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Jerusalem

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Jerusalem

By: Alan Moore
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

In the half a square mile of decay and demolition that was England's Saxon capital, eternity is loitering between the firetrap tower blocks. Embedded in the grubby amber of the district's narrative, among its saints, kings, prostitutes and derelicts, a different kind of human time is happening.

Through the labyrinthine streets and minutes of Jerusalem tread ghosts that sing of wealth and poverty, of Africa, hymns and our threadbare millennium.

©2016 Alan Moore (P)2016 Recorded Books Inc Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Metaphysical & Visionary Middle East

Critic Reviews

"Fierce in its imagining and stupefying in its scope, Jerusalem is the tale of everything, told from a vanished gutter." ( Down the Tubes)
Praise for the author: "His sci-fi detective masterpiece Watchmen made him (Alan Moore) the comic industry's de facto leader back in 1986." ( The Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved this book. The wit, the humour, the pathos, the word play, it doesn't get much better than this oh and Simon Vance the narrator was exquisite. 60 hours of my listening life was a small price to pay. Enjoy.

Epic

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I admit to being a fan of Moore since his days at 2000ad, and his US debut on DC'a Saga of the Swamp Thing, but if anyone doubted he could make the leap from comics to novels, Jerusalem will absolutely shatter that misconception. There are not just chapters or paragraphs here that I would die happy if I had written them, their are clauses of such brilliance it almost hurts to hold them in your mind's eye. Aside from the beautiful prose and wonderfully drawn characters, it's a genuinely funny book (i had forgotten just how funny Moore can be) that somehow also manages to be have a sense of creeping dread and an acidic indictment of gentrification and the slow murder of the working class since Thatcher.

For medical reasons too tiresome to get into here I struggled with reading Jerusalem in print. I'm so glad that I took a punt on the audiobook. This reading by Simon Vance - all 60+ hours of it - is really well done, right up there with Peter Kenny's excellent readings of Iain Banks work. If I had any further recommendation, it would be to have a print copy available while you're listening because you're going to want to share some of the prose with your friends.

Simply magical. In a year of excellent books read or listened to, one of the best in my 55 years of reading, this is the standout. Don't be put off by the length of the book - it's a feature not a bug, and by the end of the novel you'll wish it was twice as long.

Alan Moore writes like the very best of our dreams, every sentence and every word a fanatical gift. Simply extraordinary.

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My goodness this book by Moore is truly epic.
The range of intertwined stories from the contemporary, historical, mythological and the fantastic is extraordinary. Part family lore, part Enid blytonesque adventure story, bit of fantasy some sci fi, some James Joyce styled sex (I think??) and topped with a commentary on the politics and other ills of the modern age. The whole lot combined to create something of a clear eyed love letter to Northampton.
I also think I have discovered my new favourite character in Alma Warren.
The narration by Vance is also brilliant.
Loved it. 80 odd hours of listening almost wasn’t enough

Magnificent

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So many layers and well narrated
One of the best stories I’ve heard in a long while

Epic of tales

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I’ve listened to the audio book and read the paper book simultaneously. In my opinion Jerusalem represents the greatest piece of writing seen in the English language for many many years. It has officially usurped Ulysses as my favourite book of all time. Allan Moore is the William Blake of our time. A genius.

A quite extraordinary book.

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A great adventure, beautifully written, expertly narrated. I’m bereft to have reached the end.
I recommend the investment.

Wisn’t wanting it to end.

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This is my first non-graphic novel Alan Moore experience, and it feels like an epiphany.
A mix of history, poetry, myth, biogeography and fiction, it's truly astounding. It seems to be a trend these days for authors to have incredibly detailed explanations that wind into complete irrelevance, and maybe they are trying to do what Moore masters - that is the picture, the representation of the ordinary, the extraordinary and the sublime. I do hope they stop and leave Alan Moore to have his winding tales, his contemplative characters and his mindbending interplay of fantasy and reality.
Telling you what this book is about would do it a disservice. but suffice to say it is a love story for a place, a people, and a class. Part shocking reality, part quest, the story is not one story, but multiple intertwined tales unlike others I have read.
It is graphic, blunt, poetic, even pastoral in the appreciation for a sense of place.
Simon Vance was a perfect choice for narration. adding character and subtly, brutal truth, painful experience and a sense of acceptance by the protagonists of their lot in life.
Honestly, this is a fantastic listen. I don't know how anything can possibly eclipse it... Thank you Alan Moore, and Simon Vance for bringing the words to life.

Absolutely Extraordinary

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