Rifling Paradise by Jem Poster
When past indiscretions catch up with Charles Redbourne, a minor English landowner, he is propelled from England to Australia, where he plans to make his mark as a naturalist. There, his life begins to change dramatically, not least when he meets his host's wayward, artistic daughter. But it is on an expedition in search of scientific specimens in the Blue Mountains that events take a terrifying turn. Vividly conveying the unspoken codes of Victorian society, this is a gripping tale of an emotional and psychological reckoning, which offers an inspired meditation on the relationship between humankind and the natural world.
'If great openings are meant to make the reader turn the page, let's just say I turned it - and kept on feverishly turning to the very end.. As a psychological thriller, it's as close to wonderful as anything l've recently read... Stannard is a stunning creation - awkward, difficult, dangerously self-deluding and, ultimately, someone who moves you to inspect your own damaged soul.' - Julie Myerson, Guardian. 'Satisfyingly creepy... What distinguishes the book is not so much the plot but the imagination and prose, comparable to Michel Faber's work in its evocative quality... beautifully written, full of precision and intensity.' - Jane Jakeman, Independent. 'One of the best first novels l've read for a long time... Poster mixes together the familiar ingredients with a subtlety that is rare in contemporary writing' - Ron Butlin, Glasgow Sunday Herald. 'Poster constructs a thrilling narrative on the mystical power of history and stones, and the personal tragedy found in a lack of self-knowledge. It's rare to find a book with such spine-tingling opening lines, and such a quietly appalling closing one.' - Metro. 'He writes beautifully, with rustic setting and period circumstances vividly described' - Jessica Mann, Sunday Telegraph.
Jem Poster is the author of a poetry collection, BROUGHT TO LIGHT (Bloodaxe, 2001), and a previous novel, COURTING SHADOWS, published by Sceptre in 2002. He holds the Chair of Creative Writing at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. In 2003 RIFLING PARADISE won an Arts Council Writers' Award for a work in progress.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780340822944 |
| ISBN 10 | 0340822945 |
| Title | Rifling Paradise |
| Author | Jem Poster |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Year published | 2006-02-13 |
| Number of pages | 324 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |