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102nd out of 146 books
—
41 voters
The Sound of My Voice
by
Ron Butlin
Morris Magellan has a house in the suburbs, nice wife and kids. But Morris is also a chronic alcoholic, heading fast towards self-destruction. Morris is not hoping to meet Ms. Right and acquire the two kids that will straighten everything out. He already has all this and it hasn't kept him off the bottle. Ron Butlin's tale of one man's inner turmoil is haunting, harrowing,...more
Hardcover, 122 pages
Published
1987
by Canongate Publishing Limited
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A very unique book indeed. It isn't very often you come across a book that is written completely in present tense second person narrative. The author has created a book which you are forced to be directly involved in, becoming the main character; a chronic alcoholic.
What Butlin does superbly is he keeps from placing his character, Morris, into the fictional pigeon-hole that is a male with alcoholism; abusive, down-and-out, horrible person. Morris is a very successful business man, with a nice ho...more
What Butlin does superbly is he keeps from placing his character, Morris, into the fictional pigeon-hole that is a male with alcoholism; abusive, down-and-out, horrible person. Morris is a very successful business man, with a nice ho...more
I am not sure about this book, so many people seem to rate it highly. There were some passages I thought very worth while, but as a whole a little too distant and vague, and disjointed to atually make you feel anything. Yes, I know people will say.."that's the point, that's it's charm",but I don't think so. The author is known for his poetry. This book is a little series of stills described, almost too quintessentially, picking out a few motifs without any real explaination as to their importanc...more
Brilliant, if you can handle 118 pages in the 2nd person about a slowly degenerating Scottish alcoholic. Take the 1st paragraph of the 3rd chapter as a good measure of what to expect:
"You are thirty-four years old and already two-thirds destroyed. When your friends and business colleagues meet you they shake your hand and say, "Hello, Morris." You reply, "Hello," usually smiling. At home your wife and children -- your accusations, as you call them -- love you and need you. You know this all, and...more
"You are thirty-four years old and already two-thirds destroyed. When your friends and business colleagues meet you they shake your hand and say, "Hello, Morris." You reply, "Hello," usually smiling. At home your wife and children -- your accusations, as you call them -- love you and need you. You know this all, and...more
One of the most remarkable books I've ever read. Around 120 pages, and told completely in second-person narrative, I've never been so fully captivated by a book. The story concerns a man named Morris Magellan, a businessman with a wife and two kids. The story essentially concerns you as well, as the story narrates Morris' alcoholism as if its happening to you.
"By now, however, you have exhausted that. There seems to be no energy left - if you had discovered alcohol earlier it might have saved a...more
"By now, however, you have exhausted that. There seems to be no energy left - if you had discovered alcohol earlier it might have saved a...more
A stunningly moving, powerful book written in second person, and set during the Thatcher years in Glasgow. It's bleak, depressing and in many respects it's a wonderful narrative of the early eighties in, not just Scotland, but the United Kingdom as a whole.
The protagonist is a sad, pathetic creature and his downward spiral is heart-wrenching and pitiful to see.
Can't recommend this book highly enough.
The protagonist is a sad, pathetic creature and his downward spiral is heart-wrenching and pitiful to see.
Can't recommend this book highly enough.
"Cuando una sola copa es demasiado, las demás nunca son suficiente. Nunca."
"No tiene futuro ni tiene pasado tampoco, es un borracho» había dicho aquel hombre. Ni futuro, ni pasado; sólo quedaba el presente, pensaste. Pero hay dos tipos de presente, ¿verdad? Con una copa y sin ella. No es difícil la elección. Para ti"
"No tiene futuro ni tiene pasado tampoco, es un borracho» había dicho aquel hombre. Ni futuro, ni pasado; sólo quedaba el presente, pensaste. Pero hay dos tipos de presente, ¿verdad? Con una copa y sin ella. No es difícil la elección. Para ti"
Quel ennui, quel dégoût et quelle pauvreté d'écriture. De bien meilleurs romans ont été écrits sur l'alcoolisme, celui-ci ne fait que de parler de "boire beaucoup". La "critique opiniâtre" de la société des années 80 annoncée dans la préface me semble bien faible et creuse.
This is one of those texts that you just can't forget. Butlin uses the second person throughout to examine the mind of an alcoholic struggling with his life. I don't want to spoil the power of this short novel - read it!
Never have I had such a clear picture of alcoholism from the inside. Ron Butlin is also a poet, and his prose is poetic in its intensity and color. Packs a wallop.
Well written novel on alcoholism from Scottish poet. Yes, that sounds a little depressing, and yes it is. But it is also absorbing, very well written and moving.
This is one of those novels that make reading worthwhile - slightly off the beaten track but immensely rewarding. Should be a cult classic. Maybe it already is.
Have got a copy of his other novel Night Visits, but I'm waiting a while to recover from reading this one before I start on that one...
This is one of those novels that make reading worthwhile - slightly off the beaten track but immensely rewarding. Should be a cult classic. Maybe it already is.
Have got a copy of his other novel Night Visits, but I'm waiting a while to recover from reading this one before I start on that one...
A poet turned novelist Butlin outlines a man’s gradual descent into alcoholism, both funny (at times) and disturbing. An absorbing and eye-opening book, you fall deeply into the alcoholic's mind and start to perceive things in the way he does, startling and original and true. (It feels that way to me anyway)
A very strange short book written in the second person, which irritated for a few pages then completely consumed me. You. Surreal and accurate at the same time.
A brilliant book about a man and alcohol. Thanks Steve for turning me on to this.
May 16, 2013
Salma Mostafa
marked it as to-read
May 10, 2013
Book club God
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Apr 24, 2013
Zachary Armstrong
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Apr 08, 2013
Swaussie
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Apr 06, 2013
Jamie
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Mar 29, 2013
Erin McAvoy
marked it as to-read
Mar 29, 2013
Ben Marsh
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Mar 10, 2013
Erika
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Before taking up writing full-time Ron Butlin was, at various times, a lyricist with a pop band, a barnacle scraper on Thames barges, a footman attending embassies and country houses, and a male model. His works include the novels The Sound of My Voice, Night Visits and most recently Belonging; two collections of stories, Vivaldi and the Number 3 and The Tilting Room, and six books of poetry. His...more
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“It used to be that each time you fell in love, the effort of loving released in you the energy to hold everything together a little longer. Then, after several months or years, when things began to crack apart again, you would fall in love with someone else. New energy would be released, and for a time you and your world would be safe once more.
By now, however, you have exhausted that. There seems to be no energy left - if you had discovered alcohol earlier it might have saved a few broken hearts. For you, alcohol is not the problem - it's the solution: dissolving all the separate parts into one. A universal solvent. An ocean.”
—
3 people liked it
By now, however, you have exhausted that. There seems to be no energy left - if you had discovered alcohol earlier it might have saved a few broken hearts. For you, alcohol is not the problem - it's the solution: dissolving all the separate parts into one. A universal solvent. An ocean.”
“Cuando una sola copa es demasiado, las demás nunca son suficiente. Nunca.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
Je viens de finir une BD autobiographique qui traite de l'alcoolisme : "Amères saisons", d'Etienne Schréder. Le dessin est superbe, et l...more
Jun 28, 2012 06:57am