…Speak feels less remarkable for its structure than for its thoughtfulness and emotional force. Hall is a poet…and that training comes through not just in her musical phrasing or intimacy of expression…[Hall] brines her book in apocalyptic elements…and yet Speak, a cascade of "found" documents and transcripts, is less Black Mirror dystopia than meditation on how life, spirit, improbably gets into language…Speak may not be the first science fiction novel to counterpoise hubris, ingenuity, loss and progress. But the delicacy with which it juggles those concerns, allowing each its crystalline, utterly persuasive and transfixing moment in the air, speaks to Hall's uncommonly deep and complex intellectual engagement with her themes…The freshness—the brilliance, even—of Speak lies in its positioning of robots not as terrifyingly new, but as the latest in a long line of "magic mirrors" from which we are powerless to look away.
The New York Times Book Review - Katy Waldman
SPEAK is that rarest of finds: a novel that doesn’t remind me of any other book I’ve ever read. A complex, nuanced, and beautifully written meditation on language, immortality, the nature of memory, the ethical problems of artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human.” — Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven
“SPEAK reads like a hybrid of David Mitchell and Margaret Atwood; a literary page turner that spans four centuries and examines the idea of who and what we define as human. Louisa Hall has written a brilliant novel.” — Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
Hall subtly weaves a thread through a temporally diverse cast of narrators. Like all good robot novels, Speak raises questions about what it means to be human as well as the meaning of giving voice to memory. — Booklist (starred review)
“strange, beautiful and unputdownable” — New York Post, "The Best Novels to Read this Summer"
“Hall capably weaves the stories to form a beautiful rumination on the nature of memory and the frailty of human relationships.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“While the novel’s ambitions are high-concept, Hall’s narrative is notable for its persuasive heart… Speak gazes boldly forward and lovingly back in order to report on the nature of what it means to be human now.” — Elle
“Hall delivers a dystopian A.I. novel with real heart and soul. Told through 17th century diary entries, letters by Alan Turing, court transcripts in 2040 and instant messages between a bot and a young, brokenhearted girl, this book is strange, beautiful and unputdownable.” — New York Post, Summer Round Up
“[A] stunning new novel... Comparisons to Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, and Helen Phillips will abound, but the remarkable Speak is a unique creation that stands on its own.” -Bustle — Bustle.com
“Stunning and audacious… It’s not just one of the smartest books of the year, it’s one of the most beautiful ones, and it almost seems like an understatement to call it a masterpiece.” — NPR
“Louisa Hall grapples with what it means to be human and how artificial intelligence will fit into those definitions in her ambitious new novel… It’s a complicated but compulsively readable tale, blending the voices of people who wonder whether they’ll ever be heard or, more importantly, understood.” — Austin American-Statesman
“Speak leaves its conclusions to its readers, to flip back and forth among the characters’ differing points of view and decide for themselves - and is all the more engaging for it.” — Salt Lake Tribune
“Enter Louisa Hall’s remarkable July novel Speak, which features not one, but five narrators: each inhabits separate geographical and temporal locations, but all reflect, in some way, on humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence.” — Bustle, What You Should Read This Summer Based On Your Zodiac Sign
“In Speak , distinct voices from distinct eras ponder human connection… Call it the influence of David Mitchell or Hari Kunzru, but Speak is a kaleidoscope of a book… it is a novel that wants to raise big questions about how we know one another and ourselves.” — Los Angeles Times
“Speak is a poignant reminder that language has mystery, and that questions of authenticity will always be with us.” — Tampa Bay Times
“[A]mbitious… The novel’s conceit might appeal to fans of David Mitchell, though Ms. Hall is mostly interested in plumbing the sensitive depths of her characters rather than tightening the screws of a mind-blowing schematic.” — New York Times
“Hall’s empathy suffuses each character’s voice, and the letters from Turing are especially touching.” — New York One
“SPEAK may not be the first science fiction novel to counterpoise hubris, ingenuity, loss and progress. But the delicacy with which it juggles those concerns, allowing each its crystalline, utterly persuasive and transfixing moment in the air, speaks to Hall’s uncommonly deep and complex intellectual engagement with her themes.” — New York Times Book Review
“Hall’s novel manages with great verbal skill to corral these divergent and yet fundamentally similar stories.” — Roanoke Times
“Everything you could want in a story is here... Speak is a novel that calls to the reader in many voices, harnessed to one distinct and singular imagination—Louisa Hall’s. Turn to page one and be amazed.” — Joe Hill, author of NOS4A2
“In this stunning and audacious second novel from Louisa Hall, perspectives shift between different eras and places, twisting together to form a story that’s as hard to describe as it is remarkable. It’s not just one of the smartest books of the year; it’s one of the most beautiful.” — NPR, Best Books of 2015
“A marvelously inventive novel about what it means to communicate with one another.” — Men’s Journal, 35 Best Books of 2015
“[Louisa Hall’s] thoughtful, probing book is as emotionally complex as it is imaginative.” — Slate, Katy Waldman's 10 Favorite Books of 2015
“Speak , Louisa Hall’s lovely, slim science fiction novel, follows one of its characters as she discovers that it’s worth finding her way back to life after betrayal and disappointment.” — Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg's 2015 Books To Be Thankful For
[A] stunning new novel... Comparisons to Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, and Helen Phillips will abound, but the remarkable Speak is a unique creation that stands on its own.” -Bustle
Stunning and audacious… It’s not just one of the smartest books of the year, it’s one of the most beautiful ones, and it almost seems like an understatement to call it a masterpiece.
SPEAK is that rarest of finds: a novel that doesn’t remind me of any other book I’ve ever read. A complex, nuanced, and beautifully written meditation on language, immortality, the nature of memory, the ethical problems of artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human.
strange, beautiful and unputdownable
Louisa Hall grapples with what it means to be human and how artificial intelligence will fit into those definitions in her ambitious new novel… It’s a complicated but compulsively readable tale, blending the voices of people who wonder whether they’ll ever be heard or, more importantly, understood.
Austin American-Statesman
While the novel’s ambitions are high-concept, Hall’s narrative is notable for its persuasive heart… Speak gazes boldly forward and lovingly back in order to report on the nature of what it means to be human now.
SPEAK reads like a hybrid of David Mitchell and Margaret Atwood; a literary page turner that spans four centuries and examines the idea of who and what we define as human. Louisa Hall has written a brilliant novel.
Hall subtly weaves a thread through a temporally diverse cast of narrators. Like all good robot novels, Speak raises questions about what it means to be human as well as the meaning of giving voice to memory.
Booklist (starred review)
Everything you could want in a story is here... Speak is a novel that calls to the reader in many voices, harnessed to one distinct and singular imagination—Louisa Hall’s. Turn to page one and be amazed.
In Speak , distinct voices from distinct eras ponder human connection… Call it the influence of David Mitchell or Hari Kunzru, but Speak is a kaleidoscope of a book… it is a novel that wants to raise big questions about how we know one another and ourselves.
In this stunning and audacious second novel from Louisa Hall, perspectives shift between different eras and places, twisting together to form a story that’s as hard to describe as it is remarkable. It’s not just one of the smartest books of the year; it’s one of the most beautiful.
Hall’s empathy suffuses each character’s voice, and the letters from Turing are especially touching.
Speak , Louisa Hall’s lovely, slim science fiction novel, follows one of its characters as she discovers that it’s worth finding her way back to life after betrayal and disappointment.
A marvelously inventive novel about what it means to communicate with one another.
Enter Louisa Hall’s remarkable July novel Speak, which features not one, but five narrators: each inhabits separate geographical and temporal locations, but all reflect, in some way, on humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence.
What You Should Read This Summer Based On Your Zod Bustle
Speak is a poignant reminder that language has mystery, and that questions of authenticity will always be with us.
[A]mbitious… The novel’s conceit might appeal to fans of David Mitchell, though Ms. Hall is mostly interested in plumbing the sensitive depths of her characters rather than tightening the screws of a mind-blowing schematic.
Speak leaves its conclusions to its readers, to flip back and forth among the characters’ differing points of view and decide for themselves - and is all the more engaging for it.
[Louisa Hall’s] thoughtful, probing book is as emotionally complex as it is imaginative.
Katy Waldman's 10 Favorite Books of 2015 Slate
Hall’s novel manages with great verbal skill to corral these divergent and yet fundamentally similar stories.
SPEAK may not be the first science fiction novel to counterpoise hubris, ingenuity, loss and progress. But the delicacy with which it juggles those concerns, allowing each its crystalline, utterly persuasive and transfixing moment in the air, speaks to Hall’s uncommonly deep and complex intellectual engagement with her themes.
New York Times Book Review
A marvelously inventive novel about what it means to communicate with one another.
In Speak , distinct voices from distinct eras ponder human connection… Call it the influence of David Mitchell or Hari Kunzru, but Speak is a kaleidoscope of a book… it is a novel that wants to raise big questions about how we know one another and ourselves.
Speak , Louisa Hall’s lovely, slim science fiction novel, follows one of its characters as she discovers that it’s worth finding her way back to life after betrayal and disappointment.
Speak leaves its conclusions to its readers, to flip back and forth among the characters’ differing points of view and decide for themselves - and is all the more engaging for it.
Hall delivers a dystopian A.I. novel with real heart and soul. Told through 17th century diary entries, letters by Alan Turing, court transcripts in 2040 and instant messages between a bot and a young, brokenhearted girl, this book is strange, beautiful and unputdownable.
Hall’s work is less a novel than a collection of diaries of a half-dozen people whose lives stretch from the 1600s to the near future. Their writings explore the nature of intelligent thought, communication, and what it means to be human. Seven narrators portray the characters—and one robot—with varying styles and quality. Some are intriguing and endow characters with personality. Others literally “read” the entries with little passion. The core of the story is the development of a “baby bot,” an intelligent robot that is both a toy and a friend to children. Eventually, the robots are destroyed because children prefer them to family. The other characters in the audiobook somehow contribute to the eventual creation of the robots, even if only philosophically. M.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
2015-07-12
