The image of a creator in the novel "The noise of time" by Julian Barnes

The article examines one of the latest works by Julian Barnes as a novel about an artist. The system of conflicts is connected with the opposition between art and totalitarianism that destroys people‘s souls and lives. Emphasizing the value and eternal nature of music in comparison with «the noise of time» and separating the image of Shostakovich-creator from Shostakovich-human, Barnes underlines the priority of art, creativity over reality. Music prevents the character‘s soul from complete destruction, it aspires to the future, it is immortal.