A tour de force.” —The Washington Post (A Notable Fiction Book of the Year)
“[A] page-turner...Sparta is an exceptional account of life after war. Four out of four stars.” —People
“One of the many strengths of this engaging story is that Robinson doesn't treat post-traumatic stress disorder with that nifty abbreviation, PTSD, neatly buttoning it in place.” —The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)
“Robinson brings the tolls of war up close....Her powerful novel demonstrates that fiction actually can function as a sort of explosive device.” —The Washington Post
“Stunning...Conrad's story is compulsively readable.” —Meg Waite Clayton, Ms. Magazine
“Sparta's force lies in its level of bared psychological detail...It sounds an alarm for an invisible American crisis.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Roxana Robinson's Sparta delicately explores the fissures between the military experience and civilian life with this portrait of a liberal northeastern family and what happens when their son, a young Marine lieutenant, returns home from Iraq irrevocably changed. This book is not simply about war, but about the horror and enforced isolation of trauma, the inevitable merging of the personal and the political, and the possibilities and trials found within the bonds of familial and romantic love.” —Phil Klay, author of Redeployment
“Roxana Robinson's Sparta is a feat of the imagination. Vividly and with unflinching wisdom, Robinson has given voice, substance, and profound reality to her protagonist, Conrad Farrell of the Marine Corps—and in so doing, to thousands of veterans like him.” —Claire Messud, author of The Woman Upstairs and The Emperor's Children
“Sparta gives us an unflinching portrayal of the costs of war, costs that go far beyond what the tallies of killed and wounded can tell us. There are plenty of losses that can be measured only in the language of the spirit, and it's books such as this one, necessary books, that guide us to a fuller appreciation of war's costs.” —Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
“One of our best writers.” —The Washington Post
“Both lyrical and unsentimental, richly honest and humane.” —The Wall Street Journal
“An intelligent, sensitive analyst of family life.” —Chicago Tribune
Sparta
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Roxana RobinsonUnabridged — 16 hours, 54 minutes
Sparta
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne
Roxana RobinsonUnabridged — 16 hours, 54 minutes
Overview
“Sparta made young boys into warriors; it was left to the warriors to restore themselves to men...”
Conrad Farrell's family has no military heritage, but as a classics major at Williams, he saw the sturdy appeal of the Marine ethic: Semper fidelis came straight from the ancient world, from Sparta, where every citizen doubled as a full-time soldier. When Conrad joined the Marines after college, he expected to further a long tradition of honor, courage, and commitment.
Now Conrad has just returned home to Westchester after four years in Iraq, and something is very wrong. Everything should be fine-he hasn't been shot or wounded by an IED, and he's never had psychological troubles-but as he attempts to reconnect with his girlfriend and find his footing in the civilian world, he has an impossible time adjusting to the people and places he used to love and to a commonplace life of hotel reservations, dinner conversation, long showers, and alone time. As the weeks turn into months, Conrad's bitterness only festers, and he begins to fear that his rage, when it comes out, will have irreparable consequences.
Suspenseful and perceptive, Sparta captures the nuances of the unique estrangement that modern soldiers face as they attempt to rejoin the society they've fought for. With the powerful insight and acuity that marked Cost and her earlier novels, Robinson has delivered her best book yet.
Editorial Reviews
Life in the military is different from civilian life, a point driven home vividly in Robinson's novel. Narrator Kirby Heyborne chronicles the return of Marine Conrad Farrell after four years of service in Iraq. Unlike soldiers who are visibly wounded or suffer from PTSD, Farrell seems uninjured from his service—until he discovers just how different he now is from the civilian world he inhabits. Heyborne ably conveys Farrell’s emotions as he copes with changes ranging from adjustments of daily activities to changes in society. The result is a surprisingly compelling and realistic story. With the benefit of Heyborne's vocal agility, the listener empathizes with Farrell even more keenly. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169605495 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 06/04/2013 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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