Cain

By: José Saramago

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

The late Nobel laureate's final novel, a radical retelling of the Old Testament.

In this, his last novel, Saramago daringly reimagines the characters and narratives of the Bible through the story of Cain. Condemned to wander forever after he kills Abel, he is whisked around in time and space. He experiences the almost-sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, the Tower of Babel, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Joshua at the battle of Jericho, Jobe's ordeal, and finally Noah's ark and the Flood. And over and over again Cain encounters an unjust, even cruel God. A startling, beautifully written, and powerful book, in all ways a fitting end to Saramago's extraordinary career.

©2011 Jose Saramago (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Reading the Portuguese writer Jose Saramago, one quickly senses the presence of a master." (Christian Science Monitor)

"Saramago is the most tender of writers...with a clear-eyed and compassionate acknowledgment of things as they are, and a quality that can only be termed wisdom." (New York Times)

"Narrator Kevin Pariseau is the perfect choice to deliver this book. His dry reading style is in perfect harmony with the author's droll humor. Pariseau uses variations in tone and pitch to differentiate the characters, which helps the listener follow the extensive cast introduced throughout. While the pace of the prose is fast, the audio journey is carefully managed, so the narration is never rushed." (AudioFile)

god awful narrator

What didn’t you like about Kevin Pariseau’s performance?

this is probably a wonderful story but the narrator's smirky, snide tone just ruins Saramago's subtle poetic observations. Wish I had listened to the preview before I bought it, it's like listening to nails on a chalk board, not sure I can get through the whole thing.

Raising Cain

What did you love best about Cain?

The story and Cain's ability to ride his donkey into Biblical tipping points and provide a possible

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lillith as I've always wondered about the original liberated woman as well as the stuff of nightmare legends.

What about Kevin Pariseau’s performance did you like?

His range and ability to assume varies roles with a change in pitch or tone that made for easy listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes however on the second night I stayed up late to catch the ending.

Any additional comments?

Not for everyone and not overly deep but worth the price.

A great book

A wonderful book that I found to be developmental and maturative for a young man coming of age such as myself. I found this book to be highly intelligent and worthwhile to get through. I further highly recommend this book.

a good critic

me gusto mucho el libro como te lleva por todos los pasajes del antiguo testamento con una critica a la razón de ejercer el poder que tiene el todopoderoso

Made me think

Saramago's imagination defies tradition and awakes questions about religion and society. Satirical and thoughtful