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If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things cover art

If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things

By: Jon McGregor
Narrated by: Matt Bates, Melody Grove
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Summary

Winner of the Betty Trask Award

Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award

Long-listed 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 forever.

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.

©2012 Jon McGregor (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

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)

What listeners say about If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things

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    5 out of 5 stars

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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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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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • 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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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

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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Good but slow and confusing

Good audio performance, but I found the story slow and hard to follow though. Great writing of descriptions and scenes.

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A truly beautiful book

I’ve always thought this was the most beautiful book I’d ever read. Now it’s the most beautiful book I’ve ever listened to too.

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Great listen

Very engaging, endearing and so easy to listen to while dealing with core human issues.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it

A little slow at first but I soon submerged into the story didn't want it to end.

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Such beautiful writing

Perfect narration by both readers. Such clever engaging writing. I loved it. highly recomendable book.

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