Thursday 23 February 2017

The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes


"Sarcasm was dangerous to its user, identifiable as the language of the wrecker and the saboteur"

This novel is a delicious surprise package. Looking at such a slim volume, the reader could be mistaken that this might be a short-lived distraction, lacking emotional weight. 
That would be a massive miscalculation. Perhaps it resonated with me particularly because, quite coincidentally, my first visit to a live symphony was actually a celebration of the work of Shostakovich. 
The tale is likely to resonate with the times we find ourselves in, fake news, blind agreement, mob rule; the Internet age has birthed its own thought police reminiscent of the dark times of Russian History. Where a talented man's art can fall victim to the vagaries of political expediency and the dominant rhetoric.
Casting aside the political, the aspect of the novel that is truly amazing is the lyrical style of the prose which is as beautiful and moving as music. It ebbs and flows with impeccable timing and is to be admired.
This is the kind of novel that writers dream of writing, intoxicating and beautiful.


5 out of 5 songs can also be cyclical.


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