THE SECRET CHORD
by Brooks, Geraldine
- Used
- as new
- Hardcover
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- As New/As New Dust Jacket.
- ISBN 10
- 0670025771
- ISBN 13
- 9780670025770
- Seller
-
CHICAGO, Illinois, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Reviews
“And there is one chord, one perfect assembly of notes that no other hand can play. The sound of it – pure, rinsing sound, void so that your spirit seems to rush in to fill the space between the notes”
The Secret Chord is the fifth novel by Pulitzer prize-winning Australian author, Geraldine Brooks. David, son of Yishai (Jesse) the Beit Lehemite (Bethlehemite): a shepherd boy, a warrior, an accomplished harpist with a beautiful voice, a composer of psalms, a husband, father, lover, and second King of the United Kingdom of Israel; the significant events in the life of this charismatic figure from the 10th century BCE are related by Natan (Nathan), prophet and part of David’s retinue from the tender age of ten, whose perspective is that of one both present and prescient.
Natan says: “I have set it all down, first and last, the light and the dark. Because of my work, he will live. And not just as a legend lives, a safe tale for the fireside, fit for the ears of the young. Nothing about him ever was safe. Because of me, he will live in death as he did in life: a man who dwelt in the searing glance of the divine, but who sweated and stank, rutted without restraint, butchered the innocent, betrayed those most loyal to him. Who loved hugely, and was kind; who listened to brutal truth and honored the truth teller; who flayed himself for his wrongdoing; who built a nation, made music that pleased heaven, and left poems in our mouths that will be spoken by people yet unborn”. He also tells us “They knew his flaws. Indeed, I think they loved him all the more because he was flawed, as they were, and did not hide his passionate, blemished nature”
The subject matter that Brooks selects for her novels may well be one which a reader would not normally choose, but with this author, the reader is, nonetheless, rewarded with an eminently readable story. Brooks is skilled at making a historical subject come to life by telling the story from the perspective of one closely involved in events, and this book is no exception: all those battles, all that slaying, all the lay withs and begats that cause the eyes to glaze over when read in their original form are made into a riveting read. (For readers who have forgotten their bible stories [or never read them], Wikipedia is a great quick reference on David’s life.) The small details of everyday life, the biblical–sounding language and archaic spelling of character names give the text an authentic feel. And as always, the depth of research that Brooks has done on her topic is apparent in every paragraph.
Her descriptive prose is often truly beautiful: “It was as if the harp were a loom, the notes he drew from it a bright thread forming a glorious pattern….his large strong hands could draw forth a breadth of sound that one did not generally associate with the gentle harp. He could make it speak with a thousand voices, soft or stormy” and “His face – his beautiful face – was sunken and scored with lines, the hollows beneath his cheekbones scooped out as if a sculptor had driven his thumbs too deeply into the clay” are two examples.
Passages like “It was the kind of thing that corrodes, like a drop of lye fallen upon linen. You don’t see the effect at first, but in time the fibers weaken and fray, a hole widens, and the garment is spoiled. Only if the drop is washed away directly can the damage be gainsaid” and “… the timbre of David’s voice was a thing apart. It had the tingling urgency of the shofar, and yet was not shrill. It could engender awe, as a high wind howling dangerously through mighty branches, or bring delight, as an unexpected trill of sweet birdsong” make this work of historical fiction a joy to read. Once again, Brooks does not disappoint.
With thanks to TheReadingRoom and Hachette Australia for this copy to read and review
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Details
- Bookseller
- Modern Rare (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 20157
- Title
- THE SECRET CHORD
- Author
- Brooks, Geraldine
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- New As New
- Jacket Condition
- As New Dust Jacket.
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition. First Printing.
- ISBN 10
- 0670025771
- ISBN 13
- 9780670025770
- Publisher
- Viking Press
- Place of Publication
- New York City, NY
- Date Published
- 2015
- Pages
- 302
Terms of Sale
Modern Rare
We ship at cost, based on weight, destination, and shipping method. We ship via Standard or Expedited USPS or FedEx in the US and Globally. Payable in $US dollars by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, personal check, cashiers check, money order, or wire transfer. Returns accepted, with prior notification, within 10 days after shipment, provided the item is in the same condition it was shipped. We make every effort to describe the item as accurately as possible. Shipping costs are non-refundable. All Magazine, DVD/Blu-ray, and audiotape sales are final and non-refundable. Email us at modernrarenow@gmail.com or call us at 312-376-5000.
About the Seller
Modern Rare
About Modern Rare
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Crisp
- A term often used to indicate a book's new-like condition. Indicates that the hinges are not loosened. A book described as crisp...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...