale of a ginseng hunter on the border between North Korea and China at the turn of the twenty-first century better than the book itself. A story to be savored. And other such-like hyperbole. Read it!"
— Michael (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“The beauty and power of the ginseng root; the respect of the hunter for the thing he hunts—all this lies in such sharp contrast to the wasted life and utter lack of humanity elsewhere on these pages.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Talarigo is well on his way toward establishing himself as a quiet witness to humanity…An expert at luring us out of our comfort zones to bear witness with him, he also gives us quiet heroes who do not give in, who do not give up. What we ultimately choose to do with both the devastation and the hope that we witness is up to us.”
— Christian Science Monitor -
“Talarigo’s tense, atmospheric second novel movingly dramatizes the human faces behind political oppression…Against a backdrop of stunning scenery and of cruelty, creating a memorable, morally stringent tale.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“By subtly relating the struggle of plant life on the forest floor to the human struggle at the border, Talarigo offers us a novel that is ultimately a study of survival under hostile conditions.”
— Library Journal
The Ginseng Hunter Listener Reviews
-
" This book was just depressing. It's about a Chinese ginseng hunter who lived on the border of China and North Korea. He witnesses some North Koreans sneaking into China and also encounters a North Korean prostitute. However, I didn't like the way Jeff Talarigo told the story -- it was very confusing to me. It was also difficult to relate to ANY of the characters in any way. "
— Kim, 2/4/2014 -
" This book is short (176 pgs)and an easy read. It is always eye-opening to me to read about other cultures and their hardships. "
— Jen, 1/16/2014 -
" A beautiful, powerful and sad story. While you read the book you feel the Ginseng Hunter's solitude, and understand his oneness with nature. The pain of the woman whose company he seeks when he goes to sell his Ginseng is equally felt. It is a beautifully satisfying read. "
— Kristin, 1/10/2014 -
" This novel takes place along the Chinese/Korean border. A look at a very different kind of life. "
— Cindy, 12/28/2013 -
" Bleak, haunting, and depressing. I liked the spare style. Sometimes I was a little confused by who was speaking, possibly because I listened to the audio book instead of reading it. "
— Hilary, 11/21/2013 -
" Interesting cultural read. Historical fiction. "
— Donna, 11/12/2013 -
" certainly will read his first book - pearl diver! "
— Janice, 10/30/2013 -
" Interesting socio-political fiction, the relationship between individuals living on the boarder of China and North Korea. The boundaries of us/them blurred by the proximity of land, sometimes only divided by a river one can wade across. "
— Lynette, 10/20/2013 -
" With a brevity of words, it captures a universe of images... had to read it once I started and finished it in under a day. "
— Stephanie, 10/2/2013 -
" A moving and often chilling tale of one man's isolated existence on China's border with North Korea. "
— Sharron, 10/2/2013 -
" Short little book set in the 1990's along the North Korea and China border. Great quick read. Gives great background on the terrible atrocities of the current North Korean regime. "
— Suzanne, 7/4/2013 -
" A well written and engaging story about a Chinese ginseng hunter's role in the lives of sevaral North Koreans. This is a very quick read and well worth it. "
— Jennifer, 4/18/2013 -
" While there are significant moments in the history of the Korea, this is a story of the everyday lives of the human beings living under the political oppression. "
— Alice, 3/6/2013 -
" This book was a quick read with interesting, descriptive writing -- it was as though you were walking behind the main character, feeling the soil and smelling the ginseng root, and feeling the sorrow of his life. "
— Carol, 2/24/2013 -
" An easy read and romantically written about the journey of a ginseng hunter in North Korea. "
— Wendy, 12/8/2012 -
" Lovely, quiet, and sad, about the lives around the North Korean & Chinese border. "
— Victoria, 12/7/2012 -
" (see "the harvester" review) "
— Ms., 8/1/2012 -
" Beautiful written, opens to reveal its humanity like a blossom. Such a cruel world "
— Jan, 7/28/2012 -
" A very short read, but interesting. "
— Willi, 2/19/2012 -
" interesting book about the relationship between a man and a woman on the border between China and North Korea in the present day. Ancient Chinese tradition collides with modern day dictatorship. V. interesting. "
— Beth, 8/13/2011 -
" Loved it! There was a concubine moment but nothing I wouldn't recommend to my grandmother. "
— Christina, 7/21/2011 -
" A sad but beautifully told story. I was glad that I had read the book Nothing to Envy because it confirmed the facts in this book about the recent famine in North Korea. "
— Colleen, 6/25/2011 -
" Short, fast read! Well written story about life and how we all view it! "
— R.Joseph, 3/10/2011 -
" captivating and a tenuous and delicious balance between the serene and constant world of nature and the absolute insanity of human cruelty and desperation "
— Amy, 3/7/2011 -
" Haunting. First novel I have read surrounding the Korean/Chinese/Russian border situation and personal politics. I want to know more about that region and culture. "
— Jennifer, 2/24/2011 -
" Interesting cultural read. Historical fiction. "
— Donna, 12/6/2010 -
" A mixture of desolate writing & a mournful sounding narrator make for a dreary reading experience. "
— Julie, 11/11/2010 -
" I wanted something under 200 pages to take on a recent plane flight and chose this book. Yes it was depressing but the truth often is. I was not aware of how people lived within the past several decades in North Korea. How disturbing. "
— Pam, 10/21/2010 -
" Only OK because of the ginseng descriptions. "
— Patrick, 10/16/2010 -
" While there are significant moments in the history of the Korea, this is a story of the everyday lives of the human beings living under the political oppression. "
— Alice, 8/15/2010 -
" Prose that reads more like poetry. Takes place on the China/North Korea border. "
— Cat, 6/25/2010 -
" A small book that captures a lot of pain and beauty. Gave me nightmares, but for too many people it is their reality. "
— Callie, 4/26/2010 -
" A very short read, but interesting. "
— Willi, 4/8/2010 -
" Gorgeous book. Simple, understated, and breathtakingly beautiful prose. I haven't read the author's first book, The Pearl Diver, but I plan to do so as soon as possible. "
— Paula, 3/3/2010 -
" The two things that stand out most: very scenic, and very sad. Set on the border between China and North Korea, the story was mostly about recent political oppression in North Korea, dressed up in beautiful scenery. The book didn't really have an end, except to say that "life goes on." "
— Brett, 1/15/2010 -
" Beautifully written, and sad. The prose was like poetry. Brief, but inspirational. "
— Michelle, 12/28/2009 -
" Lonely. Great descriptions. Misunderstood is just simple humanity. "
— Cynthia, 12/14/2009
About Jeff Talarigo
Jeff Talarigo received the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Rosenthal Award for The Pearl Diver. He is currently a fellow at the New York Public Library’s Cullman Centre for Scholars and Writers and lives in New York City.
About Jaeson Ma
Jaeson Ma is the son of two immigrant parents from China. A classically trained, New York-based theater actor who has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, and in numerous regional theaters, he has done extensive work in voice-over, specializing in Asian accents. He has provided voices for Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese subjects for such shows as ABC News, Primetime Live, and 20/20.