Richard Harvell: The Bells
Description
I grew up as the son of a man who could not possibly have been my father. Though there was never any doubt that my seed had come from another man, Moses Froben, "Lo Svizzero," called me "son." And I called him "father." On the rare occasions when someone dared to ask for clarification, he simply laughed as though the questioner were obtuse. "Of course he's not my son!" he would say. "Don't be ridiculous."
But whenever I myself gained the courage to ask him further of our past, he just looked sadly at me. "Please, Nicolai," he would say after a moment, as though we had made a pact I had forgotten. With time, I came to understand I would never know the secrets of my birth, for my father was the only one who knew these secrets, and he would take them to his grave.
The celebrated opera singer "Lo Svizzero" was born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps where his mother served as the keeper of the loudest and most beautiful bells in the land. Shaped by the bells' glorious music, as a boy he possessed an extraordinary gift for sound. But when his preternatural hearing was discovered--along with its power to expose the sins of the church--young Moses Froben was cast out of his village with only his ears to guide him in a world fraught with danger.
Rescued from certain death by two traveling monks, he finds refuge at the vast and powerful Abbey of St. Gall. There, his ears lead him through the ancient stone hallways and past the monks' cells into the choir, where he aches to join the singers in their strange and enchanting song. Suddenly Moses knows his true gift, his purpose. Like his mother's bells, he rings with sound and soon, he becomes the protEgE of the Abbey's brilliant yet repulsive choirmaster, Ulrich.
But it is this gift that will cause Moses' greatest misfortune: determined to preserve his brilliant pupil's voice, Ulrich has Moses castrated. Now a young man, he will forever sing with the exquisite voice of an angel--a "musico"--yet castration is an abomination in the Swiss Confederation, and so he must hide his shameful condition from his friends and even from the girl he has come to love. When his saviors are exiled and his beloved leaves St. Gall for an arranged marriage in Vienna, he decides he can deny the truth no longer and he follows her--to sumptuous Vienna, to the former monks who saved his life, to an apprenticeship at one of Europe's greatest theaters, and to the premiere of one of history's most beloved operas.
In this confessional letter to his son, Moses recounts how his gift for sound led him on an astonishing journey to Europe's celebrated opera houses and reveals the secret that has long shadowed his fame: How did Moses Froben, world renowned "musico," come to raise a son who by all rights he never could have sired?
Like the voice of "Lo Svizzero," "The Bells" is a sublime debut novel that rings with passion, courage, and beauty. "From the Hardcover edition."
From the author of the #1 "New York Times" bestseller "Grain Brain "and "New York Times" bestseller"Brain Make""r."..
Today, this masterful collection remains not only a seminal event in American literature but also the incomparable achievement of one of America s greatest poets an exuberant, passionate man who loved his country and wrote of it as no other has ever done. Walt Whitmanwas a singer, thinker, visionary, and citizen extraordinaire. Thoreau called Whitman probably the greatest democrat that ever lived, and Emerson judged "Leaves of Grass" as the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom America has yet contributed.
In the West, politicians and journalists of all stripes have referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "thug," a "tyrant," a "murderer," a "Communist," a "Nazi," the next "Hitler" and more. But amongst the Russian people, his popularity rating has reached levels as high as 85%. There is even a very popular hit 'disco' song about him - 'A Man Like Putin'. So, who's right? Why such hatred for Vladimir Putin? Is it justified? Or has Putin been targeted merely for standing up the US-EU Axis of Internationalism? In clear, simple, powerful and concise language - supported by more than 100 illustrations - 'The War Against Putin' takes Conversations That Matter: Insights & Distinctions-Landmark Essays Volume 1 ebook pdf readers on an exciting 'crash course' journey from Russia's Medieval founding, through the days of the Czars, through the Communist Revolution and bloody Civil War, through Stalin & World War II, through the Cold War, through the Soviet collapse, through the Yeltsin disaster, and finally the Putin-led rebirth of the Russian nation. It is one of the "greatest stories never told," and will shed badly needed light on the new Russia, its dynamic leader, the dark forces aiming to bring about its demise, and maybe even World War III. Says Dr. William Carlucci: "I was glued to the edge of my seat with jaw wide open as I read this gem of a book from start to finish, in a single sitting. The clarity and simplicity with which King's masterpiece demystifies current events represents a rare ability to speak to the reader with entertaining and understandable prose. This piece really needs to go viral, and fast. 5 Huge Stars!"
____________________________
Author: Richard Harvell
Number of Pages: 376 pages
Published Date: 28 Jun 2011
Publisher: Random House USA Inc
Publication Country: New York, United States
Language: English
ISBN: 9780307590534
Download Link: Click Here
____________________________
Tags:
download pdf,read online The Bells by Richard Harvell kindle,iPhone, fb2, download book, for mac, ebook, free pdf, paperback, rarkindle, Richard Harvell free ebook,Read online, download ebook, epub download, free ebook, iPad, ebook pdf, book review, facebook, for PC, zip, download pdf,The Bells pocket,iOS, pocket, download torrent, mobi,download epub,
Level 2: The Mysterious Island
Thomas & Friends Annual 2016
A Month by the Sea: Encounters in Gaza
