The Second Sleep

A novel

De: Robert Harris

Narrado por: Roy McMillan

From the internationally best-selling author of Fatherland and the Cicero Trilogy - a chilling and dark new thriller unlike anything Robert Harris has done before.

1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artifacts - coins, fragments of glass, human bones - which the old parson used to collect. Did his obsession with the past lead to his death?

Fairfax becomes determined to discover the truth. Over the course of the next six days, everything he believes - about himself, his faith, and the history of his world - will be tested to destruction.

©2019 Robert Harris (P)2019 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“It should be enough that Robert Harris, in his earlier books, makes the lives of Cicero and Caesar even more fascinating, and brings to vivid life the citizens of ancient Rome and 1930’s Munich. With The Second Sleep he cracks open The Time To Come, making his new book a barnburner, leaving the reader wanting only one thing: more, please.” (Tom Hanks)

“In the tradition of A Canticle for Leibowitz, Harris presents an extraordinary and terrifyingly plausible vision of a post-technological future, a novel that’s at once an adventure story and a meditation on truth and faith. You’ll never look at your iPhone in quite the same way again.” (Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven)

“Ingenious.... The historical thriller hinges on an apocalyptic event and induces a shiver of dread in our present times.... When Harris is at his best - and here he is - he writes with a skill and ingenuity that few other novelists can match. In this case, the usual page-turning pleasures are joined by something else: a sense that, through his historical-futuristic setting, Harris has found a unique vantage point to comment on the present.” (William Skidelsky, The Financial Times)

Ended too quickly with unresolved mysteries

This is a fun book with an excellent reading performance. a few of the major events seem to happen too hurriedly rapid; personality changes happening unnaturally quick . The ending was rather abrupt with some storylines unresolved, have the sense there will be a sequel.

Well Crafted Story

Rather hedonistic in nature. We are left at the end to wonder—was there really a more advanced society that was destroyed by their own technologies? Given the ill stated circumstances under which we live at the present moment e.g., the Putin invasion of Ukraine and the authoritarian cloud that hampers Republican thinking, I fear we will destroy life as it was possible without the lowest heathens who selfishly lust after power!

absorbing

absorbing story but ending left a little to be desired. would have liked the story to continue. ending was quick like the author got bored.

A real surprise

I found this a gripping story. It is not all at all what it first seems — much more complex, with profound implications for the world today. Yes, The ending could be better. There are quite a number of different scenarios that would have offered a far more interesting way to bring the story to a close, but that weakness didn’t diminish the book much for me. The real fun was getting there.

Not what I expected

I thought this would be a story following the pattern of Cadafel, a young priest riding to a far village for a funeral and stays to solve a murder then the young priests smokes a pipe and I think 'Wait - what? when was tobacco introduced to England?' and I smiled to myself, at the tiny hiccup in history. Then he begins to talk about plastic straws and I do a double take. Overall the plot was clever, but I was disappointed by a great deal of it. I really can't say I would recommend it.

Interesting blend of Sci-Fi and History

This story held my interest thru out! Harris has never disappointed. An enjoyable listen. Get this.

Great take on an interesting topic

Great take on an interesting topic, I wish it was longer and explained more but it was a good book.

Interesting premise, but the potential was not realized

The “big reveal” happens fairly early and there are clues even earlier. It was a good story but it could have been an excellent one. I don’t regret buying it but this is definitely not one of Harris’ best works.

Great listen!

I loved the narrator. He was able to take on female and male characters with alacrity.
The story was a bit disturbing only in that it seemed so very plausible.I loved that the central characters were flawed, as we all are.
Contrary to other reviews, I found the ending fitting and in a way simply peaceful.

Very disappointing ending

Story was pretty cool but we were waiting for some clever ending to see things up. Alas. Not so.