Produktdetaljer
Om bidragsyterne
James Runcie is an award-winning film-maker, playwright and literary curator. He is the author of twelve novels that have been translated into twelve languages, including the seven books in the Grantchester Mysteries series. He has been Artistic Director of the Bath Literature Festival, Head of Literature and Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, London, and Commissioning Editor for Arts on BBC Radio 4. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He lives in Scotland and London.A beautifully calibrated novel ... Bach emerges as an intense, flawed, deeply religious man, and through a poignant exploration of grief and love, Runcie brings his glorious music thrillingly to life
MAIL ON SUNDAY
A riveting meditation on grief and the possibilities of music<b> </b>
SUNDAY TIMES, Best Books of 2022: Historical Fiction
<p>A novel which deserves to last and will surely do so. It is surely James Runcie’s masterwork, a novel written with love and understanding</p>
SCOTSMAN
<p>Runcie is brilliant at chronicling Bach’s mission to take the messiness of grief and love and turn them into something beautiful and sacred. Even readers as tone-deaf as I am will be enriched by this novel and its glimpse at genius</p>
THE TIMES, Historical Fiction of the Month
This wise, refreshing novel takes us to the heart of Bach’s life and work. James Runcie’s expert imagination makes his picture of Leipzig specific and convincing, and behind the music’s echo lies a touching human story. It offers a glimpse into a world more faithful and attentive than our own, but not alien to us: "we listen to music as survivors," the great Cantor says
- HILARY MANTEL,
<p>To conjure him as a man, a writer needs to focus very sharply, and, whether in his bestselling Grantchester stories or award-winning documentaries, Runcie is expert at focus … Warmly, reverently, Runcie bring s alive what it is like to take part, for the very first time, in one of the most extraordinary pieces of music ever written</p>
DAILY TELEGRAPH
In this moving and fascinating portrait of a rare moment in musical history, Runcie turns a legend into a real man, compellingly unveiling the intricate connection between passion, grief and the greatest art. Careful research and beautiful writing make this a memorable and rewarding read
- LUCY JAGO,
<i>The Great Passion </i>is<i> </i>a novel revering the life and work of JS Bach, as told by a young boy soprano in Leipzig
IRISH INDEPENDENT, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022
This is historical fiction of the highest order ... intricate and accessible
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
I loved this book. Runcie’s description of the familiar music being rehearsed and performed for the first time is extraordinary
CHURCH TIMES
<p>Like the St Matthew Passion, this is a novel filled not just with loss and lamentation but with transcendent joy. Runcie’s prose sings. <i>Soli Deo gloria!</i></p>
SAGA MAGAZINE
<p>Wonderfully imagined</p>
COUNTRY LIVING
<p>A delightful novel filled with warmth, music, and an obvious love of Bach</p>
KIRKUS
<b>Praise for James Runcie: </b>‘Runcie has the gift of the born storyteller
DAILY MAIL
Tremendous: shrewd, compelling and full of insight
- WILLIAM BOYD,
A triumph of inspired imagination
FINANCIAL TIMES
It’s a warm, tender novel, brimful of emotion and empathy, as the fascinating characters grapple with faith, feelings and fellowship. But it’s Runcie’s description of the music that is truly marvellous. Intoxicating, insightful and revelatory, he brilliantly tackles the difficult task of using words to capture the intricacies of Bach’s fervent work on the beautiful, groundbreaking masterpiece, St Matthew Passion
DAILY MAIL
Runcie ... has a gift for capturing the past
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