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The Meaning of Night

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About this listen

 A cold October night, 1854.

In a dark passageway, an innocent man is stabbed to death.

So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver, book lover, scholar and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. This seems the stuff of dreams, until a chance discovery convinces Glyver that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. And he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he now knows is rightfully his.

Glyver's path leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England's most enchanting country houses. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition. And at every turn, driving Glyver irresistibly onwards, is his deadly rival: the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt.

Thirty years in the writing, The Meaning of Night is a stunning achievement. Full of drama and passion, it is an enthralling novel that will captivate listeners right up to its final thrilling revelation.

Includes an exclusive recorded interview with the author.

©2006 Michael Cox; (P)2006 W F Howes Ltd Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction England Exciting Crime Feel-Good
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I'm a fan of the neo Victorian novel and this had quite a lot going for it. The central mystery is interesting, and the final explanation of it satisfying. The first person narration and flashbacks generally worked well. There was lots of suspense (if I had read it rather than listened to it, I would have said that it was a page turner).

However, I never warmed to the central character (I know he's supposed to be morally ambiguous, but I just found him unpleasant). I also felt that some of the revelations and twists were drawn out too long, or telegraphed too far in advance.

Overall it was clever and interesting, but I was quite relieved when I finally finished it and could go on to something else.

A little bit unpleasant

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absolutely brilliant - fascinating historically and what a great story - twists to the end

gripping

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For some reason I was worried that this book might be too literary for me, but this is a jolly good tale fattened out with relevant, dark, puzzling and inconsequential detail. It may be the references to the schooling and friends of the main character, and the literary career of the villain that gave me the impression of an intellectual book, and the characters often discuss particular books and quotations. But it is clear from the beginning that this is a murder mystery where the mysterious part is the motive, and the unravelling of the plot takes a while. There were perhaps one or two places where I became frustrated by the amount of details, but on the whole I am a fan of having my gratification delayed by some seemingly meaningless subplot or description. I like a novel which provides an environment dense enough to inhabit, and I often felt that I was following Edward Glyver as he walked to Evenwood or left an inn in the narrow side streets of London. All through the story, I was not sure if I would have liked Edward Glyver. I still don’t know, and I like the fact that I am in two minds about him.

Hooked immediately and wallowed in the details

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This is a wonderfully atmospheric listen, evoking memories of the writing of Wilkie Collins etc. Edward Glyver is a great central charictor, despite everything he does, you can't help routing for him, even know you are aware that from his one-sided story you might bnot be getting the true events! Some reviewers have criticised the writing style of the novel, i've seen the term 'pretentious' banded around about this book. I think those reviewers are missing the point, Glyver was an expert on books so you'd expect his writing to take the form it does. Michael cox has produced something very very special here and I'm looking forward to reading the follow-up, the glass of time. Lastly, David Timson's naration is first rate making this audio book one of the best I've listened to in ages!

fabulous

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I regularly go for unabridged novels, I have to say that this and Cox's other book 'Glass of Time' are utterly superb and keep you riveted from the first word. Spend the time, immerse yourselves, both are a fantastic read

A brilliant read

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