Twist

A Novel

De: Colum McCann

Narrado por: Colum McCann

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • An “urgent [and] ingenious” (The New York Times Book Review) novel of rupture and repair in the digital age, delving into a hidden world deep under the ocean—from the New York Times bestselling author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin

“The spirit of Joseph Conrad hovers over the text, but here the heart of darkness lies at the bottom of the ocean.”—Salman Rushdie

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

“Everything gets fixed, and we all stay broken.”

Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world’s information. The sum of human existence—words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth.

Fennell’s journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets a fellow Irishman, John Conway, the chief of mission on a cable repair ship. The mysterious Conway is a skilled engineer and a freediver capable of reaching extraordinary depths. He is also in love with a South African actress, Zanele, who must leave to go on her own literary adventure to London.

When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. Can we, in our fractured world, reweave ourselves out of the thin, broken threads of our pasts? Can the ruptured things awaken us from our despair?

Resoundingly simple and turbulent at the same time, Twist is a meditation on the nature of narrative and truth from one of the great storytellers of our times.

Such lush language and great characters

There was nothing about this novel I did not. Definitely for the literary minded. There is also a mystery, although it was the rich, layered writing that spoke to me! Highly recommend!

Liquid poetry

The words run through the listener like the ocean water itself. McCann is a genius with his prose - propelling the reader further down into the depths of love, convictions, uncertainty and clarity. Brilliant.

So happy he’s still writing fiction

I laughed out loud when he inserted himself at the end. I met Colum at a reading in Idaho years ago and he was wearing that purple skinny linen scarf.

Amazing narration

I loved all of it, a little heart of darkness a little Hemingway it was all good, one it the best I’ve listened to

This book is a small masterpiece

Deeply moving and profound. And beautifully read by the author. I’ve listened to it from start to finish twice now, and I think I’ll start a third.

Brilliant writing, great story

Poetic writing. Compelling story and pacing. Reminds one of Conrad. Perfect narrator - his soft Irish lilt brings the story to life.

Melancholy

I love Colum McCann’s prose. His slight Irish lilt tinges his words with a particular melancholy that I find soothing.

Ahhhh, that’s why it’s called Twists

Totally engaging and a bit strange. And I had been wondering how much undersea cables were still being used.

Absolutely love this book

As a rule, I struggle with Irish literature due to the unrelenting despair. However, somehow this author pulls it off and makes it interesting. I had to keep reminding myself that this was fiction. I did not anticipate the twist at the end. I have done some diving and found the information accurate. I will read more of this author. Very rarely are authors good readers/performers but this author is a good one. This book sent me down the rabbit hole of researching under sea communication, cables, and how the locations of the breaks are found. I also looked up to see if anyone had ever been convicted of sabotaging the cables because I was almost sure this book had to be based on a real incident. It was not.

What was left out

I have read several books by this author and once again he delivers a thoughtful immersive experience. I learned a lot about undersea cables, their importance and their vulnerability. Our inability to really understand, to make sense of things is represented by Conway. First he fixes then he breaks. Why?
Plus the writing is fantastic!