Human Voices

By Penelope Fitzgerald,

Book cover of Human Voices

Book description

The human voices of Penelope Fitzgerald's novel are those of the BBC in the first years of the Second World War, the time when the Concert Hall was turned into a dormitory for both sexes and the whole building became a target for the enemy bombers.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Human Voices as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

An unsparing portrait of a cast of characters working for the BBC in London at the outset of the war, this novel is both funny and moving, though Fitzgeraldā€™s keen sense of irony assures that the writing is never sentimental. Even the most minor characters come to life, as they adjust to both the bureaucracy of the wartime BBC and the realities of life during the Blitz. 

If you love Human Voices...

Ad

Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Want books like Human Voices?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Human Voices.

Browse books like Human Voices

Book cover of Suite FranƧaise
Book cover of Love in a Fallen City
Book cover of Enemies: A Love Story

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,009

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

šŸ“š If you like Human Voices, you might also like...

Book cover of A Beggar's Bargain

A Beggar's Bargain by Jan Sikes,

A shocking proposal that changes everything.

Desperate to honor his fatherā€™s dying wish, Layken Martin vows to do whatever it takes to save the family farm. Once the Army discharges him following World War II, Layken returns to Missouri to find his legacy in shambles and in jeopardy. A foreclosureā€¦

Book cover of Gunner Hobbs: WWII in the Pacific! Tulagi! Tarawa! Saipan!

Gunner Hobbs by Herb Marlow,

A WWII novel about a young Gunner's Mate - Max Hobbs - serving on a troop transport in the Pacific Theater.

Hobbs is a man with exceptional eye sight who earns a snipers designation in Gunner's Mate school. When he graduates he is assigned to an APA in San Diego,ā€¦

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the London Blitz, London, and presidential biography?

The London Blitz 35 books
London 873 books