Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Surrender

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

"[A] riveting, and original, achievement."—WIRED
From award-winning Spanish author Ray Loriga comes a dystopian novel about authority, manipulation, and the disappearance of privacy that "calls to mind The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood [and] Blindness by José Saramago" (Alfaguara Prize Winner Citation).
Ten long years have passed since war first broke out, and one couple still does not know the whereabouts of their children, or what their country is even fighting for. They follow orders and their lives go by simply, routinely, until—one day—a mute boy walks onto their property. When the authorities announce that the area needs to be evacuated and that everyone must relocate to "the transparent city," the three leave together.
At first, the city proves to be a paradise: a stunning glass dome of endless highways, buildings, trains, and markets. Everything its inhabitants need is provided to them—food, protection, shelter—and the family quickly, unquestioningly, settles into their new life. But, soon, a sinister underlay begins to emerge. Neither secrets nor walls are permitted here, and strict order, authoritarian calm, and transparency must always reign supreme.
In a society in which everything private is public, the most chilling portent of our future emerges. Surrender is an urgent novel about dignity and rebellion and the lengths we go to preserve love, hope, and humanity.
"Loriga envisions in this gripping tale an unsettling dystopia in which all secrets are forbidden...This memorable page-turner will appeal to fans of Brave New World."—Publishers Weekly

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 9, 2019
      Loriga (Tokyo Doesn’t Love Us Anymore) envisions in this gripping tale an unsettling dystopia in which all secrets are forbidden. After 10 years of war, a couple and the child they found wandering the abandoned landscape are evacuated from their home and relocated to “the transparent city.” The glass-domed metropolis protects its citizens from the outside world while providing for their every need. Each wall, ceiling, and floor is see-through; everyone is assigned the same nondescript clothing; and the only prohibition is on “hiding or spying.” As the unnamed male half of the couple, who narrates, begins adjusting to the glimmering new world, where nothing is private and free will is sacrificed to strict order, he begins questioning the monotonous controlled life where “mysteries and desires are devoured” by “excessive visibility.” When the authorities discover he’s shared his concerns with coworkers, they give him a pill that sends him into a deep sleep. He awakens two days later, full of overwhelming feelings of acceptance and happiness despite knowing deep down he has nothing to celebrate. Worse, a renewed swell of resistance puts him at odds with his adopted son. Loriga’s chilling portent of the future will undoubtedly resonate with readers concerned about the erosion of privacy. This memorable page-turner will appeal to fans of Brave New World.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Michael Patrick Flanagan Smith lends an athletic voice to Loriga's sci-fi novella. Listeners enter a postapocalyptic world through the perspective of a rugged countryman who, along with his wife and their kidnapped child, Julio, are rounded up by the government and shipped to the illusive Transparent City. Throughout, Smith's steady, unaffected voice evokes the unnamed protagonist's suspicions about his new home, his hazy unraveling, and, finally, his weary resignation. If you're a listener who wonders how a hot-tempered, rural man would navigate "the horrors" of a new world order in which sharing and common decision-making reign, then consider this quick-paced novella worth four hours of your time. G.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading