A Sweet Obscurity
A tender, heartfelt novel of a child having to grow up too soon
Published on 26. July 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-1-4722-5546-4 (ISBN)
Description
Bittersweet and startling, A SWEET OBSCURITY is a multi-stranded novel of childhood, coming of age and the heartbreaking consequences of family life in disarray...
'Intriguing and impressive. A memorable study of a child forced cruelly, even tragically, to grow up too soon' Sunday Times
Since her mother's death, nine-year-old Dido has been living with her eccentric aunt, acting as peacekeeper between Eliza, her estranged husband Giles and his girlfriend. They are each cruelly burdened in different ways. Chance draws them down to Cornwall, where a country idyll offers to lighten their urban cares.
Then Eliza falls in love with local farmer, Pearce, an event that causes the four adults to re-assess their lives, with some painful and unforeseen consequences for adults and child alike...
'Gale's talent is undeniable' Guardian
What readers loved about A SWEET OBSCURITY:
'Patrick Gale writes fiction which totally absorbs the reader by creating characters that you feel you know. The richness of his writing and the depth of his storylines make each book compulsive reading' ? ? ? ? ?
'Something, anything, by Patrick Gale would definitely be on my Desert Island Books list, but A Sweet Obscurity is the one I go back to most often' ? ? ? ? ?
'Intriguing and impressive. A memorable study of a child forced cruelly, even tragically, to grow up too soon' Sunday Times
Since her mother's death, nine-year-old Dido has been living with her eccentric aunt, acting as peacekeeper between Eliza, her estranged husband Giles and his girlfriend. They are each cruelly burdened in different ways. Chance draws them down to Cornwall, where a country idyll offers to lighten their urban cares.
Then Eliza falls in love with local farmer, Pearce, an event that causes the four adults to re-assess their lives, with some painful and unforeseen consequences for adults and child alike...
'Gale's talent is undeniable' Guardian
What readers loved about A SWEET OBSCURITY:
'Patrick Gale writes fiction which totally absorbs the reader by creating characters that you feel you know. The richness of his writing and the depth of his storylines make each book compulsive reading' ? ? ? ? ?
'Something, anything, by Patrick Gale would definitely be on my Desert Island Books list, but A Sweet Obscurity is the one I go back to most often' ? ? ? ? ?
Reviews / Votes
Intriguing and impressive. A memorable study of a child forced cruelly, even tragically, to grow up too soon * Sunday Times * Flawless * TLS * A rich comedy of sexual and familial confusions...a rare and welcome fictional voice * The Times * It amuses, startles and occasionally bewilders. A Sweet Obscurity is worth every minute of your time * Independent *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 191 mm
Width: 133 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
369 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4722-5546-4 (9781472255464)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2018
1st Edition
Tinder Press
€4.49
Available for download
Person
Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight. He spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, which his father governed, then grew up in Winchester before going to Oxford University. He now lives on a farm near Land's End. One of this country's best-loved novelists, his most recent works are A Perfectly Good Man, the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition, the Costa-shortlisted A Place Called Winter and Mother's Boy. His original BBC television drama, Man In An Orange Shirt, was shown to great acclaim in 2017 as part of the BBC's Queer Britannia series, leading viewers around the world to discover his novels.