JULIAN BARNES is the author of twenty previous books, including The History of the World in 10 1/2 chapters, Flaubert’s Parrot, Metroland, England, England, Arthur and George and Levels of Life. The New York Times described him as ‘a literary decathlete’ – he is a master of a hybrid form of fact blended with fiction, equally happy writing novels or essays, endlessly inventive and consistently erudite and elegant. The Noise of Time, his first full-length work of fiction since the 2011 Booker Prize-winning The Sense of an Ending, is set in 1930s Russia. The composer Shostakovitch has begun sleeping outside his apartment door so that when Stalin's men arrive to take him to the Big House, they will not abduct his wife and daughter too. Pravda’s review has denounced his latest opera as ‘a muddle’; it only took a short while to graduate to ‘enemy of the people’. Power has begun to take an interest in him and Power will now hold the balance of his fate. As Shostakovitch reflects on his career, his family and his various mishaps and misdemeanours, the relationship between art and society is explored and uncovered. The Noise of Time is a brilliant reflection of one man’s consciousness, amid the fear and terror of authoritarian rule. Completely gripping and informative and entertaining, it is a classic Barnes concoction.
You can find an excellent, detailed profile on Barnes and all his books in The Observer
Random House have 50 copies of The Noise of Time to give to Mumsnetters: to claim your copy please fill in your details on the book of the month page. We’ll post on the thread when all the copies have gone. If you’re not lucky enough to bag one of those, you can always get a Kindle edition or hardback copy here
We are honoured and delighted that Julian Barnes will be joining us to answer your questions about The Noise of Time, his previous award-winning novels and his exceptional career on Tuesday 23rd February, 9-10pm. Please feel free to discuss the book here throughout the month and then come and meet Julian on the night, and ask him a question or simply tell him what you thought of the book. It’ll be a fascinating chat, very much hope you can make it…