The Devil's Paintbrush
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Hodder & Stoughton
Published:4th Feb '10
£9.99
Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.
A stunning historical novel by the bestselling author of THE LONG FIRM.
A fascinating, unusual and seductive historical novel by the bestselling author of The Long Firm.
'A consummate performance...virtuoso' Guardian
A fascinating, unusual and seductive historical novel by the bestselling author of The Long Firm.
In a Parisian restaurant, Aleister Crowley, the notorious occultist, chances on Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald: once one of the greatest heroes of the British Empire, now facing ruin in a shocking scandal - and vulnerable to Crowley's curious offer of help. An extraordinary night of transgression and revelation ensues . . .
Probing beneath the surface of Victorian conformity, this is an enthralling tale of imperialism, sexuality and the nature of belief, which captures a world on the brink of a brutal new era.
Brilliantly expansive and original * Daily Mirror *
A consummate performance...a virtuoso work of near history, with the occasional in-joke thrown in for good measure...immensely enjoyable * Guardian *
One of the many pleasures of this skilful book is the maintenance of suspense...Arnott does not ask us to choose between [Crowley and Macdonald] - but much of the moral force of this excellent book lies in his demonstration that there is, nonetheless, a choice to be made. * Independent *
A great read, full of compassion, humour and riveting detail. * Sunday Express *
Arnott's great leap forward...Macdonald's predicament is sympathetically examined and Crowley's monstrous drive is brilliantly rendered...it is his best [novel] * The Herald *
Arnott is clearly having fun here...So to combine that with how the necessity to be good - to be a hero - can be as suffocating a pressure as battling with occultist demons makes The Devil's Paintbrush a fine book * Metro *
ISBN: 9780340922712
Dimensions: 197mm x 129mm x 21mm
Weight: 224g
304 pages