What do you think?
Rate this book
Hum
**OUT OF PRINT**
From New York Times bestselling author Michelle Richmond comes the story of a couple who have become “quietly lost to each other.” Paid to live in an apartment used for surveillance, they are separated and driven into silence by “the continual hum coming from the second bedroom, the source of our livelihood and of our growing discontent.” The wife violates the cardinal rule of their living situation – not to look in the second bedroom – and then seeks out the man she finds is being monitored. When a mysterious encounter in a dim hotel room leads to stunning consequences, the story becomes a cautionary political fable and a meditation on modern-day alienation. (Review from newpages.com) The story was originally published in The Missouri Review.
From New York Times bestselling author Michelle Richmond comes the story of a couple who have become “quietly lost to each other.” Paid to live in an apartment used for surveillance, they are separated and driven into silence by “the continual hum coming from the second bedroom, the source of our livelihood and of our growing discontent.” The wife violates the cardinal rule of their living situation – not to look in the second bedroom – and then seeks out the man she finds is being monitored. When a mysterious encounter in a dim hotel room leads to stunning consequences, the story becomes a cautionary political fable and a meditation on modern-day alienation. (Review from newpages.com) The story was originally published in The Missouri Review.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
Nook
First published December 23, 2010
About the author
Michelle Richmond
33 books1,123 followersMichelle Richmond is The New York Times bestselling author of literary mysteries, psychological thrillers, and award-winning story collections. Her new novel, ANIMALS OF THE FRENCH SPECIES, an espionage thriller inspired by her expat years in Paris, is forthcoming from Grove Atlantic.
Her eight previous books include The Wonder Test, the first novel in a series featuring FBI Agent Lina Connerly; The Year of Fog, The New York Times bestseller about one woman's search for a missing child; and the Sunday Times bestseller The Marriage Pact, which has been published in 31 languages.
Michelle was born and raised on Alabama's Gulf Coast. She studied journalism at The University of Alabama and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, where she was a James Michener Fellow. For behind-the-scenes stories behind Animals of the French Species, subscribe to her author newsletter on Substack: michellerichmond.substack.com
Her eight previous books include The Wonder Test, the first novel in a series featuring FBI Agent Lina Connerly; The Year of Fog, The New York Times bestseller about one woman's search for a missing child; and the Sunday Times bestseller The Marriage Pact, which has been published in 31 languages.
Michelle was born and raised on Alabama's Gulf Coast. She studied journalism at The University of Alabama and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, where she was a James Michener Fellow. For behind-the-scenes stories behind Animals of the French Species, subscribe to her author newsletter on Substack: michellerichmond.substack.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 5, 2023
“Think of it as a luxurious house arrest.”
The narrator and her husband accept free run of a large house along with the full time responsibility for a room full of humming, vibrating technological spy equipment. They could still go out to movies, eat at restaurants, view museum exhibits - just not together, at the same time, and they had to take turns going to work. The narrator becomes bored and breaks a number of rules. I enjoyed this little glimpse of a life circumscribed by those rules, and realized I’d have been far more suited to the job than the couple in the story. But that’s just me. 4 stars.
The narrator and her husband accept free run of a large house along with the full time responsibility for a room full of humming, vibrating technological spy equipment. They could still go out to movies, eat at restaurants, view museum exhibits - just not together, at the same time, and they had to take turns going to work. The narrator becomes bored and breaks a number of rules. I enjoyed this little glimpse of a life circumscribed by those rules, and realized I’d have been far more suited to the job than the couple in the story. But that’s just me. 4 stars.
May 19, 2021
Phenomenal ... but it was not a dystopian genre like I had surmised. Rather, it was sublime realism that made fantastical realities believable. I was especially riveted by Scales as it delves into the concept of "Consent."
September 5, 2017
I used this book as a filler book until I could download more books onto my kindle and was pleasantly surprised. Strange Sci-fi type stories that I enjoyed very much and some that I wanted a little bit more of. This book surpassed my expectations.
October 23, 2014
Makes me want to go back through change all my other 5 star ratings to 4 stars. Inventive and true. Some reads inspire me to listen, some reads challenge me to converse and this is one of the latter. Like a discussion with a person who knows you deeply but not completely, where you both come with high expectations of the rigor you'll employ to keep learning from yourselves and from each other.
August 31, 2011
It was alittle too short for my liking. But it was a great read. It left me wanting to know more about the characters and to continue with the story...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews