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Ancient Light Audiobook
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(3.02) - 743 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea gives us a brilliant, profoundly moving new novel about an actor in the twilight of his life and his career: a meditation on love and loss, and on the inscrutable immediacy of the past in our present lives. Is there any difference between memory and invention? That is the question that fuels this stunning novel, written with the depth of character, the clarifying lyricism and the sly humor that have marked all of John Banville’s extraordinary works. And it is the question that haunts Alexander Cleave, an actor in the twilight of his career and of his life, as he plumbs the memories of his first—and perhaps only—love (he, fifteen years old, the woman more than twice his age, the mother of his best friend; the situation impossible, thrilling, devouring and finally devastating) . . . and of his daughter, lost to a kind of madness of mind and heart that Cleave can only fail to understand. When his dormant acting career is suddenly, inexplicably revived with a movie role portraying a man who may not be who he says he is, his young leading lady—famous and fragile—unwittingly gives him the opportunity to see with aching clarity the “chasm that yawns between the doing of a thing and the recollection of what was done.” Ancient Light is a profoundly moving meditation on love and loss, on the inscrutable immediacy of the past in our present lives, on how invention shapes memory and memory shapes the man. It is a book of spellbinding power and pathos from one of the greatest masters of prose at work today.
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"Favorite book of 2012. One of my favorite books of all time. I have read other books by John Banville and enjoyed some of them (could not get through Infinities -- just not my style), but Ancient Light brings together all of the things that Banville does best: exotically beautiful prose, humor, a thoroughly fascinating protagonist/narrator, and a brilliantly structured plot. Wrapped in themes of love, loss, memory, and invention. I admit that the synopsis had me wondering if I would like the book: A 65-year-old man (actor Alex Cleave), recounts the story -- as he remembers it (probably inaccurately) -- of his summer-long affair with his best friend's mother, Mrs. Gray, when he was 15 and she was 35. At the same time, Cleave has been asked to star in a Hollywood biopic about critic Alex Vander, who was in Portovenere, Italy, at the same time his daughter Cass committed suicide there ten years ago. The present story is wrapped in mystery and I hope that Banville has a sequel in progress. Alex Cleave and his daughter featured in two earlier Banville novels, which I have already sought out and plan to read early in 2013. I've just finished the book and I'm reeling from its beauty, so I think I'll stop for now. Maybe come back when I can articulate more successfully what it is about this book that knocked me out. Other reviewers have said that either you like Banville's prose or you don't. I definitely do. Banville has been compared to Nabokov, because of his elegant prose and exquisite use of words you never read before. Ancient Light has been compared to Lolita, but once again, it's from the male point of view. And Mrs. Gray. Why did she do it? You will find out."
— Kristine (5 out of 5 stars)
Ancient Light Listener Reviews
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" Ancient Light was a slow reading novel because I had to go back and re-read paragraphs to savor the language. Banville's writing makes for serious reading. The plot basics are that the protagonist had an affair with is best friend's mother when he was fifteen. His memories of the affair are beautifully crafted scenes that even the character admits, could be revisions of what he actually saw and felt fifty years ago when the couple stole away to a deserted cottage. The tone of the novel reminded me of Julian Barnes's 2011 Man Booker Prize winning book, The Sense of an Ending. How accurately do we remember the past? What do we do with it as we age and reflect back? Should we have done something different and most importantly, how did our actions affect other people? Banville plays with these notions quite seriously and more heavily than Barnes did in is 150-page book. Both novels gave me pause, as a great novel should. I felt more weighed down with Banville's story but I am certainly glad I read it. His work is to be cherished. "
— Liz, 2/19/2014 -
" Banville doing what he usually does - so something of a return to form after The Infinities. Lovely intertextual relation to the rest of his works. "
— Paul, 2/13/2014 -
" He's a wonderful writer, but you're better off moving onto his other books. The first person narrator is difficult to tolerate. This is a meditation on memory and the narratives we tell ourselves, but concept alone doesn't excite. Banville's the Untouchable has a similar conceit, but is far far better. "
— Hao, 1/30/2014 -
" Stunning language, entrancing narrative, but ultimately a frustrating vagueness at the end. I'll definitely read more by Banville, though, because of the beauty of his prose. "
— Rachel, 1/18/2014 -
" This book was terrific! His descriptions were marvelous and his vocabulary - so many words that I had to look up! I learned alot!!! Young love, secrets, coming of age.... I highly recommend! "
— Deb, 1/17/2014 -
" Exquisitely written exploration of complex feelings and memories. "
— Rose, 1/12/2014 -
" OMC-T, I love this man's prose, so delicious, so seductive, but do not completely enjoy his plots. "
— Gilly, 1/11/2014 -
" It's not often that I don't finish a book once I've started reading it, but I've given up trying to stay awake with this one. Dull, dull, dull. "
— Christine, 1/11/2014 -
" Too slow, too little story. Might be good - it was well-written - just not keeping my interest. "
— Jennifer, 12/15/2013 -
" A combination of mesmerizing writing & excellent narration. "
— Julie, 12/14/2013 -
" Beautiful prose & gripping story line "
— Kathryn, 11/28/2013 -
" A little slow to draw you in, but the woman is vividly drawn. Beautiful details about human interaction. "
— Randi, 10/16/2013 -
" An awesome book and it proves that John Banville is among the finest contemporary writers. There are very few books as good as this and anyone who wants to read a great book must read it... "
— Rakesh, 7/18/2013 -
" I was disappointed. Not as good as other works of his I've read. "
— Mark, 4/16/2013 -
" Story of a young boy remembering an affair with his best friend's mother all of one summer. The story is sometimes intruded on by the truth but ismainlyhis version of things. I loved "the sea" by ban ills. Didn't like this anywhere near as much. "
— Jill, 2/13/2013
About John Banville
John Banville is the author of more than twenty novels, as well as nonfiction and plays. Time Pieces was a New York Times bestseller, and The Sea won the 2005 Booker Prize. He has also won the Franz Kafka Prize, the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Achievement in Irish Literature, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Best Novel, and the Prince of Asturias Award, Spain’s most important literary prize. He was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945, and lives in Dublin.
About Robin Sachs
Judy Young is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.