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If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things

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If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things

By: Jon McGregor
Narrated by: Matt Bates, Melody Grove
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About this listen

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.

©2012 Jon McGregor (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Fiction Romance Heartfelt Suspense Sports

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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

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

Loved it

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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.

Astonishing writing

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The quality of narration equals the astounding writing. A wonderful several hours of listening. Far less gut wrenching than I anticipated.

Astounding

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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?

Very descriptive and intuitive novel written in beautiful prose!

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

Such beautiful writing

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The description of the community reminded me of the detail of Undermilkwood but this also has suspense and surprise.

Great descriptive atmosphere

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

Great listen

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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.

Marvellous book

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Like resevoir 13 this is a detailed exposition of ordinary, extraordinary lives. I loved resevoir 13 but found this a touch dull and slow.

Too much ordinary

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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.

I really wanted to like this book but...

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