The Shape of Her
Published on 24. June 2010
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-297-84457-0 (ISBN)
Description
Max and Tine arrive on the Greek island of her childhood holidays. Both are in their mid twenties and this is their first serious relationship. Max is relatively inexperienced with women and his previous encounters have been predominantly sexual. With Tine he feels an emotional bond, and he wants to get to know her better, both sexually and emotionally. It ought to be perfect - a secluded house on a stunning cove; rich local food and wine; swimming, sunbathing. And yet the minute they arrive Tine seems tense. As the days progress, she seems increasingly distant and is obsessed that the house is being watched. The present day is interspersed with scenes from Max's childhood. A talented child from a relatively poor family, he received a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school but nothing has prepared the young boy for the loneliness and vulnerability of living away from his family. Max is dyslexic and soon this creates difficulties with his teachers and his classmates. But when things come to a head, Max finds a way of surviving. Back in the present day, the idyllic holiday seems to be turning into a nightmare.
But can Max find a way back to intimacy and overcome the demons of his past?
But can Max find a way back to intimacy and overcome the demons of his past?
Reviews / Votes
"For any young man desperate to work unflexed sexual muscle it's the ultimate win: a holiday in the Greek sun in a secluded villa close to the beach and the briny with the singularity of your first serious girlfriend for company. The retsina, the sea food, the heat...gosh... Somerville's own background? He speaks with the pain of too intimate a recognition. A brilliant summer read on so many levels. Take it to the beach and be glad to be past your first fumbles." WATERSTONES.COM - bookseller's review "Rowan Somerville investigates cause and effect in obsessive desire. On a Greek island, the novel's sexed-up summer idyll for two privileged youngsters darkens into dread and recrimination... In his novel, unresolved trauma brings its danger to this liaison like the jagged boat-wrecking rock that lurks underwater beyond the golden beach." -- BOYD TONKIN THE INDEPENDENT - 25.06.10 "darkly erotic, offbeat holiday read... an entertaining book that while not echoing to the chimes of chick lit, probably wouldn't be out of place in the beach bag." IRISH TIMES - 10.07.10 "Somerville is clearly a thoughtful writer... a rich plot and some lovely vivid local colour." THE GUARDIAN - 17/7/10 "Alternating between the past and the present, the novel explores the open scars of childhood abuse and its effect on later relationships." PRESS ASSOCATION "confronts us with an extended meditation on the anxious incomprehensbility surrounding sex and desire." THE DUBLINER "Deceptively simple in plot and singularly musical in its voice, it is a study of the place where our past has become our present. A summer read to be kept - and visited in the dark days of winter." THE ECONOMIST - 17/7/10 "Rowan Somerville is a talented author, perfectly capturing the characters' distinctive voices...The language is gorgeous, rich and evocative...the pacing is perfect. The Shape of Her is dark, beautiful and an ideal summer read." FOR BOOKS SAKE blog "Somerville has a deft turn of phrase" FOLLOW THE THREAD blogMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
510 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-297-84457-0 (9780297844570)
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
Rowan Somerville
The Shape of Her
E-Book
06/2010
1st Edition
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Rowan Somerville was born in London in 1966. He has worked in television, film and radio, including making the odd documentary and some unmentionable television programmes. He has spent a lot of time in different countries around the world but now lives in Ireland.