The Chimes

The Chimes

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction
Paperback Published on: 14/01/2016
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Chimes
On a level with dystopian giants like Orwell and Huxley as well as being fantastically unique.
The dystopian novel is a genre which in recent years has veered more towards post-apocalyptic visions than those involving the oppression of society by 'Bi... READ MORE
Angie at Glasgow Sauchiehall Street

Synopsis

WINNER OF THE 2016 WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2015 MAN BOOKER PRIZE

An Elle Book of the Year

An Independent Book of the Year One to Watch Independent on Sunday

A Bookseller Best Debut of 2015

One to Watch 2015 Huffington Post

An Amazon Rising Star

'The Chimes is a remarkable debut. It's inventive, beautifully written, and completely absorbing. I highly recommend it.' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds

A mind-expanding literary debut composed of memory, music and imagination.

A boy stands on the roadside on his way to London, alone in the rain.

No memories, beyond what he can hold in his hands at any given moment.

No directions, as written words have long since been forbidden.

No parents - just a melody that tugs at him, a thread to follow. A song that says if he can just get to the capital, he may find some answers about what happened to them.

The world around Simon sings, each movement a pulse of rhythm, each object weaving its own melody, music ringing in every drop of air.

Welcome to the world of The Chimes. Here, life is orchestrated by a vast musical instrument that renders people unable to form new memories. The past is a mystery, each new day feels the same as the last, and before is blasphony.

But slowly, inexplicably, Simon is beginning to remember. He emerges from sleep each morning with a pricking feeling, and sense there is something he urgently has to do. In the city Simon meets Lucien, who has a gift for hearing, some secrets of his own, and a theory about the danger lurking in Simon's past.

A stunning debut composed of memory, music, love and freedom, The Chimes pulls you into a world that will captivate, enthral and inspire.

  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
  • ISBN: 9781444794502
  • Number of pages: 304
  • Weight: 220g
  • Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 26 mm

Customer Reviews

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The Chimes
A wonderfully hypnotic debut fantasy that draws the reader in. A dazzling read
Now just published in paperback is the wonderfully hypnotic debut The Chimes from the New Zealand born writer/poet Anna Smaill. This is a fantasy tale that... READ MORE
John Fish