The Meaning of Night

A Confession

By: Michael Cox

Narrated by: David Timson

Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

"After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper." So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver - booklover, scholar, and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness, and a chance discovery convinces him that he was right. Greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. Overwhelmed by his discovery, he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he knows is rightfully his.

Glyver's path to reclaim his prize leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels, and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England's most beautiful and enchanting country houses, and finally to a consuming love for the beautiful but enigmatic Emily Carteret. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition. And at every turn, driving Glyver irresistibly onward, is his deadly rival: the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt.

The Meaning of Night is an enthralling novel that will captivate listeners right up to its final thrilling revelation. Thirty years in the making, this debut from Michael Cox has earned starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly.

©2006 Michael Cox (P)2006 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"A masterful first novel and a must." (Booklist)
"[A] richly imagined thriller....Its exemplary blend of intrigue, history, and romance mark a stand-out literary debut." (Publishers Weekly)
"A bibliophilic, cozy, murderous confection out of foggy old England and a learned and remarkably entertaining treat." (Kirkus Reviews)

Meaning of Night

Very well written, allowing the reader to escape into both the aristocracy and the rubbish of London in the late 1800s. I have listened to this audiobook 3 times and still feel that I would benefit from a 4th listen.

Wonderful

It's a remarkable feat to write in the style of the 1850s, and the great Michael Cox achieves it with perfection.
The dark plot keeps you wondering while enjoying it.
I rushed to buy Mr Cox's other available fiction book, regretting the fact that he will write no more.

Terrific

Fascinating, witty, it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-night story; well-drawn world of London in the mid-1800s; interesting characters. And the reader is wonderful--made the characters come alive. One of those rare books that I think I probably enjoyed listening to more than I would have enjoyed reading.

Excellent book, wonderful narration

The Meaning of Night is a facsinating homage to Wilkie Collins, which includes a captivating mystery of identity and revenge.
Very well written, i much enjoyed the narration, and by the time i reached 2.5 hours of listening, i was deeply sunk into the mystery.
After reading chater 1, I had a serious moral difficulty following the story, as it exposes the reader to the worst possible crime. I considered quitting altogether. But, the book was so well written, and kept me listening and reading to find out the entire story behind this unforgiveable crime.

Almost but not quite....

It is true, this story is compelling and richly blessed with suspence. As a huge fan of Wilkie Collins, I loved this authors reach for Collins' sublime.. although it fell just short of its mark. In places it was tedious and several characters were abstract and distracting. The plot was wonderful, though a little predictable, and kept my attention enough that I found myself lurred into the main characters revenge. I was even coming up with ideas of my own!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of Dickens and Collins or anyone who likes a good, deep, complex plot. Cox did a bang-up job and I look forward to listening to other books by him.

Great book, and wonderful narration.

I have always been a huge fan of Dickens and other Victorian literature and this novel does an excellent job of emulating the style and language of this period while telling a very interesting story of obsession and revenge. I particularly admired Cox' use of language, which evinced a perfect picture of the setting of the story.
Listening to the novel was made even more enjoyable by the excellent narration of David Timson, who not only has a great voice but captured the Victorian prose and style wonderfully.
I should note that not every modern reader will like this style of writing, but if you love Dickens you should give it a read (or listen).

Fantastic

This was indeed one of the best stories I have ever heard. The narrator was fantastic. I wanted the story to go on forever.

A treat for the ears and imagination

I think I could happily listen to this narrator over and over again. I read a lot of audio books, so it is a big deal when I say that.

As for this story, it too was very engaging. I do wish it hadn't been so predictable as far as what was going to happen. Maybe I've read too many mysteries. Really, it is worth the time. Entertaining and the old English keeps you paying attention.

Gave up after third try...

It's not very often that I don't listen to a book I've selected but this one is an exception. The narrator is pompous and the material is ponderous. Maybe it's worth the tedious slog if you have the patience to endure, but I'll never know. So many books, so little time - and I don't have time for this.

A waste of my time

I got this book based on the reviews of other listeners. In my opinion, it was a complete waste of 22 hours and 9 minutes. The story is all about revenge but the author provides, what appeared to me, to be dead end side stories that had nothing to do with the development of the story or characters.

I also had a difficult time determining the different characters based on the narrator's voices for the characters in the book.

But as another reveiwer stated, the end is quite predictable.

All in all, I wish I had the 22 hours and 9 minutes back.