The Noise of Time Audiobook By Julian Barnes cover art

The Noise of Time

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The Noise of Time

By: Julian Barnes
Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
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In May 1937, a man in his early 30s waits by the lift of a Leningrad apartment block. He waits all through the night, expecting to be taken away to the Big House. Any celebrity he has known in the previous decade is no use to him now, and few who are taken to the Big House ever return.

©2016 Julian Barnes (P)2016 W F Howes Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
Historical Masterpiece • Compelling Biography • Excellent Narration • Convincing Protagonist • Artistic Integrity

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Brilliantly written, this book struggles to keep the reader motivated to read on. The irresolvable tension between the ideal of integrity and courage art should live up to and the reality of the all too human fearfulness of the protagonist cannot be elaborated on for so many pages (or hours of reading) without begging the question: where is the story? The performance of the reader is superb

Where is the story?

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Barnes helps us imagine the extreme stress that dogged Shostakovich throughout his life. This gentle musical genius felt the threat of Stalin constantly criticizing his work, no matter how he tried to please him. We learn how he incorporated his love of Shakespeare and many Russian poets into his music. The reader on Audiobooks has the perfect Russian accent.

Sad yet triumphant

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Yes I listen to this I heard two themes:
The terrible power of fear,
Resonance with what is starting to happen in America now. Immigrants and Muslims feel it now, and who will be next?
No wasted words in this short book. It is beautifully written and the performance is excellent.
This is creative nonfiction at its best.

The slow destruction of people is so sad.

And I'm in a story for our time

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An amazing bringing to life of a famous (infamous?) personality. The only thing missing is the music.

the magic of Julian Barnes

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“The Noise of Time” is a brilliant novel of a gifted composer who lived his entire life in Soviet Russia. The philosophical implications are only undermined by the moral standards of an artist who had to compromise his integrity and sell his soul against his will.
The story reverberates long after it ends. Bravo Mr Barnes!

USA

I loved it!

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