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A Simple Scale By David Llewellyn
US $13.78
ApproximatelyRM 58.33
Condition:
Very Good
A book that has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear.
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Located in: MD, United States
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eBay item number:334429046083
Item specifics
- Condition
- Title
- A Simple Scale
- ISBN
- 9781781724705
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Seren Books
ISBN-10
1781724709
ISBN-13
9781781724705
eBay Product ID (ePID)
4038646970
Product Key Features
Book Title
Simple Scale
Number of Pages
248 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Philosophy & Social Aspects, Lgbt / Gay, Literary
Publication Year
2019
Genre
Music, Fiction
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
1 in
Item Weight
15.6 Oz
Item Length
7.7 in
Item Width
5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Scholarly & Professional
Reviews
The epigraph from Pushkin which gives this novel its title states that there is no justice either on earth or in heaven. Certainly the novel is about the unjust use of power by states, corporations and individuals, but the consequence of this is betrayal. That is the theme which recurs like a subject in a symphony turned and returned throughout the piece.The books three settings 1930s-40s Soviet Russia, 1950s Hollywood, and New York just post-9/11 are all societies suffering from paranoia. The New York story is told fairly straightforwardly as it unfolds, through the experience of Natalie (P.A. of the now aged and confused composer Sol Conrad) and her meeting with Pavel (grandson of composer Sergey Grekov). Sergeys story of the horrors of the Gulag and the brittle glory of the Kirov is told always in the present tense. Conrads story of life as a Hollywood hack, caught up in the McCarthy trials, is also told in the present tense but in the second person. This device helps the reader to identify the different voices, but the unusual use of you for Sol suggests that he remains (if only in his own mind) perpetually accused and interrogated. Somewhat like Pinters play, Betrayal , the stories of the two men are told mostly in reverse, receding to a point of convergence in the late 1930s. While the political systems under which they suffer are superficially different, both men and those they love are personally vulnerable because they are gay.At a crucial point of his life, Sergey realises that, The revolution will never be over, and that no one, least of all Sergey, will ever be safe again. That faces him with a terrible choice. Sol reaches a fork in the road at the Washington hearing which threatens his future career. Natalie faces the choice between familiarity, routine and a change she couldnt control at a time when she and her city were feeling threatened. The bleak message, certainly on one level, is that whether a person maintains their integrity or sacrifices it, they will be destroyed. There may be another reading that the spirit, or love, is in the music and that the music, in some form, survives.David Llewellyns novel takes an epic sweep through time, using a complex, symphonic form and sometimes unusual style of narration, but the stories are compelling and the characters experience so vividly recreated that it has the drive of a thriller and the momentum of a classical tragedy.Caroline ClarkIt is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com , with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com , trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.
TitleLeading
A
Number of Volumes
1 vol.
Synopsis
A piece of music starts a story which will range across Soviet Russia, McCarthyite Hollywood and post-9/11 New York, as the mystery of the lives of two gay composers is uncovered. Who wrote the music? How did the two composers' lives come to cross? What pressures caused their actions? What are the consequences for those around them? In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, a man arrives in New York to claim that the theme tune of a popular tv series, said to be written by composer Sol Conrad, in fact belongs his grandfather Sergey, an eminent Russian composer who was sent to the gulag by Stalin, and from whom Sol stole the score. Conrad's young PA Natalie is determined to defend her elderly employer, but as she digs deeper she discovers worlds of which she barely knew - Russian labour camps, McCarthyism, repressive governments, and the plight of homosexuals in the USA and USSR during the twentieth century. Natalie, Sol and Serge each tell their stories, ranging across continents and decades. A Simple Scale moves forward through their narratives of love, death, deceit, the CIA, the NKVD, atomic bombs, classical music and Hollywood. In a dramatic conclusion their pasts and presents catch up with them, as the secrecy, manipulation and betrayal that were the centre of Sol and Sergey's lives inform a few weeks of 2001, when history is about to repeat itself. Rich in detail and atmosphere, David Llewellyn explores the points at which the personal and the political meet. Throughout, his depiction of 30s Leningrad, 50s California and post-9/11 New York is only too believable., A piece of music starts a story which will range across Soviet Russia, McCarthyite Hollywood and post 9/11 New York, as the mystery of the lives of two gay composers is uncovered. David Llewellyn explores the points at which the personal and the political meet as narratives of love, death, deceit, the CIA, atomic bombs and classical music unfold., A piece of music starts a story which will range across Soviet Russia, McCarthyite Hollywood and post-9/11 New York, as the mystery of the lives of two gay composers is uncovered. Who wrote the music? How did the two composers' lives come to cross? What pressures caused their actions? What are the consequences for those around them?In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, a man arrives in New York to claim that the theme tune of a popular tv series, said to be written by composer Sol Conrad, in fact belongs his grandfather Sergey, an eminent Russian composer who was sent to the gulag by Stalin, and from whom Sol stole the score. Conrad's young PA Natalie is determined to defend her elderly employer, but as she digs deeper she discovers worlds of which she barely knew - Russian labour camps, McCarthyism, repressive governments, and the plight of homosexuals in the USA and USSR during the twentieth century.Natalie, Sol and Serge each tell their stories, ranging across continents and decades. A Simple Scale moves forward through their narratives of love, death, deceit, the CIA, the NKVD, atomic bombs, classical music and Hollywood. In a dramatic conclusion their pasts and presents catch up with them, as the secrecy, manipulation and betrayal that were the centre of Sol and Sergey's lives inform a few weeks of 2001, when history is about to repeat itself. Rich in detail and atmosphere, David Llewellyn explores the points at which the personal and the political meet. Throughout, his depiction of 30s Leningrad, 50s California and post-9/11 New York is only too believable.
LC Classification Number
ML3795
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- 7***e (33)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAmazing price and super fast shipping. Book arrived exactly as described in the correct box meant to ship books. No bumps or dings in the corner because of the attention to packaging. I'll keep an eye on this seller for another purchase. Highly recommend this seller!!!!
- 5***w (1174)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseThe book that was shown was not the book that I received. Nonetheless, when I informed the seller that it wasn't the item they advertised-/they were more than willing to make it right. Since they didn't have another copy of the title I was expecting, they promptly issued an apology; and refund full refund. I really appreciated the speed at which they were willing to make things right with this transaction. I will definitely not hesitate to do business with them again. Thank You!
- f***f (1625)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseExcellent Seller, Goes the Extra Mile. The Seller Was Incredibly Communicative. Smooth Transaction, Shipped Very Quickly, As Advertised; Good Price; Well Packaged & Delivered Within a Few Days. Item in Described Promised Condition, Thank You Very Much!!!!!!!!!!! A+Sam's Letters To Jennifer By James Patterson. 9780316000741 (#394523567865)
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Seller feedback (557,605)
- 7***e (33)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAmazing price and super fast shipping. Book arrived exactly as described in the correct box meant to ship books. No bumps or dings in the corner because of the attention to packaging. I'll keep an eye on this seller for another purchase. Highly recommend this seller!!!!
- 5***w (1174)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseThe book that was shown was not the book that I received. Nonetheless, when I informed the seller that it wasn't the item they advertised-/they were more than willing to make it right. Since they didn't have another copy of the title I was expecting, they promptly issued an apology; and refund full refund. I really appreciated the speed at which they were willing to make things right with this transaction. I will definitely not hesitate to do business with them again. Thank You!
- f***f (1625)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseExcellent Seller, Goes the Extra Mile. The Seller Was Incredibly Communicative. Smooth Transaction, Shipped Very Quickly, As Advertised; Good Price; Well Packaged & Delivered Within a Few Days. Item in Described Promised Condition, Thank You Very Much!!!!!!!!!!! A+Sam's Letters To Jennifer By James Patterson. 9780316000741 (#394523567865)