Oroonoko

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now ${{ price }} Send as a gift
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

A vivid love story and adventure tale, Oroonoko is a heroic slave narrative about a royal prince and his  fight for freedom. The eponymous hero, Oroonoko, deemed royalty in one world and slave in another, is torn from his noble status and betrayed into slavery in Surinam, where he is reduced to chains, fetters and shackles. But his high spirit and admirable character will not be suppressed… The book was groundbreaking at the time and is considered to be one of the first novels written in English (by one of the first English women to earn her living by writing). Its condemnation of slavery and Europeans, and striking portrayal of sexuality and violence, shrouded Behn’s name in controversy for years after it was published.

Critics Review

Clare Wille’s performance may help listeners appreciate Behn’s tragic romance despite the story’s 17th-century prose. It features the star-crossed love of a noble (and highly emotional) African king who is tricked into slavery. Wille’s pace can be a touch quick, but she aids understanding through her clarity of enunciation and her astute interpretations of emotion, expression, and emphasis. There is some staginess in her reading, but it fits the audiobook’s melodramatic tone; in particular, her cultured-sounding English accent fits the book’s high rhetorical style. She doesn’t overdo it, a choice that helps the text to seem merely ornate and high-flown rather than purple and overwrought. While not for every taste, Oroonoko is a notable piece, and Wille does a fine job of presenting it at its best.

W.M., AudioFile

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.