A story of beauty and butterflies, of passion, greed and violence set in the Amazon rainforest
The Sound of Butterflies
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Book Description
It is 1903. Thomas Edgar, a passionate collector of butterflies, is offered the chance of a lifetime: to travel to the Amazon as part of a scientific expedition. Hoping to find the mythical butterfly that will make his name and immortalise that of his wife, Sophie – for if he finds it, he will call it the Papilo Sophia – he eagerly accepts the invitation, and embarks on a journey that will take him to a whole new world. On his return, Sophie greets her husband at the railway station, and is appalled by the change in him: he is thin, obviously sick, and apparently so traumatised by what he witnessed while he was away, he has been rendered mute. As Thomas struggles to find the words to describe what he's seen, it's unclear whether or not Sophie – and their marriage – will be able to withstand what he has to tell her, for the story that unfolds, the story behind Thomas's silence, is one of great brutality. Like the butterflies Thomas is so obsessed by, the butterflies that he catches and kills, it's a story of men who have been dazzled by surface splendour and wealth, and consequently refuse to acknowledge its underlying cruelty. But when that cruelty ends in murder, the question for Thomas – and Sophie – is whether or not he should be the one to speak out. Written in rich, sensuous prose, and taking the reader from the demure gentility of Edwardian England to the decadence of Brazil’s rubber boom, The Sound of Butterflies is a compelling and noteworthy debut.
About the Author
Rachael King has worked in radio, television and magazines, and played bass guitar in several bands. The recipient of the 2005/6 Lilian Ida Smith Award, she now writes full time. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have recently developed a love for butterflies, so felt that this book would be perfect for me. The story is set in the early 1900s, and is about Thomas Edgar, a young man who has an obsession with butterflies. Although he is not a professional collector, he has connections with someone at Kew Gardens, who hears about a scientific expedition to the Amazon. This friend feels that this expedition would give Thomas just the opportunity to make a name for himself, and prove to the world that his interest in butterflies is more than just a passing hobby. Thomas also sees it as a chance to discover a mythic butterfly which no-one else has yet been able to catch. Thomas is consumed with the idea of catching this butterfly and naming it in honour of his wife, Sophie. Yet, when Thomas returns from the jungle, Sophie discovers that her husband has been rendered mute - it seems obvious that something terrible must have happened to him out there, but what?
The story is told both from Thomas's and Sophie's perspective. The chapters alternate from Thomas narrating his journey in the jungle, and the reader being able to read the letters he sends back home to Sophie, and then onto Sophie describing life with her returned husband, as she tries to come to terms with whatever has happened to him. Because the story takes place during the beginning of the 1900s, Sophie also describes how society's reaction to her husband is a constant worry for her, as she desperately tries to keep up appearances.
What I enjoyed about this book is the descriptions of the two different worlds - the wild jungle and the very prim and proper England. Watching as two young, quite inexperienced lovers come to terms with the world and what society expects of them, was interesting and well written.
I also thought that the subplot of Thomas trying to find this mysterious butterfly was excellently done. The passion that he felt for butterflies was well expressed, making the reader almost feel sorry for Sophie as she worried that Thomas loved them more than her.
My only gripe with the novel was that it took a while to draw you in. While it was quite obvious what the undercurrent was, it wasn't until the final 120 pages or so that King began to tie everything up.
Having said that, for a long warm summer evening, sitting in the garden, this book makes a lovely companion.
The story is told both from Thomas's and Sophie's perspective. The chapters alternate from Thomas narrating his journey in the jungle, and the reader being able to read the letters he sends back home to Sophie, and then onto Sophie describing life with her returned husband, as she tries to come to terms with whatever has happened to him. Because the story takes place during the beginning of the 1900s, Sophie also describes how society's reaction to her husband is a constant worry for her, as she desperately tries to keep up appearances.
What I enjoyed about this book is the descriptions of the two different worlds - the wild jungle and the very prim and proper England. Watching as two young, quite inexperienced lovers come to terms with the world and what society expects of them, was interesting and well written.
I also thought that the subplot of Thomas trying to find this mysterious butterfly was excellently done. The passion that he felt for butterflies was well expressed, making the reader almost feel sorry for Sophie as she worried that Thomas loved them more than her.
My only gripe with the novel was that it took a while to draw you in. While it was quite obvious what the undercurrent was, it wasn't until the final 120 pages or so that King began to tie everything up.
Having said that, for a long warm summer evening, sitting in the garden, this book makes a lovely companion.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By R. N. Morris
Format:Hardcover
When Sophie Edgar welcomes her husband Thomas back from an expedition to the Amazon in 1904, she is shocked by the transformation that has come over him. For one thing, Thomas, who appears to be in some kind of catatonic state, steadfastly refuses to say a word to her or anyone else. And then there are the strange welts on his back and the nasty wound on his arm. Whatever Thomas has witnessed or experienced, while engaged in the seemingly innocent activity of collecting butterflies, there's no doubt it has had a devastating effect on him, both body and soul. Here is a man who has been damaged more than injured. In truth, he is no longer the man he was, the man Sophie married. Will she ever get `her Thomas' back? Or must she find a way to love the man he has become?
This beautifully written and gripping historical novel tells its story through the dual points of view of Sophie and Thomas. Sophie's chapters are written in the present tense and describe her efforts to understand what has happened to Thomas, and her struggle to help him and rescue their marriage. The chapters told from Thomas's point of view take us to the inescapable heart of darkness that lies beneath the veneer of civilisation and prosperity. The journey is compelling and vividly evoked.
King creates a wonderfully varied and well delineated cast of characters, including the charismatic and dangerous Santos, the Anglophile rubber baron whose money funds the scientists' expedition. As Thomas's eyes are opened to a series of unpalatable truths, his dream turns sour and his innocence is revealed as naivety. His own guilt and corruption overwhelm him.
The Sound of Butterflies is an extremely accomplished debut, with story, pacing and character development (or rather disintegration) all handled with enviable confidence and judgement. What impresses most, however, is the sheer quality of the writing, which is all the more powerful for its restraint.
This beautifully written and gripping historical novel tells its story through the dual points of view of Sophie and Thomas. Sophie's chapters are written in the present tense and describe her efforts to understand what has happened to Thomas, and her struggle to help him and rescue their marriage. The chapters told from Thomas's point of view take us to the inescapable heart of darkness that lies beneath the veneer of civilisation and prosperity. The journey is compelling and vividly evoked.
King creates a wonderfully varied and well delineated cast of characters, including the charismatic and dangerous Santos, the Anglophile rubber baron whose money funds the scientists' expedition. As Thomas's eyes are opened to a series of unpalatable truths, his dream turns sour and his innocence is revealed as naivety. His own guilt and corruption overwhelm him.
The Sound of Butterflies is an extremely accomplished debut, with story, pacing and character development (or rather disintegration) all handled with enviable confidence and judgement. What impresses most, however, is the sheer quality of the writing, which is all the more powerful for its restraint.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By P. Lewis
Format:Paperback
I read this book because it was the choice of a member of my book group. I had high hopes from the title, but was sadly disappointed. The story line was thin and the characters were not well drawn. The sexual references were sleazy somehow - and I am no prude. The thought of Edwardian gentlemen constantly thinkng about their erections and hardly ever washing was more than I could bear!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Seductive Read
Thomas Edgar, an amateur Edwardian lepidopterist, is taken on an expedition to the rain forest. He hopes to find a "mythical" butterfly with one wing yellow and one wing black. Read more
Published 2 months ago by gerardpeter
1.0 out of 5 stars
Wasted several hours of my life reading this book!
If I hadn't been reading this book as a book club choice, I wouldn't have bothered finishing it. I found the story far-fetched, the characters unsympathetic and thought it was... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2010 by S. Neville
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!
This is a fantastic book! The story is beautifully written and the characters come to life and take you with them on their journey through the rainforest. Read more
Published on 12 July 2008 by L. Carlile
5.0 out of 5 stars
A jewel in arid times
I wrote a full review of this book last year, and then PING! it shot off into the ether recently. Goodness knows why, but I'm crap with computers, so it was bound to happen... Read more
Published on 6 April 2008 by Phil
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