The Well

Catherine Chanter author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Canongate Books

Published:3rd Sep '15

Should be back in stock very soon

The Well cover

'I loved this book' JESSIE BURTON LONGLISTED FOR THE 2015 CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

'I loved this book' JESSIE BURTON

AN AUTUMN 2015 RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB READ


LONGLISTED FOR THE 2015 CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER

A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB READ

AN OBSERVER NEW FACE OF FICTION 2015
A HUFFINGTON POST 'ONE TO WATCH IN 2015'

LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER 2015

'I was gripped by Catherine Chanter's The Well immediately. The beauty of her prose is riveting, the imagery so assured. This is an astonishing debut' Sarah Winman, author of When God was a Rabbit

'I loved this book!' JESSIE BURTON, author of The Miniaturist

When Ruth Ardingly and her family first drive up from London in their grime-encrusted car and view The Well, they are enchanted by a jewel of a place, a farm that appears to offer everything the family are searching for. An opportunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A home for their grandson Lucien.

But The Well's unique glory comes at a terrible price. The locals suspect foul play in its verdant fields and drooping fruit trees, and Ruth becomes increasingly isolated as she struggles to explain why her land flourishes whilst her neighbours' produce withers and dies. Fearful of envious locals and suspicious of those who seem to be offering help, Ruth is less and less sure who she can trust.

As The Well envelops them, Ruth's paradise becomes a prison, Mark's dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien's playground a grave.

This story ripples with mystery and intrigue from the first page * * Daily Mail * *
A markedly assured new voice . . . a novel of increasing psychological suspense . . . its story and narrative will put many readers under a deliciously shivery spell * * Sunday Telegraph * *
A drought-ridden, riot-threatened country; a sinister religious cult; a child's unsolved murder; and a culture of surveillance. Catherine Chanter's first novel has the ingredients of a dystopian nightmare, yet it's more . . . a literary page-turner * * Independent * *
This accomplished debut is both a futuristic evocation of a Big Brother society and an Ibsenite fable of humans faced with limited resources * * Observer * *
A haunting novel about ordinary people confronted by extraordinary situations * * Elle * *
I loved this book! -- JESSIE BURTON * * author of THE MINIATURIST * *
There is undeniable power - both of ideas and execution - here. Fans of the once-upon-a-time, read on * * Guardian * *
The Well has the pulse of a thriller combined with a futuristic evocation of a Big Brother society and an Ibsenite fable of humans faced with limited resources. It is so astoundingly assured that I wondered if A. S. Byatt had adopted a pseudonym -- ALLISON PEARSON
The Well is Ruth's narrative, a patchwork of memories too painful to forget and those too painful to remember. It is a curious mixture of a story being told, a personal history being recalled, and a reminder being related to a close friend, or even to oneself . . . How could you accurately summarise this book? I've written well over a thousand words and still don't feel I've captured it at all . . . but I couldn't get enough of it. I'll be keeping an eye out for it (and urging everyone to try it) when it's published in March. The Well is comparable to lots of other books in various small ways, but ultimately stands on its own as something totally unique. It confounds expectations and is a stunning debut. 10/10 * * Learn This Phrase blog, 10/10 * *
This book is extraordinary . . . intoxicating . . . This is proper feminist post-apocalyptic fiction for those who are still missing Station 11 -- Alexandra Heminsley * * The Debrief * *

  • Long-listed for CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2015 (UK)

ISBN: 9781782114666

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 26mm

Weight: 273g

400 pages

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