The Wilderness
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:4th Feb '10
Should be back in stock very soon
An extraordinary debut novel by a young writer of remarkable gifts
He has lost his wife, his son is in prison and he is about to lose his past. Jake has Alzheimer's.
As the disease takes hold of him, the key events of his life shift, and what until recently seemed solid fact melts into surreal imaginings.
FROM THE AUTHOR OF 2024 BOOKER PRIZE WINNING ORBITAL
It's Jake's birthday. He has lost his wife, his son is in prison and he is about to lose his past. Jake has Alzheimer's.
As the disease takes hold of him, the key events of his life shift, and what until recently seemed solid fact melts into surreal imaginings. Is his daughter alive or long dead? And why exactly is his son in prison? There was a cherry tree once, and a yellow dress, but what do they mean? Is there anything he'll be able to salvage from the wreckage?
*cover may vary*
‘Deeply original and captivating… [a novel] so full of urgent life that it rouses even as it terrifies’ OLIVIA LAING, OBSERVER
‘Brilliant… An extraordinary dramatization of a mind in the process of disintegration’ THE TIMES
Brave and intelligent...a mesmerising work * Independent *
A stunning composition of human fragility and intensity * Guardian *
An extraordinary dramatisation of a mind in the process of disintegration ... Brilliant - read it now, before it scoops up all the prizes * The Times *
Touches a resounding chord of melancholy. The author, whose debut this is, is very talented * Evening Standard *
This is a finely written ode to memory, identity and love * Financial Times *
a forensic examination of loss and misunderstanding, a paean to the vital force of stories, and an incredibly moving look at a sword of Damocles that hangs over us all * Observer *
The imagined experience of dementia is intricately, cleverly woven * Sunday Times *
A brave, intelligent book * Daily Express *
Harvey uses her precise and unostentatious style to full effect * Times Literary Supplement *
A treat for literature lovers who appreciate complexity in their novels and aren't afraid to deal with tough topics * Library Journal *
- Winner of Betty Trask Award 2009
- Short-listed for Guardian First Book Award 2009
- Short-listed for Orange Prize for Fiction 2009
ISBN: 9780099526537
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 23mm
Weight: 236g
336 pages