The Sound of My Voice: Winner of Prix Millepages and Prix Lucioles, both for Best Foreign Novel

By Ron Butlin

Morris Magellan wakes one morning to find himself stuck in a corporate job and living the suburban dream with a wife and two children, except this dream feels like a nightmare. Out of his depth and starting to drift from reality, we meet Morris at the precipice. Bit by bit he is losing his struggle with addiction – he just doesn't know it yet. His only solace and escape from suburban family life and corporate duties is music and alcohol. His life is soundtracked with symphonies and concertos, every note, and every drink, carries him from moment to moment hoping to salvage something of himself before that too slips from his grasp.
Harrowing but compellingly written, with humour and compassion, The Sound of My Voice is a stylistic masterpiece that presents conflict between a man's cowardice and cruelty, and a desperate attempt to recover his humanity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Polygon
• Release date: Apr 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9780857909985

Ron Butlin

Ron Butlin is an award-winning poet, playwright, novelist, short-story writer, children’s author and librettist whose works have been translated into many languages. He regularly gives creative writing workshops in schools, and was Edinburgh Makar from 2008 to 2014.

Reviews for The Sound of My Voice

[polarbear123_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best books about the human psyche and it's deficiencies make you question yourself and have a good look at your own possible issues. This is one of those books. If you have never had mental health problems hen perhaps you won't fully grasp how this book beautifully portrays a middle aged man trying not to drown in life. Essential reading.

[miro_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know if this book was influenced by Eric Berne's writing but it fits nicely into Transactional Analysis (eg his book "What Do You Say After You Say Hello?").A tiresome clever wally marketing manager uses alcohol to hide his damaged emotional state (from childhood) and support his playacting marriage and working life. He slides into a downward spiral but instead of arriving at the scripted crash, his inner (adult) voice pushes aside the child and gently helps him to help himself and successfully challenge the root of the problem, in this case his dead father.A short but interesting book about alcoholism.