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)

Wonderfully done

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the classic style of writing and storytelling

A wonderful mystery, superbly written.

Would you listen to The Meaning of Night again? Why?

The writing is so good it bears repeated listening. I had read the book in print so it took me a while to get used to David Timson's narration. However I have really come to like it now and would love to hear more of him.

Any additional comments?

If you liked The Black Tower, An Instance of the Fingerpost or My Name Is Red, you will like this. Great writing combined with excellent storytelling is a rare combination. The Meaning of Night and its sequel, The Glass of Time, are in a class of their own. I hope there will be a third book soon by Michael Cox.

Dickensian with a dark twist

If you like Dickens and mystery and long books and great narration, you will love this book. Obviously I like all of the above and thus liked this Cox offering very much. Highly recommended. I will get more books by Cox.

Absolutely Wonderful

A great story, engrossing classical details, and a tremendously artistic use of language are all delivered perfectly through the exceptional voice talent of David Timson.

Listening to "The Meaning Of Night" was a particularly wonderful and rich experience.

Prosaic and compelling

This first novel is indeed a feat of fiction, skillfully written and plotted. Although you can anticipate the subterfuge to come towards the end, where the story does get a bit melodramatic, the book succeeds in providing a solid story. It is quite long, but the characterizations are well done and it does have its clever twists and turns. The narration is good, although the reader's improvisation of female characters, especially Emily, is rather grating. All in all, a good listen.

Could have been better

I'm not usually a reader of mysteries/suspense/crime novels, but I thought this book had great potential. The main character and his obsession with revenge carried me along, but I felt that the last quarter of the book was disappointing and too predictable.

Author's style is dead on!

Finally, a modern author who can recreate the tone, detail, language and mood of the 19th century British masters!

First Read "The Woman in White"

The writing, the period detail, and the narration are all excellent, but why read a novel by a modern writer set in Victorian London and written in the style of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins when you could read Charles Dickens or Wilkie Collins instead? One answer could be that the modern writer is able to treat some subjects, such as sex and violence, more openly than Victorian writers. "The Meaning of Night" is somewhat more explicit in these areas, but not much more. Another answer is that you have already read every good contemporary thriller set in and around Victorian London. If you are such a connoisseur of Victorian literature, you will love this book. If not, just read the originals. Start with "Great Expectations," "Bleak House," or "The Woman in White."

My other problem with this book (and this is not a spoiler) is that it starts with the narrator's random murder of an innocent stranger. This was unnecessary to an otherwise well-plotted story. Maybe the author was trying to suck the reader in, but it turned this reader (listener) off to the point that I almost gave up on the whole book.

Boring and predictable but great narrator

I loved the narrator, which is what kept me listening to this book even though I was pretty bored through most of it. The main character is narcissistic, slightly paranoid, grandiose and long-winded. He goes on and on about his "enemy" in a way that left me imaging an angry trollish man manically drumming his fingers together and laughing a melodramatic evil laugh.

The plot was also rather predictable and I figured out the “twist” as it were several hours before it happened. The last 4-5 hours were pretty enjoyable, which is why I gave the book 3 stars rather than something lower. This middle was tedious. Not one of my favorites. The language was melodious and the narrator was great.

wonderful book

This was a long story and I was sorry when it ended. It was very well written and even though there was a lot of detail, the story moved along. The reader was absolutely superb and of course that contributed to my enjoyment of the book.