One of our Books of the Year 2015.
Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2015.
A book of contrasts: charming and disturbing; exciting and slow building; post-apocalyptic and brand new. With no real memories, just the day-to-day habits of life and work, how do people understand who they are? Where they come from? Why they do what they do? Into this unsettling version of London comes a boy who can hold his memories stronger than most and he meets another with truly remarkable gifts. Most of the imagery and metaphor is derived from music, for example moving presto or lento for fast and slow. This gives an interesting rhythm to the prose. The world is ruled by music but the music is not kind. The narrator is fascinating, leading the reader through a slow build-up to a startlingly abrupt ending. It really got under my skin. An excellent book. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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