The Manchurian Candidate, Richard Condon
The Manchurian Candidate, Richard Condon
2 Rating(s)
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The Manchurian Candidate

Author: Richard Condon

Narrator: Christopher Hurt

Unabridged: 9 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook (DRM Protected)

Published: 06/29/2010


Synopsis

This classic of Cold War paranoia is one of the most dazzling and enduring products of an unforgettable time.Buried deep within the consciousness of Sergeant Raymond Shaw is the mechanism of an assassin, a time bomb ticking toward explosion, controlled by the delicate skill of its Communist masters. Shaw returns from the Korean War to an idolizing and unsuspecting country. In a farcical, uproarious scene, he is greeted amid flashbulbs and frock coats by his power-hungry, domineering mother and her politician husband, who have decided to use Shaw’s fame to further their own unscrupulous ambitions.What follows is at once a spy story, a love story, and a sobering yet outrageously funny satire on demagoguery in American politics. Two tender love stories provide an undercurrent theme: the powers of light against the powers of dark. Shaw, the pawn, the brainwashed, is caught between the forces struggling for his soul. With humor, anger, and compassion, Richard Condon brings this mortal combat to a spectacular surprise ending, an ending that the New York Times says, “will knock your reading glasses off!”

About Richard Condon

Richard Condon (1915-1966), after moderate success as an ad writer and Hollywood agent, Condon turned to writing in 1957. His second novel, The Manchurian Candidate (1959), and the movie made from it in 1962, made him famous. His novel, Prizzi’s Honor, was also made into a successful movie.

About Christopher Hurt

Christopher Hurt is an accomplished narrator with a lengthy résumé of popular titles for Blackstone. A graduate of George Washington University’s acting program, he currently resides in New York City.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jon on January 15, 2025

A very interesting look at mind control - but I think the true strength of this book is how it looks at mind control...how this control is accepted as a means to an end by those that are aware of the control; an element of control that is much deeper and much more insidious than just political contr......more

Goodreads review by Dusty on July 20, 2009

If Kurt Vonnegut had written a political thriller it would have read a lot like this. The Manchurian Candidate is famous now for two reasons. First, it has inspired two films, one directed by John Frankenheimer in 1962, the other by Jonathon Demme in 2004. Second, it has proven as gloomily prophetic......more

Goodreads review by Alexander on December 16, 2020

Who doesn't like a little bit of mind control? A strange book. A thriller with little to no suspense. In fact, it feels more like a satire of late '50s American politics. Condon writes in a noir-ish style, that makes the narrative voice seem distant, more or less commenting on what happens. I got the......more

Goodreads review by Maciek on September 15, 2010

The Manchurian Candidate is a novel about conditioning, control and manipulation - and brilliantly explores all these topics. It's concise, well written and one of those brilliant books that you have to read with a straight face because you can't decide whether to laugh or grimace. Sergeant Raymond S......more

Goodreads review by Fatman on February 06, 2022

Intelligent, sharp satire disguised as a Ludlum-esque political thriller. I saw the '04 movie, which completely eliminated the dark-comedy elements of the story, long before I read the book, which colored my expectations to a certain degree. The movie is a very good action movie. The book is humorou......more


Quotes

“A breathlessly up-to-date thriller.” New York Times

“Brilliant…a wild and exhilarating satire.”  New Yorker

“An exciting, brilliantly told story…crammed with suspense, humor, horror, satire, sex, and intrigue.” Chicago Tribune

“Shocking, tense…a high-grade adventure-suspense.” San Francisco Chronicle

“Apocalyptic…Condon is wickedly skillful.” Time

“Any fan of political thrillers will enjoy this one.” Library Journal