The Weight of Numbers

The Weight of Numbers

by SimonIngs (Author)

Synopsis

On 21 July 1969, two astronauts set foot on the moon; far below, in ravaged Africa, a young revolutionary, hailed as the saviour of his country, is murdered by a parcel bomb. From these two unconnected events, Simon Ings has woven a great and glittering web. "The Weight of Numbers" describes the metamorphosis of three people: Anthony Burden, a mathematical genius destroyed by the secular beauty of numbers; soap actress Stacey Chavez, whose teenage celebrity has faded, leaving her hungry for fame and starved of love; and Saul Cogan, transformed from 60s prankster to murderous people trafficker. All three are haunted by Nick Jinks, who brings horror and death wherever he goes. It is also a novel that connects disparate events, from the history of electroconvulsive therapy; the Blitz; Communist revolution in Cuba; the birth of TV wrestling; and Antarctic exploration. Simon Ings' novel is a triumph of the imagination and a literary landmark.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Edition: Main
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Published: 14 Sep 2006

ISBN 10: 1843544644
ISBN 13: 9781843544647

Media Reviews
Dazzling, admirable narrative verve... It is unlikely there will be a finer written fiction this year * Guardian *
An ambitious, exciting novel.. unforgettable' * The Times *
A dynamic, innovative, and compelling book that brings into focus some of the most interesting trends in contemporary fiction * Daily Telegraph *
Simon Ings' ambitiously genre-defying novel is a virtuoso display of imaginative plotting * Financial Times *
Ings weaves an ingenious, shimmering web of contiguity and chance... a feat of meticulous plotting. * New Statesman *
One of the most exciting - and relevant - books of the last year. Booker material, for sure. * Arena *
A deceptively readable, dizzyingly constructed novel... Ing's mad, mad world is held together to the very last page by humour, vivid depictions and a deeply compelling emotional core * Publishers Weekly STARRED review *
Author Bio
Simon Ings is a novelist (Dead Water, 2011) and science writer (The Eye, 2007). He lives in South London.