The Axemans Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

The Axemans Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

A dazzling portrayal of humanity and the natural world that perfectly balances violence and humour. "Highly original, thrillingly dark and often very funny."The Spectator's Books of the Year 2024

"Questions of knowing and refusing to know, seeing but not believing, scratch at us in Chidgey’s pagesPerhaps never more effectively — or entertainingly — than in The Axeman’s Carnival." * Financial Times *
“Chidgey elegantly weaves together social commentary, magic realism, folklore and myth, and her treatment of serious themes is deft. A deeply engaging novel with an original and remarkably charming star.” * Irish Times *
"The Axeman’s Carnival offers a shrewd look at human foibles through the eyes of a talking magpie called Tama. This novel is an imaginative treat." * The Independent *
"Funny, dark, insightful and unique, this beautifully written novel is a story and a magpie you will NEVER forget." * Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things *
"I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with a magpie, but from the opening chapter, which is a masterclass in prose, to the final scene, I was spellbound by the foul-mouthed, wisecracking Tama and his quest to save gentle Marnie from unspeakable violence. Another tour de force from Catherine Chidgey." * Karen Powell, author of Fifteen Wild Decembers *
"The Axeman’s Carnival" is both tense and disconcertingly charming. The story is filled with delightful moments but tightens with frightening inevitability to a shocking conclusion." * Lulu Allison, author of Salt Lick *
“A remarkable and original writer, whose novels have the golden combination of being both riveting and superbly-written.” * Lissa Evans *
“The work of a writer absolutely on top of her game, narrated with linguistic brio by a magpie chick, who tells the story of her human rescuer Marnie’s escape from a violent marriage.” * John Mitchinson *
“The Axeman’s Carnival is remarkable, brilliant, a classic in the making.” -- Rachael King * Newsroom *
“The Axeman’s Carnival is a compulsive read and flat-out brilliant.” * Elizabeth Knox *
“One of our very best novelists knocks it out of the park.” * New Zealand Herald (Book of the Year) *
“Chidgey’s writing is masterful, and the underlying sense of dread as the story unfolds is shot through with humour and humanity. The Axeman’s Carnival is unique: poetic, profound and a powerfully compelling read from start to finish.” * Judges’ comments, Ockham NZ Book Awards 2023 *

Catherine Chidgey’s novels have been published to international acclaim. Her first, In a Fishbone Church, won Best First Book at the New Zealand Book Awards and at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (South East Asia and South Pacific). In the UK it won the Betty Trask Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize. Her second, Golden Deeds, was a Notable Book of the Year in The New York Times Book Review and a Best Book in the LA Times. Catherine has won the Prize in Modern Letters, the Katherine Mansfield Award, the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship, the Janet Frame Fiction Prize, and the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize for The Wish Child. She lives in Ngāruawāhia and lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Waikato. Her novel Remote Sympathy was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781787704619
ISBN 10	1787704610
Title	The Axemans Carnival
Author	Catherine Chidgey
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
Year published	2024-04-04
Number of pages	336
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.