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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.
'The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected. We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans.' (Publication summary)
Notes
-
Dedication: To Nathaniel...
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not."
-
Epigraph:
"Now the acts of David the king, first and last,
behold, they are written in the words of Samuel the
seer, and in the words of Nathan the prophet..."
-1 Chronicles 29:29
"Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and
last, are they not written in the history of Nathan
the prophet..."
-2 Chronicles 9:29
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Also large print.
Works about this Work
-
Geraldine Brooks, The Secret Chord
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 10 October 2015;
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
Review : The Secret Chord
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Books + Publishing , July vol. 95 no. 1 2015; (p. 22)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
King of Contrasts
2015
single work
column
— Appears in: Good Reading , October 2015; (p. 30-33) 'The biblical tale of shepherd boy David’s defeat of the giant-sized Goliath and his subsequent rise to become king of Israel have been passed down through many generations. In her new novel, acclaimed historical fiction writer Geraldine Brooks delves beyond the legend to reveal the life – and loves – of a man who continues to fascinate 3000 years after his death. She shares the experience of writing about the man and the myth with Maureen Eppen.' -
Well Read
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 24 October 2015; (p. 27)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
Tale of Shepherd Who Would Be King Boldly Re-imagined
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 31 October - 1 November 2015; (p. 29) The Age , 31 October 2015; (p. 29)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel
-
Drama of Biblical Proportions
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 10-11 October 2015; (p. 21)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
Hill Country
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 375 2015; (p. 41)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
Discovering King David Brooks Delves into the Bible
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 27 October 2015; (p. 6)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
‘The Secret Chord,’ by Geraldine Brooks
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The New York Times Book Review , 25 October 2015; (p. 23)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
Tale of Shepherd Who Would Be King Boldly Re-imagined
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 31 October - 1 November 2015; (p. 29) The Age , 31 October 2015; (p. 29)
— Review of The Secret Chord 2015 single work novel -
Geraldine Brooks
2015
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 3-4 October 2015; (p. 30-31) The Saturday Age , 3-4 October 2015; (p. 24) 'The Pulitzer winner was inspired by her harp-playing son to turn David, the shepherd boy of the Old Testament, into the central character of a powerful novel, writes Mark McEvoy.' -
King of Contrasts
2015
single work
column
— Appears in: Good Reading , October 2015; (p. 30-33) 'The biblical tale of shepherd boy David’s defeat of the giant-sized Goliath and his subsequent rise to become king of Israel have been passed down through many generations. In her new novel, acclaimed historical fiction writer Geraldine Brooks delves beyond the legend to reveal the life – and loves – of a man who continues to fascinate 3000 years after his death. She shares the experience of writing about the man and the myth with Maureen Eppen.'
Awards
- 2017 longlisted International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
- 2016 shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) — Australian Literary Fiction Book of the Year
- 2016 shortlisted Indie Awards — Fiction
- 2016 longlisted Women's Prize Trust Awards — Women's Prize for Fiction (UK)
- 2016 shortlisted Australian Booksellers Association Awards — BookPeople Book of the Year