
The Well at the World's End
The Epic True Story of One Man's Search for the Secret to Eternal Youth
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Narrated by:
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Steve West
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By:
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A. J. Mackinnon
About this listen
An old-fashioned quest by a modern-day adventurer. When A. J. Mackinnon quits his job in Australia, he knows only that he longs to travel to the well at the world’s end, a mysterious pool on a remote Scottish island whose waters, legend has it, hold the secret to eternal youth. Determined not to fly—he claims it would feel as though he were cheating—he sets out with a backpack, some fireworks, and a map of the world and trusts that chance will take care of the rest.
Traveling by land and sea, train, truck, horse, and yacht, Mackinnon travels across the world, getting caught up in a series of hilarious, sometimes surreal, adventures. He survives a near-fatal bus crash in Australia, accidentally marries a Laotian princess, is attacked by a Komodo dragon, and does time in a sketchy Chinese jail, among many other mishaps and misadventures along the way. Each new continent and each new mode of transport brings the possibility of a near-miss or happy accident, all on the quest for eternal youth. This is the astonishing true story of a remarkable voyage.
©2011 A. J. Mackinnon (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
The Well at the World's End is a part of a rich tradition of picaresque travel writing; the only difference here is that A. J. Mackinnon's coming of age tale is a true story! Mackinnon's modern-day journey is filled with twists and turns as he attempts to complete his worldwide quest to discover a legendary Scottish pool believed to hold the secrets to eternal youth. His travels are only complicated by his refusal to travel by airplane! Listeners will especially appreciate Steve West's lively performance. His unique voice-acting abilities mesh perfectly with Machinnon's harrowing and often hilarious writing.
What listeners say about The Well at the World's End
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- Rainer
- 04-08-25
If I had words for this they would be good
Though I don't really care for the protagonists choices in life, this is, for a lack of a better way of describing it, good literature. The author interlaces enough literary referencis that I couldn't catch them all. I'll be reading more books just because of this one. I think anyone could enjoy this.
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- ColinBeth
- 01-25-25
Word smithy
The lyrical expressions and laugh out loud moments made this book for me and my family.
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- Sandy
- 02-26-13
Wish I had my point back
What disappointed you about The Well at the World's End?
I just found in to be boring and it just dragged out to much for me.
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3 people found this helpful