A Summer of Drowning
A haunting tale of mystery and folklore
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:1st Mar '12
Should be back in stock very soon
In a remote Arctic island, a girl grapples with the mysterious drownings of two boys, questioning whether it was an accident or something more sinister in A Summer of Drowning.
In A Summer of Drowning, readers are introduced to Liv, a young girl living with her mother on a secluded island in the Arctic Circle. Their isolated existence is disrupted when two boys drown under mysterious circumstances in the serene, moonlit waters that surround their home. The tranquility of the setting contrasts sharply with the dark events that unfold, leaving Liv and the community to grapple with the unsettling question of whether these tragedies were mere accidents or the work of a sinister force.
Liv's only companion is an elderly man who captivates her with enchanting stories of mythical creatures, including trolls, mermaids, and the huldra, a dangerous spirit known for luring young men to their demise. As the narrative unfolds, Liv becomes increasingly drawn to these tales, which blur the lines between reality and myth. The atmosphere of the island becomes thick with tension as the community seeks to understand the events that have transpired, raising fears about the possible presence of malevolent spirits.
A Summer of Drowning delves into themes of friendship, loss, and the power of folklore, inviting readers to ponder the nature of fate and the unseen forces that may influence our lives. This haunting and atmospheric novel captures the essence of a young girl's coming-of-age amidst the shadows of tragedy and mystery, ultimately leading her to confront the darkness that looms over her world.
It's very, very rare for a writer to be equally good at poems and novels. John Burnside is. He's a brilliant poet, a brilliant memoirist, and a brilliant novelist ... breathtakingly good -- Christina Patterson * Independent *
The most defining aspect of Burnside's work aside from its linguistic exactness is the beauty of his prose. Quite simply, he is a wonderful writer. Whatever he is writing always seems real and, considering much of the content of this new novel, that is a considerable asset for any storyteller -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *
Burnside allows the ambiguity to remain in a hauntingly memorable book -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *
In this beautifully sustained novel madness, mystery and myth-making collide. Burnside has an eerie attunement to the ineffable nature of existence and the fictions we construct to navigate and explain it -- Adam O'Riordan * Financial Times *
The novel invites you to view storytelling as akin to madness...In a book that often makes coded reference to itself to provoke serious thought as to what fiction is about, this counts as a joke. Its evasions may discomfit those who like to know exactly where they stand, but those who enjoy being teased as well as spooked should relish an eerie, ethereal novel that alludes to Lewis Carroll and uses methods of Hitchcock and David Lynch * Daily Telegraph *
Memorable, atmospheric and compelling -- Tim Souster * Times Literary Supplement *
A beautiful and haunting book...A charming and deeply imaginative novel * Aesthetica *
Lyrical in his descriptions on the land of the midnight sun -- Clare Colvin * Daily Mail *
Burnside's prose has been frequently praised for its clarity, poetic sonority and fine cadences. It is certainly so here ... A Summer of Drowning marries philosophical meditation with the gooseflesh verve of a thriller -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *
Burnside is an accomplished and careful writer. And this is a beautiful book, compelling and strange -- Margaret Reynolds * The Times *
- Short-listed for Costa Novel Award 2011
ISBN: 9780099422372
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 20mm
Weight: 236g
336 pages