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The Snow Queen

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The Snow Queen

By: Michael Cunningham
Narrated by: Claire Danes
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About this listen

From the author of THE HOURS

‘Luminously written … page-turningly enjoyable, this is a profound novel about love from a highly regarded, Pulitzer-winning novelist’ Sunday Times

Walking through Central Park, Barrett Meeks sees a translucent light in the sky that regards him in a distinctly godlike way. Barrett doesn’t believe in visions – or in God – but he can’t deny what he’s seen. In nearby Brooklyn, Tyler, Barrett’s older brother, is trying – and failing – to write a wedding song for Beth, his wife-to-be, who is seriously ill. Barrett turns unexpectedly to religion, while Tyler grows convinced that only drugs can release his creative powers.

The Snow Queen, beautiful and heartbreaking, comic and tragic, proves again that Cunningham is one of the great novelists of his generation.

©2014 Michael Cunningham (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Tear-jerking Short Story Royalty

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Critic reviews

'Clean and sharp as an ice crystal; a brief but profound and poetic meditation on love, death and compassion from a master craftsman of language' Observer

‘Michael Cunningham’s resonant new novel . . . is arguably [his] most original and emotionally piercing book to date’ New York Times

‘The pursuit of transcendence in all kinds of forms — music, drugs, a McQueen minidress, and those things less tangible but no less powerfully felt — drives Michael Cunningham's best novel in more than a decade’ Vogue
All stars
Most relevant  
I enjoy Michael Cunningham's novels and this seemed even more lyrical and beautifully told than usual - he keeps things focused and simple.

The style and narrative is engaging, although I was expecting more of a fairytale element to the book.

It does loses its way in the last third a little from its strong start, and Claire Danes' narration can jolt you out of the narrative occasionally, but this aside I thoroughly enjoyed The Snow Queen.

Lyrical storytelling

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