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Gnomon

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Gnomon

By: Nick Harkaway
Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Gnomon, written by Nick Harkaway, read by Ben Onwukwe.

Near-future Britain is a state in which citizens are constantly observed and democracy has reached a pinnacle of 'transparency.' Every action is seen, every word is recorded and the System has access to thoughts and memories.

When suspected dissident Diana Hunter dies in custody, it marks the first time a citizen has been killed during an interrogation. Mielikki Neith, a trusted state inspector, is assigned to find out what went wrong. Immersing herself in neural recordings of the interrogation, what she finds isn't Hunter but rather a panorama of characters within Hunter's psyche.

Embedded in the memories of these impossible lives lies a code which Neith must decipher to find out what Hunter is hiding. The staggering consequences of what she finds will reverberate throughout the world.

A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

'Gnomon is an extraordinary novel, and one I can’t stop thinking about some weeks after I read it. It is deeply troubling, magnificently strange, and an exhilarating read.' Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven

'Nick Harkaway’s most ambitious novel yet. [A] story of near-future mass surveillance, artificial intelligence and human identity ... An amazing and quite unforgettable piece of fiction.' Guardian

'Harkaway dazzles.' Daily Mail

'Wonderfully good.' Sunday Times

©2018 Nick Harkaway (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction
All stars
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Thank you Nick Harkaway ... I could write heaps about this ... lets put it this way. My all-time favourite book until I read Gnomon was American Gods by Neil Gaimon. I was sad that perhaps I would never be so totally absorbed by a book ever again. I have listened to American Gods at least 6 times ... still chuckle at the same part, the same characters and still give a taste of the numinous, the liminal ... Gnomon? Extraordinary ... I was held, transported, for the entire 30 hours ... I was cross that I had to sleep and eat!

Totally riveting ...

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as ever with Nick Harkaway, I frequently jump back to reread sections or chapters because the narrative is so dense - in other authors I find the need to jump back and forth frustrating, but in this and his other works I find it rewarding. I have other favourite authors I can read from start to finish without stopping, often in single sitting, time permitting - I don't need Nick's work to be less challenging.

complexity of plot & narration challenging but rewarding

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when i started listening i was initially certain that the complexity of the narrative would be too difficult to follow as an audio book.
i was wrong, it was am amazing experience. the clarity of construction, strength of characterisations, and the artistic skill of the reader combined to create an extraordinarily coherent vehicle for a challenging and original piece of writing.
i have ordered the book, because it invites revisiting and deeper reflection with much flipping to and fro and dogearing of pages.
every Nick Harkaway book that i open initially makes me doubt my ability to understand it, then unfolds in a perfectly accessible way, making me feel that i have been clever indeed!

transportative tapestry

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Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have started this story. It required some stubbornness on my part to stick with it for so many hours. I didn't hate it; there were some interesting concepts there, but I just found that the author waffled on too much. There were long sections where one character or another would be rambling on and on and I'd realise that I hadn't been paying attention but it wasn't worth going back over it again because they weren't really saying anything anyway.

Don't recommend

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an incredible monument of a book. rich, dense, full of lyrical prose and mystic fiction. it has the potential lose the reader, but manages to keep them always close by grace of narrative presence and faith in their willingness to embrace the story. i think this is one of those books i will enjoy again and again, each time finding another thread of meaning that i missed before.

Ben Onwukwe has achieved incredible things with this reading. his calm bass allows the story to unfold like a subtle, complex and infinitely layered red wine.

enjoy.

a behemoth

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Wildly springs across your imagination like a blue screen of death on a rollercoaster control computer.
Absolute intelligence put to use.
An exercise in joy.
Conceptually wicked.
F&$k you Nick Harkaway for being so intelligent.

Exquisite

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Hour upon hour of seemingly endless drivel. I gave up after 15 chapters. Bored me to tears.

Drivel

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I had to wait a week before I could write a review for this book. The ideas and narrative are just too big to observe at one time and I definitely needed time between each listen to try to decipher what was going on. This is not a straight forward narrative, but it is very engaging and interesting.

Take your time with this

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