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The Noise of Time
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The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes - 4 stars
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I have never read Barnes, but you have peaked my interest-will be looking at his works here on GR's and see where it leads me
This sounds fascinating. Just reading your review has me wanting to listen to the fifth symphony. Thanks!
Joanne wrote: "I have never read Barnes, but you have peaked my interest-will be looking at his works here on GR's and see where it leads me"I hadn't read anything by Barnes until this year, and have only read the two, but liked them both. I will look forward to your comments if you get a chance to read any of his works.
Jgrace wrote: "This sounds fascinating. Just reading your review has me wanting to listen to the fifth symphony. Thanks!"I admit to listening to some of his music after finishing the book. :-)
Ooh - definitely one for me! Shostakovich - yum!
“Art belongs to everybody and nobody. Art belongs to all time and no time. Art belongs to those who create it and those who savour it.” – Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time
In this fictional presentation of episodes from the life of Dmitri Shostakovich, Barnes explores how tyranny reduces artistic creativity in a society. The story is told in three vignettes: one set in 1936 at Shostakovich’s apartment during Stalin’s reign of terror, one in 1949 during his trip to the US to represent the Soviet Union at the Cultural and Scientific Congress for World Peace, and a third years later during Khrushchev’s tenure. It shows the composer being subjected to official disapproval of his opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk, and his corresponding fear of being arrested and killed at Stalin’s whim.
As one of the most noted Soviet composers of the time, Shostakovich endured immense political pressure by the state, and this book provides sympathetic portrait of how those pressures impacted his creative output. It challenges Lenin’s declaration that “art belongs to the people.” It is hard enough to create music without having to worry how it will be perceived by the state, and what might happen if it doesn’t please the despot in charge.
Barnes’ prose elicits a sense of Shostakovich’s inner turmoil. He wants to act courageously but feels like a coward. He wants to maintain his integrity but worries about his and his family’s safety. These complexities are teased out as the story unfolds. I was impressed by Barnes’ ability to relate numerous personal insights into Shostakovich’s character in a succinct way (just over 200 pages). One can only wonder what musical works Shostakovich may have produced in a more open and accepting environment.
This is the second of Barnes’ novels I have read this year. I also enjoyed The Sense of An Ending (My Review). I will definitely be reading more of his works in the future.