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Undiscovered Country Audiobook
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(3.03) - 322 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Unaware that his life is about to change in ways he can't imagine, seventeen-year-old Jesse Matson ventures into the northern Minnesota woods with his father on a cold November afternoon. Perched on individual hunting stands a quarter-mile apart, they wait with their rifles for white-tailed deer. When the muffled crack of a gunshot rings out, Jesse unaccountably knows something is wrong-and he races through the trees to find his dad dead of a rifle wound, apparently self-inflicted. But would easygoing Harold Matson really kill himself? If so, why? Haunted by the ghost of his father, Jesse delves into family secrets, wrestles with questions of justice and retribution, and confronts the nature of his own responsibility. And just when he's decided that he alone must shoulder his family's burden, the beautiful and troubled Christine Montez enters his life, forcing him to reconsider his plans. In spare, elegant prose, Lin Enger tells the story of a young man trying to hold his family together in a world tipped suddenly upside down. Set among pristine lakes and beneath towering pines, Undiscovered Country is at once a bold reinvention of Shakespeare's Hamlet and a hair-bristling story of betrayal, revenge, and the possibilities of forgiveness.
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"This book was a pleasant surprise...I actually picked it up thinking it was Leif Enger's second novel (with such similar names, it was an easy mistake), but decided to read it anyway since I had it. The writing is very simple, which I enjoyed, but there was an suspense in the narration that was very engaging. Not many people can retell Shakespeare in an original, and subtle, way. Perhaps some characters could have developed more, but this would most likely have detracted from the simple prose and heightened intrigue created by the first person retrospective."
— Claire (4 out of 5 stars)
Undiscovered Country Listener Reviews
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" Gruesome at the start but gripping me now. Just loved it. "
— Mripma, 2/16/2014 -
" I was super excited about this book and was really enjoying before it started turning really, really dark. It just became so dark that after a while I completely lost interest and even respect, for the main character. I'm bummed. "
— Kristin, 1/26/2014 -
" I typically wouldn't read a book like this but my mother gave it to me as a Christmas present so I decided to give it a chance. Set in rural Minnesota, it tells the story of Jesse Matson, a high school senior who goes hunting with his father one day only to find him with his head blown off, an apparent suicide. Or was it? Jesse doesn't think so, in large part because his father's ghost tells Jesse in no uncertain terms that Jesse's uncle is behind the murder and is having an affair with Jesse's mother. Sound a little familiar? Its basically Hamlet. Luckily, the author makes clear to the reader that he isn't trying to pull a fast one on us. Jesse sees the similiarities himself, having read Hamlet recently in his high school english class. At any rate, I got interested in this book after about 25 pages and it held my attention pretty well. The writer has an easy-going, yet smart, style that kept me reading ahead. The ending felt a bit rushed. The hasty finish made it seem unbelievable. Overall, I liked it well enough and am not sorry I read it at all; It's got me wanting to read Shakespeare's Hamlet. I'm just not sure who I could recommend this book to... "
— Steven, 1/21/2014 -
" This a good story, much like the one his brother Lief Engar wrote - Peach Like a River. I enjoyed both books. "
— Tamara, 1/17/2014 -
" This author is the brother of Leif Enger, who wrote Peace like a River. I thought it would be interesting to give it a try. Peace Like a River was one of the best books I've read in a long time. This one...wasn't. Sorry Lin, your brother tells a better story. "
— Melissa, 1/7/2014 -
" A story about a 17 year old boy: his betrayal, revenge and possible forgiveness; set in Minnesota; author's first book. Caught me in the first chapter and held me to the end. "
— Donna, 12/26/2013 -
" I promise not to compare him to his brother. Not stellar, but a good treatment of Hamlet. "
— Larry, 12/22/2013 -
" Practically everyone I know loves the writing of Leif and now his brother Lin Enger. They are beautiful writers and craft stories magnificently, however their subject matter does nothing for me. If either brother writes another story, I won't be reading it. "
— Janice, 12/20/2013 -
" Admittedly I didn't read the whole thing, it was becoming way overdue and so many more obviously appealing books kept piling in for me to read. But I did read the beginning, a few chapters in between to get the gist, and then the ending. Haunting, thoughtful writing here. "
— Janet, 12/9/2013 -
" I really liked this book - not as much as Peace like a River, but almost. "
— Nancy, 12/7/2013 -
" Loved this just as much as Peace Like a River (written by this author's brother). Very similar feel and writing. I was up way too late reading this one. "
— Amber, 11/27/2013 -
" This was a decent book. It is based in northern Minnesota and it revolves around the life of a teenage boy who struggles after he loses his father during a so-called suicide. It didn't have a lot of depth, but kept your attention. "
— Leticia, 4/10/2013 -
" Fast read, interesting story..... "
— Amy, 9/30/2012 -
" What an amazing story! I started listening to it on audiotape but was so enthralled I drove to the library and got the book. I believe the much more famous "Edgar Sawtelle" is an amateur imitation of "Undiscovered Country." "
— Peggy, 7/9/2012 -
" A modern Hamlet, set in the Midwest. The Gertrude character is underdrawn; Enger is less interested in her than he is in Hamlet and Claudius. But the writing is sharp, and I was surprised and relieved that Enger embraced the pleasures of revenge, instead of getting all Christian and forgiving. "
— eb, 4/21/2012 -
" Just an OK book - teenager suspects uncle of his father's murder - plot unsues - side issues with mother and brother. "
— Joanne, 12/8/2011 -
" A "Hamlet"-based mystery set in a wintry Minnesota. (This is the MN author's fist novel).I'm still not sure how much I liked it. "
— Anne, 11/29/2011 -
" Excellent - well developed characters. Had the opportunity to discuss this book not only with my book club but with the author, too. "
— Julie, 5/13/2011 -
" I really enjoyed Leif Engers writing so I though I would give his brothers book a try. It is written like a mystery novel and was a easy fast read. Good writing but not the outcome I was hoping for in the book. "
— Anna, 1/15/2011 -
" short novel, well written. I kept thinking of "Edgar Sawtelle" as I read this. It's a family story, a mystery, and I'll not be a spoiler. "
— Carol, 12/27/2010 -
" Reminds me a little of Steve Hamilton. Takes place in Minisota instead of the UP. Didn't figure it out until the very end. Good storytelling, mystery. "
— Marilyn, 11/4/2010 -
" Pretty good. Read it on the heels of Edward Sawtelle. Same story, right Will? Oh, by the way, happy birthday, and you still Rock! (I liked your original version...) "
— Pablo, 10/30/2010 -
" I enjoyed this modern retelling of Hamlet; it was much better than the Dead Fathers Club. "
— Aramis, 9/19/2009 -
" Hamlet comparison. "
— Christy, 10/14/2008
About Lin Enger
Lin Enger is an Iowa Workshop graduate, the author of the novel Undiscovered Country, and the recipient of a James Michener Award and a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship. His short stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, Ascent, Great River Review, Wolf Head Quarterly, and other journals. He teaches at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
About Kirby Heyborne
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.