Reviews

The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes

lbranchd's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

bexlrose's review against another edition

5.0

What a truly brilliant book. Life and art in the time of Stalinist Russia. Completely alien circumstances, but I've never related to any character more than I related to Dmitri Dmitrievich.

ameslikesreading's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

cator_and_bliss's review against another edition

3.0

A curious mediation on integrity, art and Power-with-a-capital-P. Above all, on fear. More a vortex of thoughts than a traditional novel, the book invites the reader to inhabit Shostakovich's mind and sit among his desires, neuroses and self-loathing across distinctive, but connected periods of his life.

mariekes2001's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bps's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

alexisscerise's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book sounds like it was written by an edgy middle schooler, and it gives Shostakovich fanfiction. It took me back to my wattpad days and it quite literally destroyed my Kindle algorithm and made me seriously reconsider my desire to pursue post-graduate musical studies. I cannot begin to express how much I hated the fact that I had to read a specific word regarding male anatomy in a text that was assigned for an academic course. This book way dryer than a piece of Cracker Barrel corn bread. 0/10 would NOT recommend.

sillychicken's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

ilovegravy's review against another edition

3.0

I’ve seen so many quotes from this book. They moved me. I had friends recommend it to me as “something I would definitely enjoy”. I was intrigued. But I read the book, read the quotes in the context of the whole story and I don’t feel moved or intrigued.

Charmed at best.

csweet49's review against another edition

4.25

Fascinating story. Captures the impact of oppression on the individual. A warning about the times to come.