The Second Sleep

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: Roy McMillan

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Chosen as a Book of the Year by The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, and Express

WHAT IF YOUR FUTURE LIES IN THE PAST?
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'One word: wonderful. Two words: compulsive reading. Three words: buy it tomorrow. Four words: tonight, if possible.' STEPHEN KING
'A thoroughly absorbing, page-turning narrative.' SUNDAY TIMES
'Genuinely thrilling.' DAILY TELEGRAPH
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Dusk is gathering as a young priest, Christopher Fairfax, rides across a silent land.

It's a crime to be out after dark, and Fairfax knows he must arrive at his destination - a remote village in the wilds of Exmoor - before night falls and curfew is imposed.

He's lost and he's becoming anxious as he slowly picks his way across a countryside strewn with the ancient artefacts of a civilisation that seems to have ended in cataclysm.

What Fairfax cannot know is that, in the days and weeks to come, everything he believes in will be tested to destruction, as he uncovers a secret that is as dangerous as it is terrifying ...
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'[Harris] takes us on a thrilling ride while serving up serious food for thought.' SUNDAY EXPRESS

'A truly surprising future-history thriller. Fabulous, really.' EVENING STANDARD

'The book's real power lies in its between-the-lines warning that our embrace of the internet represents some kind of sleepwalk into oblivion. It's a provocative, tub-thumping sci-fi of which H. G. Wells might have been proud.' DAILY MAIL

'Harris' latest work intelligently warps historical fiction and tackles issues of religion, science and the apocalypse in the process. As he flexes his imagination, you will be left pondering as often as you are page-turning.' HERALD

'A brilliantly imaginative thriller' READER'S DIGEST

©2019 Robert Harris (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Highly recommended

When one combines the wizardry if Harris’ narrative genius with an excellent narrator one is left with an addictive 9 hours of delight. I could not stop listening. A thrilling story full of surprises to the very end.

Interesting concept....

Not having read what this book was about, I enjoyed the twist as it seemed of a time past that was actually the future. That was about the best part. The rest was the slow thrills of an archeological dig.

Dark, so dark, so well concocted

Read it any review spoils it The best since Fatherland Kicks one's mind and crushes ones hart, making Pandora's box completely empty

Lost interest

A sf story set after the global technological meltdown when the Christian church resumes its dark ages habits of suppression and persecution written by Robert harris so what could go wrong? Boring predictable one dimensional tv soap characters, really lame love subplots, gloomy atmosphere with no humor and no engaging storyline. I lost interest with 2 hours to go. Sigh.

The less you know, the better this journey will be

Robert Harris is a phenomenal writer, and The Second Sleep is no exception. This is a gripping, thought-provoking novel that unfolds moment by moment, almost like a slow burn. There are points where things occur which put everything into context as the mysteries unravel, and they leave you feeling startled as well as delighted as you begin to understand just what's happened, and what's happening.

I think that it's best to know very little about this novel, so you can fully experience the carefully crafted moments of revelation, so I'll not say anything about the plot, apart from saying that the characters are well-imagined, the setting is interesting and engaging, and the pacing is masterful. Roy McMillan reads the novel with skill and style, voicing the characters well and giving a real sense of personality to each of them.

If you enjoyed Harris' historical novels, you'll enjoy The Second Sleep. Highly recommended.

Engaging and (almost) believable

A post apocalyptic world that’s similar to the dark ages. Throw in a murder mystery and have Robert Harris write it. Nearly perfect.

No spoilers but to say there a few points where it lets itself down but certainly well worth a listen.

Reminds me very much of Pullman’s His Dark Materials stories.

Excellent narration.

Good, but wanting

On the back of Harris' brilliant Cicero Trilogy my expectation for The Second Sleep was for more cool shine. There were some food-for-thought moments - in particular, a clever background timeline encompassing fall of Empire, a subsequent Dark Age (Church intellectual dominance), and a green-shoots Age of Reason exemplified by a rebel priest. But I had no buy-in for any of the characters - as individuals or as an ensemble. Weak characterisations are a deal-breaker for me.