The History of Sound

Reviews / Votes

'Exquisitely crafted, deeply imagined, exhilaratingly diverse, The History of Sound places Ben Shattuck firmly among the very finest of our storytellers' - Geraldine Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of Horse 'Shattuck has recovered what was thought lost - in American history, natural history, and unspoken human longing - and returned it to us on the page.

These stories are unlike anything on your bookshelf. I love The History of Sound and you will too. Get it now' - Andrew Sean Greer 'Beautifully constructed, emotionally resonant, and richly rooted in the natural world, these stories chime memorably through time and space' - Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever and Natural History 'The History of Sound is much more than a stunning short story collection - the best I've read in more than a decade - it's a seductive cluster of interweaving narratives that will keep you turning the pages even as you savor each story's specificity, heart, and wit. Ben Shattuck writes about music, painting, history, and the natural world with such authority and grace, but it's his characters that stay with you in their desperate attempts to make sense of this inexplicable world. I can't wait to read whatever Ben Shattuck has coming next' - Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea, Mayflower, and Travels with George 'Ben Shattuck's stories are stunning: enthralling, suspenseful, and haunting; often witty and always deeply moving. Like Alice Munro and Andrea Barrett, he has a keen eye for the mysterious intersections of human nature with nature itself-and a knack for capturing the span of an entire life in a single tale, each resonating with others to create a book about history, destiny, and the way we live now. At the end, I longed for more' - Julia Glass, author of Vigil Harbor and Three Junes 'In braiding themselves together, The History of Sound's stories generate the most ingenious and pleasing and moving evocation of New England, in all its seasonal and geographic variety. Over time-from 1696 to Radiolab-mysteries posed in one story are off-handedly addressed years later in another, protagonists become someone else's minor character, and fates are meted out as each new narrative throws a crucial contextualizing light upon the other. Ben Shattuck is a devoted magpie: these stories celebrate the earth's music and bounty, and remind us how diminished we are when severed from who and what we loved' - Jim Shepard, author of The Book of Aron and Like You'd Understand, Anyway 'The stories in this beautifully written book toggle between the past and the present, and their subjects include the natural world in and around New England, and, within that natural world, a cultural landscape that includes music, faith, love, and murder. Ben Shattuck is a gifted writer who is wonderfully generous and wide-ranging in his concerns. He cares deeply about those in peril, those in need of help and aid, and his imagination goes out to them. Like the novelists of the 19th century, he looks upon the world with wonder, as if no one had ever really seen it or its secrets or made an account of it before. In every sense, this is a wonderful book' - Charles Baxter, author of Feast of Love and There's Something I Want You to Do 'A magical collection of interlinked stories. Shattuck writes with the artful skill and intellectual edge of a novelist and, as essentially, with the grace and transcendent depth of a poet. The History of Sound is an exhilarating work of fiction. I loved it' - Dawn Tripp, author of Georgia and Jackie 'Intricately structured, powerfully emotional, beautifully written: This is as good as short fiction gets' - Kirkus Reviews 'A perfect writer of historical fiction ... This triumphant debut collection is the ultimate winter warmer: clever, cosy, escapist and enlightening in equal measure' - The Times 'Music and memory ripple through these interconnected tales set in the past and present in New England ... Stellar stories' - Daily Mail 'For the reader there is a little shudder of pleasure realising the stitches between works ... Exceptionally accomplished' - The Scotsman 'Clean and polished ... He has a sharp, practised eye for natural details' - The Telegraph 'Exquisite ... Cleverly and elegantly constructed ... Brimming with humanity and laced with humour' - Sunday Post 'Sublime ... Thoughts on love, loss, music and memory are delicately probed, but the collection's heart belongs to human creativity and its lasting resonance, whether in a folk song, a still life, or an imaginatively grafted apple tree' - Observer