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The Polished Hoe Audiobook
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(2.97) - 613 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Winner of both the Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, The Polished Hoe is acclaimed author Austin Clarke's masterpiece. On a Caribbean island in the 1950s, elderly Mary Gertrude Mathilda commits murder. As she explains herself to police, her story exposes the ugly underbelly of life on Caribbean plantations, with its slavery and brutality. ". brilliantly written dialogue, a rich, dancing patois that fills out the dimensions of the island's painful history and its complex caste system."-Publishers Weekly
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"A poetic, meandering confession, the novel evokes the tropics in nearly every syllable, to the point that I could smell the sea and feel the hot, wet air. For a book that deals explicitly with the violence and brutality of post-slavery plantation life, "The Polished Hoe" is occasionally, oddly, sweet and more than a little dreamy. The more I think about it, the better I think this book was, but it takes a good long while to wander back to the point."
— Alison (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Winner of the 2002 Trillium Book Award
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Winner of the 2003 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book
The Polished Hoe Listener Reviews
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" Loved The Polished Hoe. Austin Clarke wove a story that kept my face glued to the pages of the book. It is a story woven in the tradition of the storytellers of old. "
— Sonia, 2/16/2014 -
" When I began reading this book, I was excited. Very interesting. Then, before long, I grew bored. By the end of the book, I couldn't wait to be finished. "
— Teresa, 2/15/2014 -
" Potential to be GREAT but way too much detail. Powerful story. "
— Glenda, 2/13/2014 -
" Don't waste your time! Can't believe this won awards. Very hard to follow who is talking and whether they are talking about current or past (or imagined) events. "
— Carol, 1/25/2014 -
" It is a rare occurrence when I don't finish a book and this was one of those instances. I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll try again some other time... "
— Rebecca, 1/15/2014 -
" Painful. It's rare that I start a book without finishing it. Boring, slow, yawn. Can't do it, sorry. "
— Helle, 1/3/2014 -
" the language was so hard to read and understand. I did not finish it. I am glad to read that it is a rather good book. I just could not do it. "
— No1africanviolet, 1/3/2014 -
" The downside of e-reading is that, when you buy a book that is a total yawn-fest, you can't pass it on to a friend who might actually enjoy it. I've read about 30% of this and I can't go on. Maybe I'll give it another try in a couple of months. "
— Leslie, 12/14/2013 -
" Well written. Just couldn't get into it. Pacing is way way off. "
— Lauren, 12/7/2013 -
" I had the hardest time reading this book. It reminded me of La Sagouine, but written in English. No action, lots of monologues. "
— Linda, 12/2/2013 -
" I love a good caribbean slave story but this one I could not get into. Too drawn out. "
— Audrey, 11/27/2013 -
" I loved this book the main character and her dialogue were amazing, I kept picturing Calypso from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Highly reccomend this one to anyone. I am a Sci FI, Fantasy & Horror lover, but I still really loved this one. Very well worth the $2 I paid at an Op shop!!!Bargain "
— Jason, 11/13/2013 -
" Worth reading. The book is one long conversation! About black slavery. "
— Mary-Jane, 6/28/2013 -
" It was just too long and I felt as though it draged a bit, however I would recomend this book give it a try. "
— Giselle, 7/11/2012 -
" The narrative is absolutely fabulous. The story of Mary Mathilda Gertrude Bellfeels is spellbinding. One of the most captivating books I read. A real page turner. "
— Tehsin, 7/5/2012 -
" It was confusing and mesmerizing at the same time. A bit of a 'round and round we go' kind of feeling, but it kept me intrigued until the end. Surprising ending too. "
— Amelia, 4/25/2012 -
" Great novel. Great weaving of characters, mystery and powers. "
— Jdhiltz, 4/9/2012 -
" Meh. Took me over a month to read it, which is super slow for me. I had a hard time following the timeline, which jumped around a lot with no warning. It got good at the end, but it shouldn't have taken hundreds of pages to get good. "
— Ana, 4/10/2011 -
" Really want to give this book another try. "
— Tara, 2/16/2011 -
" It's good but it's slow. "
— Alan, 1/7/2011 -
" I can't finish this book. The detail is too much and the story is dragging on. I tried a few times to finish it but I just can't do it...painful! "
— Karri-mae, 5/15/2010 -
" This novel has a very distinctive narrative style, which demands the reader's full attention. Austin does a great job of using organic storytelling as a means of revealing characters, their thoughts, actions, and experiences. "
— Sha-shonda, 3/19/2010 -
" I did not love this book. I found it very repetative. A small twist to the story, but much to long for the content "
— Kristen, 3/1/2010
About Austin Clarke
Austin Clarke is a professor of
literature and has taught at Yale, Brandeis, Williams, Duke, and the
Universities of Texas and Indiana. He assisted in setting up a black studies
program at Yale in 1968, after which he became the cultural attaché of the
Embassy of Barbados in Washington, DC. Culminating with the international
success of The Polished Hoe, which
won the Giller Prize, Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and Trillium Prize, his work
since 1964 includes nearly a dozen novels, several short-story collections, and
a few memoirs. He lives in Toronto.
About Robin Miles
Robin Miles, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, has twice won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, an Audie Award for directing, and many Earphones Awards. Her film and television acting credits include The Last Days of Disco, Primary Colors, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, New York Undercover, National Geographic’s Tales from the Wild, All My Children, and One Life to Live. She regularly gives seminars to members of SAG and AFTRA actors’ unions, and in 2005 she started Narration Arts Workshop in New York City, offering audiobook recording classes and coaching. She holds a BA degree in theater studies from Yale University, an MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, and a certificate from the British American Drama Academy in England.