More about the book
Signal & Noise unfolds the gripping tale of the trans-Atlantic cable's creation and the lives intertwined with its monumental journey. Set against the backdrop of a rainy London morning in 1857, American engineer Chester Ludlow arrives at the Isle of Dogs to witness the launch of the Great Eastern, the largest steamship ever built. Among the crowd is Jack Trace, a lonely bachelor and aspiring illustrator. Other notable figures include a drunken German named Marx, a child who mistakenly christens the ship, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the ship’s architect facing impending disgrace. As chief engineer for the Atlantic Cable Company, Chester becomes involved with the flamboyant J. Beaumol Spude, who orchestrates the project's funding, and Joachim Lindt, the creator of the Phantasmagorium, along with his talented wife, Katerina. Meanwhile, Chester leaves behind his fragile wife, Franny, at their Maine estate. Mourning their deceased daughter, Franny finds comfort in the company of Chester’s troubled brother, Otis, who introduces her to the burgeoning world of spiritualism. As Chester gains fame for his engineering feats, Franny emerges as a leading spirit conjuror in a nation on the brink of Civil War, desperately seeking to connect with her lost child.
Book purchase
Signal & Noise, John Griesemer
- Language
- Released
- 2003
- product-detail.submit-box.info.binding
- (Hardcover)
Payment methods
We’re missing your review here.
- Title
- Signal & Noise
- Subtitle
- A Novel
- Language
- English
- Authors
- John Griesemer
- Publisher
- Picador
- Released
- 2003
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 593
- ISBN10
- 0312300824
- ISBN13
- 9780312300821
- Series
- Tags
- Fiction, Historical Fiction, Love, USA, Death, Life, 19th century, Great Britain, Past, London, Ships
- Original title
- Signal & noise
- Rating
- 3.9 out of 5
- Description
- Signal & Noise unfolds the gripping tale of the trans-Atlantic cable's creation and the lives intertwined with its monumental journey. Set against the backdrop of a rainy London morning in 1857, American engineer Chester Ludlow arrives at the Isle of Dogs to witness the launch of the Great Eastern, the largest steamship ever built. Among the crowd is Jack Trace, a lonely bachelor and aspiring illustrator. Other notable figures include a drunken German named Marx, a child who mistakenly christens the ship, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the ship’s architect facing impending disgrace. As chief engineer for the Atlantic Cable Company, Chester becomes involved with the flamboyant J. Beaumol Spude, who orchestrates the project's funding, and Joachim Lindt, the creator of the Phantasmagorium, along with his talented wife, Katerina. Meanwhile, Chester leaves behind his fragile wife, Franny, at their Maine estate. Mourning their deceased daughter, Franny finds comfort in the company of Chester’s troubled brother, Otis, who introduces her to the burgeoning world of spiritualism. As Chester gains fame for his engineering feats, Franny emerges as a leading spirit conjuror in a nation on the brink of Civil War, desperately seeking to connect with her lost child.