In "The Second Sleep" by Robert Harris, readers are taken on a journey to a future world that resembles the Middle Ages. The story follows a young priest, Christopher Fairfax, who is sent to conduct a funeral in a remote English village. As he unravels the mystery surrounding the death of the previous priest, Fairfax discovers forbidden knowledge and artifacts that challenge the established beliefs of their society. The novel blends elements of dystopian fiction, mystery, and historical fiction, keeping readers engaged with its unique premise and thought-provoking plot twists.
Harris' writing style in "The Second Sleep" has been praised for its ability to create a suspenseful and immersive atmosphere. The book is filled with intriguing concepts that explore themes of faith, knowledge, and the consequences of societal collapse. With a fast-paced plot and well-developed characters, Harris manages to keep readers guessing until the very end, delivering a story that challenges perceptions of time, history, and human nature.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Second Sleep include themes of religious repression, heresy, death, and possible violence.
Has Romance?
The novel contains a medium level of romance, involving relationships among main characters that contribute to the narrative.
From The Publisher:
THE LATEST NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS: chosen as a Book of the Year by The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, and Express
WHAT IF YOUR FUTURE LIES IN THE PAST?
_
'One word: wonderful. Two words: compulsive reading. Three words: buy it tomorrow. Four words: tonight, if possible.' STEPHEN KING
'A thoroughly absorbing, page-turning narrative.' SUNDAY TIMES
'Genuinely thrilling.' DAILY TELEGRAPH
_
Dusk is gathering as a young priest, Christopher Fairfax, rides across a silent land.
It's a crime to be out after dark, and Fairfax knows he must arrive at his destination - a remote village in the wilds of Exmoor - before night falls and curfew is imposed.
He's lost and he's becoming anxious as he slowly picks his way across a countryside strewn with the ancient artefacts of a civilisation that seems to have ended in cataclysm.
What Fairfax cannot know is that, in the days and weeks to come, everything he believes in will be tested to destruction, as he uncovers a secret that is as dangerous as it is terrifying ...
'[Harris] takes us on a thrilling ride while serving up serious food for thought.' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'A truly surprising future-history thriller. Fabulous, really.' EVENING STANDARD
'The book's real power lies in its between-the-lines warning that our embrace of the internet represents some kind of sleepwalk into oblivion. It's a provocative, tub-thumping sci-fi of which H. G. Wells might have been proud.' DAILY MAIL
'Harris' latest work intelligently warps historical fiction and tackles issues of religion, science and the apocalypse in the process. As he flexes his imagination, you will be left pondering as often as you are page-turning.' HERALD
'A brilliantly imaginative thriller' READER'S DIGEST
LOOK OUT FOR ROBERT'S NEW THRILLER, V2 - COMING AUTUMN 2020
#1 Bestseller in the UK, Sunday Times, September 2019
Ratings (3)
Loved It (2) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (6):
Read It (3) | |
Want To Read (3) |
2 comment(s)
Very well written but had an issue getting invested in the story. Perhaps a me thing and not the book
It is 1468 and a man is riding over a heath somewhere in the west of England, eager to reach his destination before nightfall. But something is wrong. A ringed parakeet flies out from a tree as he passes. Surely that kind of bird was not to be found in England before the late twentieth century? Only slowly does it dawn that this is not 1468 as we know it but a point in the future after some unspecified catastrophe has taken place and set humanity back to the technology and mindset of the seventeenth century. What follows is a little formulaic: the male protagonist sets out to discover the secret of what happened, aided by a female with whom there is a mutual sexual attraction (see Fatherland, Archangel). But Robert Harris is master of the formula and the story draws you on page by page until all is revealed.
What can you read after
The Second Sleep?
About the Author:
Robert Harris is the author of fourteen bestselling novels: the Cicero Trilogy - Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator - Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, The Ghost, The Fear Index, An Officer and a Spy, which won four prizes including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, Conclave, Munich, The Second Sleep and V2. Several of his books have been filmed, including The Ghost, which was directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into forty languages and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He lives in West Berkshire with his wife, Gill Hornby.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
