An dazzlingly inventive novel about modern family, from the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The set-up of Mark Haddon's brilliant new novel is simple: Richard, a wealthy doctor, invites his estranged sister Angela and her family to join his for a week at a vacation home in the English countryside. Richard has just re-married and inherited a willful stepdaughter in the process; Angela has a feckless husband and three children who sometimes seem alien to her. The stage is set for seven days of resentment and guilt, a staple of family gatherings the world over. But because of Haddon's extraordinary narrative technique, the stories of these eight people are anything but simple. The Red House is a literary tour-de-force that illuminates the puzzle of family in a profoundly empathetic manner -- a novel sure to entrance the millions of readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
"A beautiful object that will grace any holiday home's unfixably wobbly bedside table. The cover feels like a cracked china plate, decorated with a clever re-working of the willow-pattern; like the contents, it is subtle and clever. Haddon writes superb books for children, teenagers and grown-ups, and gets every voice in this one dead right. He is also a master craftsman, so this complicated narrative moves with the speed and certainty of released, unhappy holidaymakers hitting the homeward road. So shove this in your holidaying bag. You may have made a mistake with the booking, but you won't with the book" -- Susan Jeffreys Independent "Mark Haddon is terrifyingly talented... The Red House is thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable entertainment" -- Angus Clarke The Times "A hugely enjoyable, sympathetic novel...a tremendous pleasure...we have been absorbed, entertained and moved" -- Kate Kellaway Observer "Rather like with Alan Ayckbourn's plays, what makes The Red House engaging is the quality of the writing. From the first page in which the train carrying Dominic and Angela's family "unzips the fields", there is a vigor to Haddon's prose which carries you along. I read it twice, both times with enjoyment" -- Amanda Craig Independent on Sunday "With writing as elegant and truthful as this, readers will wish to keep their copies close at hand to savour again" -- Michael Arditti Daily Mail
Title: The Red House
Subtitle:
Contributors:
By (author)
Mark Haddon
ISBN 13: 9780224096409
ISBN 10: 0224096400
Publisher: Vintage
Imprint: Jonathan Cape Ltd
Publication Date: 15/05/2012
Place of Publication:
London,
United Kingdom
Edition:
BIC Subjects:
Modern fiction
Dewey Classification:
823.92
(DC23)
NBS Classification: General & Literary Fiction
Format: Hardback
Pages: 272
Height: 240mm
Width: 162mm
Thickness: 27mm
Weight: 498g