{"product_id":"freedom-artist-the","title":"Freedom Artist, The","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn impassioned plea for freedom and justice, set in a world uncomfortably like our own, by the Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn NPR Best Book of 2020 \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the stark power of myth, this political allegory evolves into an argument for artistic freedom.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, a New \u0026amp; Noteworthy selection\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA perfect read for a post-truth era.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNPR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Freedom Artist\u003c\/i\u003e...can be read as a kind of revision of Plato's allegory of the cave, in which art, rather than offering distracting illusions, can tap into foundational truths and help us free ourselves from the prison of existence. The concise, declarative prose and the parable-like architecture of the stories resemble ancient forms of wisdom literature.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith a slow burn arc emblematic of Toni Cade Bambara's \u003ci\u003eThe Salt Eaters\u003c\/i\u003e, and prophetic warnings of apocalypse akin to Octavia Butler's \u003ci\u003eThe Parable of the Sower\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Freedom Artist\u003c\/i\u003e offers a contemplative look at post-truth society.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSierra Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Okri's dystopian version of our reality, the world is a totalitarian state, ruled by an anonymous but powerful authority known as the Hierarchy. When a woman goes missing after painting a simple question--'Who is the prisoner?'--on a public wall, her lover sets out to find (and hopefully save) her. His journey takes him through a dismal landscape, inhabited by people terrified of--but also resisting--their subjugation.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBuzzFeed\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, one of \u003ci\u003eBuzzFeed\u003c\/i\u003e's Most Anticipated Books of 2020\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBooker Prize winner Okri's lyrical allegory combines fable, folklore, and mythology with moments of surreal horror to produce a rallying cry against the oppressive institutions that would seek to make knowledge illegal.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLocus Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, New \u0026amp; Notable selection\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMan Booker-winner Okri's modern allegory specifies and beautifully renders the impact on the human spirit when people are deprived of history and truth. Written with a striking simplicity that belies the significance of its message, Okri's tale is especially resonant in our current post-truth environment.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, Starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaunting and inspiring...In this story of political abuse and existential angst, Okri employs a powerful and rare style reminiscent of free verse and evoking a mythical timbre. This is a vibrantly immediate and penetrating novel of ideas.\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, Starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Akashic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39328641744996,"sku":"9781617757921","price":15.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/suomalainen-test.myshopify.com\/products\/freedom-artist-the","provider":"Suomalainen Test","version":"1.0","type":"link"}