All That Is Solid Melts into Air: A Novel
Written by Darragh McKeon
Narrated by Simon Prebble
4/5
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About this audiobook
“Brilliantly imagined in its harrowing account of the Chernobyl disaster and exhilarating in its sweep, All That Is Solid Melts into Air is a debut to rattle all the windows and open up the ventricles of the heart. . . . The book is daring, exhilarating, generous and beautifully written.” — Colum McCann
A brilliant and gripping novel set against the tragedy of Chernobyl and the way in which the lives of its survivors were forever changed in its wake. Part historical epic, part love story, it recalls The English Patient in its mix of emotional intimacy and sweeping landscape.
Russia, 1986. On a run-down apartment block in Moscow, a nine-year-old prodigy plays his piano silently for fear of disturbing the neighbors. In a factory on the outskirts of the city, his aunt makes car parts, hiding her dissident past. In a nearby hospital, a surgeon immerses himself in his work, avoiding his failed marriage.
And in a village in Belarus, a teenage boy wakes to a sky of the deepest crimson. Outside, the ears of his neighbor's cattle are dripping blood. Ten miles away, at the Chernobyl Power Plant, something unimaginable has happened. Now their lives will change forever.
An end-of-empire novel charting the collapse of the Soviet Union, All That Is Solid Melts into Air is a riveting and epic love story by a major new talent.
Editor's Note
Aftermath of a major meltdown…
Meltdowns—whether familial, national, or nuclear—form the hotly glowing heart of this ambitious debut novel about Chernobyl. McKeon finds those precious details and moments where the intimate and the historical intertwine.
Darragh McKeon
DARRAGH McKEON was born in 1979 and grew up in the midlands of Ireland. His debut novel, All That Is Solid Melts into Air, was published in 2014 to widespread international acclaim and was translated into nine languages. Since then, after travelling extensively, he has returned to live in the west of Ireland.
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Reviews for All That Is Solid Melts into Air
69 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All That Is Solid Melts Into Air by Darragh McKeon is a deep look not only into the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, but further into the lives of those affected. McKeon creates several story lines allowing the reader to follow various threads through his work of literature. Clearly McKeon has done some research into Chernobyl and the following years however I would classify his work more as literary fiction with a touch of historical fiction, so those who tend to shy away from historical works of fiction, this may be perfect for you. With that said, I truly did lose myself in the book and the various families affected, as for how the government reacted, I take the book for what it is, literary fiction. I would not hesitate to recommend All That Is Solid Melts Into Air and believe McKeon has done an exceptional job with his first novel.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Superb. Moving, harsh, tender and brave.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An amazing and moving story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I loved the beginning of this book, seeing the Chernobyl disaster from a wide variety of viewpoints - families who live nearby, a doctor who is flown in to take care of the thousands of people sickened by radiation. And behind everyone's story is the very large presence of the Soviet government, who doesn't want to show fault or blame. But I felt the story petered out, with bouts of very vivid imagery, followed by some meanderings that didn't quite fit in. Still, considering I picked this book up because of its title, a surprisingly good read!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What an impressive first novel this is! Hard to believe that this isn't written by a seasoned author. Mr. McKeon definitely knows how to pull you into a story and how to tie your heart around his characters.It's not an easy book to read. The story is a dismal one but I believe it's a necessary one to remind us of how each day we face the destruction of our planet by our own hand. It's hard to absorb the magnitude of this disaster.The book also delves into what was happening in the Soviet Union politically during the time of the Chernobyl disaster and the effects on its citizens. The author has created a compelling story which becomes quite suspenseful towards the end. The book is beautifully written and is one that won't be forgotten soon. I'm looking forward to more of Darragh McKeon's work.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I picked this book up even though the topic ( Chernobyl meltdown) didn't sound interesting, but it is a beautiful novel, reads almost like the greats of Russian literature.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Signs of the impending collapse of the Soviet Union are everywhere, but fear of the regime is equally widespread. Piano playing prodigy Yevgeni faces violence daily as he travels the city. His aunt and mother struggle to make ends meet while staying under the radar. Everyone knows something has gone terribly wrong, from farm boy Artyom who notices that the cows’ ears are bleeding to Grigory, a doctor who sees how peoples’ lives are valued less than keeping up appearances. All of these characters will struggle to not only survive, but to make a difference.
I like to think that as I’ve been writing reviews, I’ve gotten better at describing the writing techniques which I like and dislike. Nevertheless, I still sometimes stumble across a gem like this, where the writing is simply perfect for reasons which surpass my understanding. Part of it is that the author uses somber adjectives and short, sharp descriptions, like a flash lighting up bits of the scene he’s describing. Part of it is that he’s clearly done his research. Reading about every character, from the farm boy to the doctor, I felt immersed in the captivating details of their daily life. Part of it is the minimalism of his writing and part of it is the insightfulness of his comments on human nature. And part of it was his ability to surprise me with new metaphors and descriptions that never would occur to me, but which were always apropos. But for all of those things I can define, I still feel like there’s something intangible which made the writing so perfect.
Something I disliked about the book, but which I don’t think will be a negative for everyone, is how dark and depressing it was. There’s some violence, including violence towards animals and children, which added to the plot. There was also some violence I didn’t think was necessary. Perhaps it was historically accurate, but even so, I would have been happier without it. I also wasn’t entirely happy with the ending because when I finished I felt uncertain what the point of the story was. We didn’t get to observe much character growth. None of the characters are able to significantly alter the state of the country. There’s some build up to large confrontation which never occurs. However, I think enjoyment and education I found while reading are point enough, so I would still recommend this very highly.
This review first published on Doing Dewey. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An amazing book especially considering it is the author's first, and while he is not Russian but rather born in Ireland, the story takes place in Russia mostly in 1986-1987. The story is about three groups of individuals; one a doctor his ex wife, a 9 year old piano prodigy who's aunt is the doctors ex wife, and a young man and his family who live a few miles from Chernobyl on that fateful day when nuclear power became a dirty word. The three groups are connected because of what happens at Chernobyl and how it shapes their future.You get a real sense of the bleakness and difficulties of life under such authoritarian rule, even though it was beginning to open up. A very well written, quick read, but quite moving.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Based on the rather lovely title, I wasn't sure whether this would be a book for me or not. While I like the title on one level, on another level it could lead to pretentious writing. Ignorant me – I didn't realize before I read the book that is is a quote from Karl Marx in The Communist Manifesto. Then it made perfect sense.The story is a beautiful blending of personal and global tragedy, the personal sometimes caused by the global. Aside from having wonderful, believable characters, it gave me a closer look at the tragedy of Chernobyl and the tyrannical Soviet government, so many mistakes made to save face, so many poor decisions. And fortunately, the writing was not at all pretentious.This is one of those novels that rings so true that it is at times painful to read, but it is also a beautiful novel that will stay with me long after I finished the last page.I was given an advance reader's copy of the book for review.