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The past few days have been exciting. Simon Mayo said: “I’m going to call this early – book of the year 2022”, which was nice. It’s also going to be adapted for TV but I’m not allowed to talk about that. UK Louise Kennedy
The Leviathan, The instant Sunday Times bestseller by Rosie The Leviathan, The instant Sunday Times bestseller by Rosie
Rosie Andrew’s haunting historical gothic debut is gripping, in every meaning of the word. The story coiled itself around me and refused to let go. Andrews uses meticulously researched detail, along with appropriately antiquated language and syntax, to absorb you into the narrative, and setting, of a troubled bygone England. It is 1703, and she is awake. An ageing man recounts the story of how it all began, while a storm rages outside.Despite having announced she was going to be a novelist when she was just five, Garmus makes her debut aged 64, and is thrilled to be proof that it’s never too late. To aspiring authors of any age, her advice is simple: “Never, ever, ever give up. You cannot quit – that’s the death of it, right there.” Outstanding... a seething, haunting delight' - Beth Underdown, award-winning author of THE WITCHFINDER'S SISTER Dann McDorman on West Heart Kill “In the end, both the detective and the killer must make a choice, whether to act from hate, or from love” It was the term that he died, so it was all quite dramatic and sad. He was very dry and droll, very likable but sort of Eeyore-ish, and he said on the very first session – : you should think carefully about doing this writing business because you’re miserable if you’re writing, and you’re even more miserable if you’re not.
The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews review – a potent brew of
The result, we think, always merits attention. We told you how good Douglas Stuart was, long before he won the Booker for Shuggie Bain; ditto Caleb Azumah Nelson, winner of this year’s Costa first novel prize. We told you about Gail Honeyman before Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine sold millions of copies around the world; we even told you about Sally Rooney before she became Sally Rooney. I really wanted to love this book. The cover is gorgeous (yes I judge books on their covers) and it sounded like just my kind o The central character is Thomas Treadwater (an inspired naming) Thomas is indeed a ‘doubting’ Thomas. In an age where what religion is followed is a meaningful, political as well as spiritual decision, Thomas is a sceptic. He does not believe in gods, God or demons, Satan. He does not believe in witches either. He is the son of a respected Puritan, whom he deeply loves, but whom he has disappointed. Thomas was, at one point sent away as a student at the University, his tutor John Milton, a distant relative, (yes, that John Milton) Milton’s role to educate Thomas as much in morality and ethics as in philosophical thought, Latin and Greek. Young Tom however, fiery and rebellious, brings some disgrace upon himself, and is dismissed by Milton. He ends up joining Cromwell’s Army. His secret plan is emigration to America, where ideas of Commonwealth and Equality may be more sure. The Mayflower had sailed its Pilgrims, looking exactly for that, in 1620. Charles 1st was beheaded in 1649. Clearly, a turbulent time. Thomas, wounded in battle, and on leave, is summoned home by his much younger sister Esther. Witchcraft is afoot, and it appears the witch who brings malevolence to the door is a servant within the household.He shakes his head at the memory of the result. “It was horrible, convoluted, all over the place.” But he realised that he had enjoyed the process and soon wrote two further manuscripts before landing an agent and a two-book deal with An Olive Grove in Ends, drafted in three months in 2019, the year he graduated. This powerful debut novel by Rosie Andrews is compelling as it is unique; set apart from other recent explorations witchcraft in the current literary trend, the twists and turns in the plot keep you on your toes throughout. There is a richness of language and description within this novel which retains its natural conversation throughout, completely hooking you into Thomas' narrative. In any case, I have no doubt this will be big and I'll certainly be reading anything she writes in the future. The writing alone makes Andrews one to watch. An American in London, Bonnie Garmus had an itinerant childhood as the daughter of an entomologist whose work took the family to places including Colombia, the Everglades and, for just one week before war broke out, Pakistan.
The Leviathan: A beguiling tale of superstition, myth and The Leviathan: A beguiling tale of superstition, myth and
The story is set in 1643, the story has many layers surrounding the story of Thomas Treadwater who is a veteran returned to war to suspicions of witchcraft all culminating in a darker tale of a hidden sea creature. I find the civil war interesting in terms of the landscape of belief that started to transform [society], particularly in Britain. People fundamentally believing in religious principles and believing in the idea of the supernatural started to think in a more rational way. But that transition was so chaotic and so turbulent. One of the events that happens in the 1703 narrative is a great storm, which was a real event that people thought happened as a punishment – to punish them for moving away from God. I thought that was interesting and that it framed the story quite nicely. It's hard to believe that such an accomplished novel could be a debut - The Leviathan is a gloriously dark story that sweeps you along to its harrowing yet satisfying conclusion. Superb No, I’m not! I’m definitely a different personality type, but the most helpful thing he taught us was when he asked us all to bring in our favourite passage from literature, so we all brought in what we thought were these gleaming, shining lines, and I brought in Michael Cunningham’s The Hours. And basically he encouraged everyone else to rip into it. And for every piece there was somebody in the room who would say “I can’t stand it, it’s overdone”, it’s too this, it’s too that. And his simple point was that you’re never going to get a piece that everybody likes.Andrews, by the end, makes the reader care deeply for every one of her characters, and particularly, to brings us understand the difficulties and struggles, the moral dilemmas, faced by Thomas Treadwater – who often is desperately, and sometimes actually, doing just that. If you are fan of stories of witchcraft, mythical creatures and mystery, The Leviathan is a book which you have to add to your reading list. A compelling, dark read which the reader’s hair stand on end. A stunning debut by Andrews and definitely an author to watch out for in the future. An original and haunting debut! 5 stars
The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews - 9781526637345 - Dymocks The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews - 9781526637345 - Dymocks
A beguiling tale of superstition, myth and murder, perfect for fans of The Binding, The Essex Serpent and Once Upon a River.
Richly atmospheric and deliciously unsettling, The Leviathan is a tale of family and loyalty, superstition and sacrifice, but most of all it is a spellbinding mystery and a story of impossible things. This is certainly a mess of pottage with lots of elements within. Andrews seems to have thrown the kitchen sink at this. It is set in 1643, during the Civil War with jumps forward to 1703. It is certainly gothic with a touch of horror and the supernatural. The penchant for finding a witch around every corner is there. If you understand the title then you will guess another element. Throw in some Egyptian and Babylonian myth, a bit of the Book of Revelation, a bit of possession, some atheism and a certain John Milton (yes him!) and there you have it. Oh, I am forgetting the woman in the attic trope as well. It’s set in Norfolk. Unfortunately the author’s habit of periodically jumping forward sixty years gives most of the plot away. It fits quite neatly into the current trend for historical novels with a gothic edge. I started with Ruth. I always had her; I’d had her in my mind as a character for years and I had [the book taking place] over a much larger span of time, and then the more I thought about it, the more I thought so many decisions come down to one day and those moments that look like ordinary moments. And then I thought, I need another character and I want a teenager. I wanted that idea of different points in our lives. It’s hard to believe that such an accomplished novel could be a debut - The Leviathan is a gloriously dark story that sweeps you along to its harrowing yet satisfying conclusion. Superb' Susan Stokes-Chapman, number one bestselling author of PANDORA
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