The Bells: A Novel by Richard Harvell (Epub)

Description

Written as a confessional letter to his son, an 18th century opera singer recounts how his gift for sound led him on an astonishing journey to Europe’s celebrated opera houses and reveals how he came to raise a son who by all rights he never could have sired.

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, 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, he becomes the protégé 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, 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.

Like the voice of Lo Svizzero, The Bells is a sublime debut novel that rings with passion, courage, and beauty.

User’s Reviews

Review Indie Next List, October 2010″THE BELLS does for the ears what Perfume did for the nose. A novel to engage the senses as well as tickle the mind.”—Sarah Dunant, international bestselling author of Sacred Hearts “Harvell has written an entertaining and eye-opening aria of a book.” —Washington Post”Richard Harvell’s first novel is a marvel of sound woven through the tale of an extraordinary life.”—Fredericksburg Freelance Star”When I look at my copy of The Bells sitting in front of me, I cannot believe it lies there immobile and lifeless…During the time I spent entranced with this story, my body rang like the bells within its pages…Harvell’s magical prose gives sound to Moses’ life: the bells, the arias, and the uneven breath of true love.” —Historical Novels Review “Harvell has fashioned an engrossing first novel ringing with sounds; a musical and literary treat.”—Booklist”Harvell’s debut is saturated with sound…A poignant and acutely told storey of the human spirit.”—Library Journal“Astonishing in its originality, epic in its scope, luminous in its richness, The Bells is a novel to be savored page by glorious page.”—Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of The Day the Falls Stood Still “I was mesmerized from first page to the last by this haunting and seductive novel. Long after I finished, the characters and their heartbreaking tale of love, loss, and obsession resonated with me still. Readers, here is a book you’ll find impossible to resist. Bravo andencore!” —M.J. Rose, international bestselling author of The Reincarnationist

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ The spirit of the bells, the voice of the musico, the echoes of the chanting priests, and the music of the masters permeated my being as I traveled the journey with Moses, Nicolai, Remus and Tasso. The scenes were so well developed that I felt transported to the Europe of the 1700s. The character development was genius – I would recognize these people if I met them on the sidewalk. The deaf mother and her gifted son Moses, Ulrich the choirmaster, the syphilitic former monk, the dwarf, and the bookish wolf and the beautiful Amalia – all captivated my imagination. I empathized with their pain and rejoiced with their triumphs. I cried at the cruelty and I basked with Nicolai in the warmth of the voice of Moses straight from heaven. I held my breath as his voice “sawed through my bones” and covered my ears as the bells rang. I wanted to join the animals in the forest to hear Orpheus sing his beautiful laments. “I believe in love,” Nicolai proclaimed. If you do, too, you will love this story. Be prepared for an amazing journey! The Bells

⭐ I found this novel engrossing, despite its mythical setting. It is based on music/opera in the 18th century and around the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It started like a fairy tale and gradually became reality. There is one horrific incident that kept me awake but after my system absorbed it, I was able to move on, especially because of the excellent writing and analogies. The author was successful in showing, not telling. If you can overlook its incongruousness in parts, it is quite a haunting tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I can see where it is not for everybody.

⭐ The is off-beat but was just what I was in the mood for. The title grabbed my attention, followed by the presence of a monastery, a couple of renegade monks who were still supported by the monastery, and opera singers. It had a medieval feel to it at times, but it could have happened at any time. I recommend this for those who enjoy something slightly off the beaten path.

⭐ Writing that flows like a summer stream with rich detail, interesting and complex characters, and a time and place that sweeps you away. Gave me a whole new appreciation to the music and sounds of the ordinary and the extraordinary. I love good writing, cultural and historical stories and this book had all three. The characters have stayed with me even days completing the novel. A literary treat!

⭐ Loved this novel! As an opera singer myself, I very much appreciated the historical perspective on the castrati phenomenon. This novel was a well-imagined story of a gifted singer/musician and the hardships he had to endure. I recommend this novel to singers and opera lovers!

⭐ Honestly, I’m not sure what to say about this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it before. I haven’t read many books from this time in history. Parts of it were disturbing but I like the main character, Moses, very much. It’s well written. Writing about sounds has to be a challenge, but Mr. Harvell does it well — I could hear the bells ringing and the choirs singing. I’m glad I read it.

⭐ Since it is based in Switzerland, i ordered this. i just started it and find it very unusual. Seems like a good book.

⭐ Informative period piece — aligns with current day where passion for some become the tragedy for others. Lovely story!

⭐ Part of this book is not for the faint of heart! An interesting story about the life of a 1700’s choir boy and his innate talent for deciphering sounds. Occasionally the author will just jump ahead a few years and quickly tell you what transpired which was a little odd. Overall a different and interesting story. I recommend this book.

⭐ I couldn’t help but like this book despite its flaws. The characters were likable and well drawn, and the story was interesting and compelling. The author is truly gifted when it comes to writing. I found myself caught up in his descriptions and his enthusiasm many times.That said, he could have tightened the writing considerably. His sentence structure and style were very literary, and his exposition was sometimes too lengthy. I wished he would have edited the ms more before publishing this work.The flaws? Well, despite the obvious research that went into this book, there were plausibility issues–and not just little details here and there. The rearing and the abilities of the main character were simply fantasy. While I would agree that hearing the clangs of bells muffled by tissue and amniotic fluid might make a child accustomed to (and maybe even attune to) tones, the same ear drums that could withstand noise so loud it ruptured others’ ear drums at a greater distance could not be the same ones so sensitive to sound as are Moses’. The two are mutually exclusive.The narrator actually says at one point, “This is not magic–I promise you as your faithful witness.”, as if that will make it so. Sorry. It didn’t.The acquiring of language by a child whose mother doesn’t speak was also suspect. It would have taken more than occasional, overheard conversations on his trips into the village to learn to speak well. The author should have had one of the village children befriend Moses and sneak off to play with him as his main means of acquiring language. THAT I could have believed.These errors were made even more glaring by the fact the author includes ‘A note to the reader’ at the beginning, which is authored by a fictitious person (the ‘son’ of the main character, who has apparently found his father’s memoirs). It gave the book such an authentic, non-fiction feel that I actually stopped and checked to make sure the book was, in fact, a work of fiction. To follow that with such a dubious beginning to the plot almost completely negated the realism.All in all, though, I’m glad I read this book. I loved the characters, esp. Moses and the older Nicolai; and there was enough romance woven in to satisfy this die-hard romance reader. If you can overlook the plausibility issues and you don’t mind ‘purple prose’, you might like it, too.

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