The Years of Rice and Salt
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The Years of Rice and Salt
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Narrated by:
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Bronson Pinchot
About this listen
It is the 14th century, and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur - the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been - a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. These are the years of rice and salt.
This is a universe where the first ship to reach the New World travels across the Pacific Ocean from China and colonization spreads from west to east. This is a universe where the Industrial Revolution is triggered by the world's greatest scientific minds - in India. This is a universe where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, and Christianity is merely a historical footnote.
Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson renders an immensely rich tapestry. Rewriting history and probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power, and even love on such an Earth. From the steppes of Asia to the shores of the Western Hemisphere, from the age of Akbar to the present and beyond, here is the stunning story of the creation of a new world.
©2002 Kim Stanley Robinson (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Years of Rice and Salt
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- John Faulkner
- 24-06-22
good but limited
Historically this is a fascinating novel, but it falls into postmodernist lies about history
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- michael sweeting
- 11-12-23
Still thinking about it!
Really not what I was expecting but what a fantastic read. The detail was amazing and the whole story told in a way I’ve never seen before. Great narration too!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Richard
- 17-04-19
Could have been so much more
As a literary device, reincarnation is a great tool for developing the story, sadly I had imagined so much more of this world but good to have read it nevertheless.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-05-24
Too long
too long, difficult to follow listening with so many names and places (some of which you do know by other names). It would be a bit easier of some world map is porvided. I feel like some of the concepts in this book were repeated in other works of the author. i didn't enjoy it too much
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 04-09-17
Interesting, thoughtful book
Not sure I'd recommend this book but I did enjoy it. There's no real book long plot, except perhaps in pretty vague terms, but the glimpses into different periods in this alternate history are varied and generally interesting. It can be pretty hard to keep track of who's who throughout the book, probably easier in the printed version, but even if you figure it out most stories feel pretty separate from the previous ones.
It's not a rip roaring adventure but if you enjoy thoughtful, introspective books it's worth a listen.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- AF
- 02-01-20
Fascinating but ultimately disappointing.
I bought this as I love alternate histories and the premise seemed really interesting. It was disappointing though as the endless philosophical musings stifled the story. I finished it but was disappointed that the preaching overwhelmed the potentially fascinating scenario.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christophe
- 10-04-21
A classic
Difficult and realistic.
Discussion on the nature of religion, buddhism and islam and science that are almost prophetic for 2021 and the years to come.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Deaf Fred
- 24-06-18
Poor
This is the first book I’ve tried from Audible. I can’t judge the story because I have barely started it. But the narration was terrible; flat monotone delivery with no life to it at all. I shall be avoiding any other books narrated by Mr Pinchot, if I bother trying any other ones at all.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- katethestate
- 10-12-19
Way way too much going on
I lost track of the names and the constant changes of characters in to not massively different circumstances. Would probably have preferred this to be less detailed if anything.
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