Shardik, Richard Adams
Shardik, Richard Adams
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Shardik

Author: Richard Adams

Narrator: John Lee

Unabridged: 23 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/15/2016

Synopsis

A gripping tale of war, adventure, horror, and romance, Shardik is a remarkable exploration of mankind’s universal desire for divine incarnation.Richard Adams’ Watership Down was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a stunning work of the imagination, and an acknowledged modern classic. In Shardik, Adams sets a different yet equally compelling tale in a far-off fantasy world. Shardik is a fantasy of tragic character, centered on the long-awaited reincarnation of the gigantic bear Shardik and his appearance among the half-barbaric Ortelgan people. Mighty, ferocious, and unpredictable, Shardik changes the life of every person in the story. His advent commences a momentous chain of events.Kelderek the hunter, who loves and trusts the great bear, is swept up by destiny to become first devotee and then prophet, then victorious soldier, then ruler of an empire and priest-king of Lord Shardik―Messenger of God―only to discover ever-deeper layers of meaning implicit in his passionate belief in the bear’s divinity.

About Richard Adams

Richard Adams grew up in Berkshire, England, the son of a country doctor. After an education at Oxford, he spent six years in the army and then went into the civil service. He has written many novels and short stories, including Watership Down and The Plague Dogs. 

About John Lee

John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Petros on February 28, 2017

2,5/5 Shardik is one of those books that don't age well... Kelderek, a young hunter with a soft heart and a simple nature, witnesses an enormous bear fleeing a devastating fire that ravaged a forest near his home. Convinced that this bear is nothing more than the incarnation of the bear-god Shardik,......more

Goodreads review by Wayne on April 13, 2017

1.5 I'll be honest, the only reason I read this book was because of the reference to 'Shardik' in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. If you are a DT fan like me and plan to read this one, let me give you some advice; don't bother. The book is long and boring...end of review.......more

Goodreads review by Becky on July 10, 2008

I went into this book knowing very little about it, other than the reference to Shardik the Bear in one of Stephen King's books in the Dark Tower series. I did have some prior experience with Richard Adams, having read/enjoyed/been impressed with Watership Down and The Plague Dogs. In fact, while re......more

Goodreads review by Майя on August 31, 2022

If you are a Stephen King fan, you have been familiar with Shardik for a long time, regardless of whether you have read the book by Richard Adams or have not heard anything about it at all. A huge bear appears on the pages of King's "Badlands" homage to the novel of the same name. Mad and evil, like......more

Goodreads review by Summer on February 25, 2008

I knew the title from a Stephen King reference (The Waste Lands) and picked it up because of my interest in predator worship myths. Shardik, a great bear revered as the power of the divine, is very much a Monster of God in the sense that David Quammen writes of in his book by that title. Unlike re......more

Quotes

“Grips with suspense, haunts with mystery…A memorable work.” Wall Street Journal

“A marvelous novel of epic dimension more ambitious, deeper, darker, and more richly textured than Watership Down.” Newsweek

“Shardik is a powerful work, dipping deep into old forms—allegory, epic, myth—resonating in the caverns of the readers’ unconscious…It is an exciting story, the adventures compelling.” Los Angeles Times

“Recalls the imaginative scale of Lord of the Rings.” Financial Times (London)

“Striking enough to confirm Richard Adams as one of the most talented descriptive writers to emerge in this country for years.” Times (London)

“On the surface, the book works as a fantasy adventure; on a deeper level, it explores our relationship with the divine. No matter what you want to see in it, Shardik is a good read.” Library Journal

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