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If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things
- Narrated by: Matt Bates, Melody Grove
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
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If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things
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Summary
WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK AWARD
WINNER OF THE SOMERSET MAUGHAM AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE
On a street in a town in the North of England, ordinary people are going through the motions of their everyday existence – street cricket, barbecues, painting windows… A young man is in love with a neighbour who does not even know his name. An old couple make their way up to the nearby bus stop. But then a terrible event shatters the quiet of the early summer evening. That this remarkable and horrific event is only poignant to those who saw it, not even meriting a mention on the local news, means that those who witness it will be altered for ever.
Jon McGregor's first novel brilliantly evokes the histories and lives of the people in the street to build up an unforgettable human panorama. Breathtakingly original, humane and moving, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things is an astonishing debut.
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Critic reviews
‘My book of the year. A magical, spellbinding, profound novel’ Maggie O’Farrell, Daily Telegraph
‘A sensationally accomplished debut … a convincing and moving vision of contemporary Britain’ Sunday Times
‘This is a novel of wonders’ Observer
‘This novel owes as much to poetry as it does to prose in its hypnotic portrait of industrialised society … An assured debut’ The Times
‘This is an ordinary world, shabby and melancholy, but McGregor describes it with mesmeric power … you won’t read anything much more poignant than this’ Daily Telegraph
‘This is ecstatic writing, suffused with delight both at the things evoked and at the language that can recreate them … McGregor’s conviction will carry them a long way’ TLS
‘A dream of a novel … It is not every novelist who has the gift, as Jon McGregor does, of reminding his readers of that heaven in a wild flower, that infinity in a grain of sand’ The Times
‘McGregor's publishers must be openly rejoicing …If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things is the work of a burning new talent’ Daily Mail
‘McGregor is an exemplary archivist of the humdrum … written by someone who detects so passionately the remarkable in the everyday’ Spectator
‘Extraordinary … McGregor’s triumphant prose-poem of ordinariness has a very contemporary kind of spirituality about it’ Sunday Times
‘Wonderful … Full of gentle wonder and blinding insight … He has annotated the miracle of life’ Glasgow Herald
What listeners say about If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lisa Ward
- 04-04-20
Loved it
A little slow at first but I soon submerged into the story didn't want it to end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr Lucy Newton
- 31-07-24
Astonishing writing
It took me a little while to settle into this book but a grew to appreciate the astonishing writing and moving stories of people on one street. Enjoyed both readers. Meditative and beautiful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mama lili
- 12-08-20
Astounding
The quality of narration equals the astounding writing. A wonderful several hours of listening. Far less gut wrenching than I anticipated.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- SL
- 10-03-19
Very descriptive and intuitive novel written in beautiful prose!
I enjoyed this in some ways it reminded me of Philip Henshaw’s Northern Clemancy with the story revolving round a single street although that was not all in a single day. The only thing I had trouble with was the relationship between the Brother of the boy in no 18 and the girl he’d ’had the crush on as they would have both been aware of his outcome?
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carmen Beau
- 22-04-18
Such beautiful writing
Perfect narration by both readers. Such clever engaging writing. I loved it. highly recomendable book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Graham
- 15-01-18
Great descriptive atmosphere
The description of the community reminded me of the detail of Undermilkwood but this also has suspense and surprise.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- eileen boyle
- 09-05-22
Great listen
Very engaging, endearing and so easy to listen to while dealing with core human issues.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- IRJ
- 26-12-17
Marvellous book
I came to read Jon McGregor having listened to the Reservoir Diaries on radio 4. I then listened to Reservoir 13 in one sitting. As soon as I finished that , I started with this book. I’ve got So Many Ways to Begin ready to go.
I think he is an amazing writer. In these stories everything happens and nothing happens. There’s no strong narrative drive, and neither really a conclusion. I suppose you could get to the end and be wondering what it was all about. But for me that was the beauty of the story.
Writing in the way he does, it would have been easy one could imagine, to be too circumstantial and use too much detail. The authors precision with language is such that he can provide all the detail to fully believe and get the feel of a vignette, without feeling the need for over elaboration.
The narration by Matt Bates and Melody Grove in my opinion suited the stories perfectly.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Bee
- 24-07-17
Too much ordinary
Like resevoir 13 this is a detailed exposition of ordinary, extraordinary lives. I loved resevoir 13 but found this a touch dull and slow.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- kathryn campbell
- 06-09-20
I really wanted to like this book but...
I really wanted to like this book but I actually found it irritating. All rather self indulgent. The author seems to use his characters as vehicles for his own poetic conceits. For me that ultimately robbed them of a sense of authenticity as independent voices and I found it difficult to invest in their stories.
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