These stories are mesmerizing, subtlety woven together throughout. I will happily reread each, paying attention to the multitude of nuances and references that I undoubtedly missed the first time out. Thoughtful, persuasive and beautifully written. So many thanks to Viking/Penguin Random House for a copy.

This didn't really work for me [mostly] and to be completely transparent, I had fully realized it was stories [both short and long] with multiple narrators, I would have 1--% passed on this because I am really not a fan of short stories [in general - there have been some I have loved, but they are few and far between] or just story collections in general, so once knowing this was stories, I wasn't really looking forward to reading this book.

1. I never really saw how the stories [supposedly] connected. I may or may not have [::coughcough::] skipped a few of the stories after starting them [due to dislike/disinterest in the story or a dislike of the narrator, or in some cases, both], but I think even if I had fully read all of them, I'd have missed the connection. The only theme I really saw was how desperately sad many of them were.

2. I only ended up liking [and that really might be too strong of a word - more like they resonated with me on a deep level] 2 of all the stories [with a third that I didn't enjoy but it really stuck with me]; The History of Sound [5 stars for this story - such a strong beginning and truly the best of them all. This was slow, languid and desperately sad], and The Journal of Thomas Thurber, which was read by the incomparable Nick Offerman [excellent as he was, even he couldn't save that W T A F ending]; this was a very different kind of story, but this too was very, very, very, sad.
The 3rd story that both resonated AND stayed with me was Graft and that was mostly because I cried almost the whole way through it. ::shrug::

If you are a lover of short stories [especially extremely sad ones], then this is a book for you. The ones that resonated with me were well-written and they evoked the feelings they were meant to and with those, I can see why people love this book. Unfortunately, it just didnt fully work for me and I was left wondering just what did I miss and deeply disappointed.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher [Penguin Group - Viking] and I thank them, the author, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the tradition of Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge and Daniel Mason's North Woods, Ben Shattuck's The History of Sound is its own resonant collection of interconnected stories. The pacing of each keeps you turning pages unlike any short story collection I've read. That's probably because, like with musical couplets, each story has a companion that elucidates or twists the previous story. Set in and with great reverence for New England, the literary couplets are written in very different voices and styles. One story, for example, is written in the style (with the audio version performed in the voices) of a Radiolab episode. Its companion, "The Auk," touches on natural history as its narrator speaks in first-person of the tender gifts exchanged with his wife as she slips into dementia. "The Auk" is one of my favorites in the collection; another being "The Journal of Thomas Thurber," an epistolary narrative read pitch-perfectly by Nick Offerman in the audio version. This is a breathtaking book that is worth listening to, reading and re-reading, and soon watching. I understand a movie version of the title story is due in 2025.

[Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

THE HISTORY OF SOUND: STORIES by Ben Shattuck beautifully threads short stories together across time and place; each one captivating on its own but also enriching the others as the connections between them emerge. Themes of loss and longing, of alternate paths, are prevalent. From wax cylinders capturing forgotten songs to paintings that linger in the mind with newfound meaning, to the mysterious reappearance of an extinct bird, each story draws readers in with its memorable and evocative situations.

Shattuck has an intuitive grasp of both storytelling and language, building complex characters with skill. This collection of stories demand your attention as they methodically entertain and reveal.

(Thank you to Penguin Group Viking for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

I really enjoy the linked story form and I enjoyed this book quite a bit, especially the History of Sound bookends. I really loved the stories that introduced a tantalizing historical oddity that is explored as the background to relationships either unraveling or coming together. My only gripe is that these stories were usually followed by the “answer” to the puzzle previously introduced and a part of me found these “answer” stories less satisfying. The “answer” stories just feel like exposition. There is no ingenuity or skill involved finding these answers… the reader is just told. In any case, I really liked this book and would recommend it to others.

An interesting collection of short stories that are interconnected through mere tendrils. A lover of short stories can read any of these on their own. A lover of novels will be fascinated in how details from one story show up in another. New England truly comes alive through these stories that take place over time in a variety of New England locations.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. It is a collection of short stories- some had a relationship to others. The beginning and ending stories concerned a couple of young men who traveled around Maine one summer recording folk songs on wax cylinders. The short stories were clever and well written.

This collection of often subtly interconnected stories is set in the New England area over three centuries, 1700 to contemporary times. Taking natural settings as their primary features, many are set by the ocean on Nantucket, on Cape Cod, by the sea in Maine, in the Canadian Maritimes, others in the deep forests of Maine or small rural towns. The titular story is of two young men who travel through rural Maine shortly after the First World War finding and recording local people who sing handed down folk music. These are recorded on wax cylinders which are discovered in a later story.

There are stories of families forming or breaking apart, of friendship of anger, even of hatred. There is also the beauty of the land. The connections that the author weaves between stories is done quietly, often beautifully. I will look for more from him.

Recommended for story readers.

Thanks to Viking/Penguin Group, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book

I'm always surprised when people who love to read tell me they don't like short stories. I generally enjoy them very much and this was a good collection. I didn't love every story, but Shattuck is a wonderful writer and he did some clever things with the relationships between stories that kept me very interested. I especially enjoyed "The Auk" and the "podcast transcript" that introduced it. I was also very moved by the heartbreaking "Tundra Swan".

I absolutely loved The History of Sound. I enjoyed Shattuck's nonfiction debut, and my high expectations for this collection were exceeded! The writing is evocative and precise, and the interwoven stories are compelling in their own right and as a whole. Subtle, nuanced, memorable - simply stated, really good. As another reviewer said, place was the main character, so this may be a tougher sell for our West Coast bookstore - but it's good enough that I'll be bringing it in regardless. One of my top two short story collections of 2024 so far, alongside Craft by Ananda Lima. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC.

Subtle and affecting stories. I particularly enjoyed the connections between the stories and the arrangement of the collection, which provides the closure a single story cannot.

Will be recommending this often.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is a collection of loosely connected short stories. In theory, each story is paired with another. While some of the connections are obvious, other situations do not seem to tie into anything. The stories were interesting, but not compelling.

A well=written collection of short stories that all have someting to do with sound. It was unique to have a place be the 'main character' and just move through time.

Thak you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I got this as a digital ARC from NetGalley.

Twelve interconnected stories that really grow on you.

Damn near made me feel like a New Englander?!

3.5 stars - I'm not usually a fan of short stories but I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It took a bit before I understood the connection woven through the stories and I don't think the first one was the best to start with but it makes sense once you've read the last one

Likes: The unique location, point in history, and characters of each story made it a joy to start each one. Each journey was deep, meaningful, and raw. Additionally the stories are told in several different format (diary and Radiolab just to name two)

Dislikes: None of the stories truly came to a satisfactory conclusion, though I should note though that two stories are finished, in a way, in another story but still, the reader gets so immersed and then once it ends, it's jarring.

Overall I think lovers or even likers of short stories should check out this collection!

This sweeping collection was full of life. Every human emotion was reflected in its pages. I cried, quite a few times, while reading some of them. I have heard from others that the audiobook experience is next level, so I plan on buying both a finished copy and the audiobook. I loved it so much.

Oh, I loved this collection. It moved to the top of my list when I heard that Paul Mescal would be in a film adaptation of the title story - but the entire collection is A+. After I finished the e-galley, I downloaded the audio and listened straight through (also amazing) and then went to work and bought 2 of the 4 copies I ordered for the store. AMAZING!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have really enjoyed reading volumes of short stories this year, and "The History of Sound" has definitely been one of my favorites. I ADORE interconnecting stories, so when I saw that's what this novel was comprised of I knew I had to read it! I wasn't disappointed, the prose of this novel was beautiful and all the characters richly created. For any fans of short story collections and LGBTQIA+ literature, you will enjoy this immensely! I look forward to future works by this author and will be checking out the other novel he wrote as well!

What a beautiful collection of stories! All set in New England over four centuries, they are loosely paired, sometimes obviously and sometimes by a small detail carried over. They all deal with some kind of loss or longing or seeking, but the setting ties them all together as well, as with other regional authors (Sarah Orne Jewett keeps coming to mind for some reason). This book is definitely A Mood, and offers a lot of food for thought for readers who are looking for a wistful, contemplative read.

A series of excellent short stories, some of which link together, make for an interesting read. The author is clearly a great writer as I will remember his descriptive plots for years, but what I really enjoyed were the stories that had me yearning for more. I quickly looked up wax cylinders and Connecticut territories, as well as old Nantucket homes. Each story had something to remember. I recommend this but leave time for learning more about a simple artifact, geography, or event based on real life that become part of a story.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.