Alphabet by Kathy Page
In Thatcher's Britain, barely out of his teens, highly intelligent but illiterate and with a childhood of care homes and fostering behind him, Simon Austen is sent down for life for murdering his girlfriend. He did it but he doesn't know why - or maybe doesn't want to know why. Or both ...Then Simon makes an important decision to rehabilitate himself on his own terms. He learns to read and write; then, daringly, from his high security prison, begins an illicit correspondence with members of the opposite sex. Language suddenly takes on a new significance and the world opens up. But what kind of relationships are possible for a man who has committed an appalling crime? As Simon puts it: What will she be like? And who will I become? Through Simon's journey into himself, his search for answers, sometimes perilous and always unpredictable, we are forced to explore both our understanding of identity and our ambivalent attitudes to crime, justice and the possibility of redemption.
'Page brilliantly captures the brutality of prison life' -- Kath Murphy SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY Page's prison work has given her a profound insight into the workings of the prison system as well as the minds of the prisoners, and she has written a truly gripping novel-- Linda Maher Sunday Business Post 'ALPHABET is not just highly readable, but one of the strongest, most eloquent, most tightly constructed novels of 2004...It is a measure of the quiet artistry of ALPHABET that, out of material that would have been at home in the blackest of black comedies, Kathy Page has fashioned a fable about redemptive love... she has celebrated, with rare deftness, the resilience of the human heart.' -- David Robson SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ' a book which lets us see the humanity and vulnerability that accompany monstrous acts.' -- Roz Kaveny TIME OUT 'They (the main characters) are all there for the recognizable roles they represent but they are individually well-drawn and collectively they help to make the story compelling. Simon himself emerges with a strong credible personality.' -- Sarah Curtis TLS 'a truly compelling read, right to the last page.' NEW BOOKS MAGAZINE 'Page, by necessity, keeps her own prose quiet and unbotrusive, while her insight throws light on a painful struggle to understand through articulation.' MYSLEXIA 'It is a bracing study, emotionally nimble and intelligent, and forms a very fine novel.' -- Patrick Ness THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Kathy Page was born in London. She was Writer in Residence at a British prison in 1992 and lives on a remote Canadian island with her husband and children.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780297607885 |
| ISBN 10 | 029760788X |
| Title | Alphabet |
| Author | Kathy Page |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2004-07-08 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Prizes | Commended for Governor General's Literary Awards (Fiction) 2005 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |