Author:Brock Clarke
Sam Pulsifer has come to the end of a very long and unusual journey. He spent ten years in prison for accidentally burning down poet Emily Dickinson's house - and unwittingly killing two people in the process. He emerged aged twenty-eight and set about creating a new life for himself. He went to college, found love, got married, fathered two children, and made a new start - and then watched in almost-silent awe as the vengeful past caught up with him, right at his own front door.
As, one by one, the homes of other famous New England writers are torched, Sam knows that this time he is most certainly not guilty. To prove his innocence, he sets out to uncover the identity of this literary-minded arsonist. What he discovers, and how he deals with the reality of his discoveries, is both hilariously funny and heartbreakingly sad.
An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England is a novel disguised as a memoir; a deeply affecting story about truth and honesty and the damage they do.
Clarke manages, with considerable dexterity and flourish, to pull out of the fire a series of absurdist scenarios and radically screwball characters that never stretch credulity...The high drama is mixed with some delightfully plaintive meditations on family life
—— Independent on SundayWildly, unpredictably funny
—— New York TimesA tale that fuses tinder-dry comedy with meaningful questions of identity and literature
—— Daily MailA playful, clever novel ... Billed as a novel disguised as a memoir meant as a self-help book, The Arsonist's Guide is also a rather brilliant satire on the culture of modern reading ... A highly enjoyable, absurdist farce.
—— New StatesmanA wonderfully wry, witty escapade.
—— EsquireThe parodies here are priceless ... Sharp-edged and unpredictable, punctuated by moments of choice absurdist humour
—— New York TimesA literary romp, as playful as its title.
—— The TimesThis is one of those novels that begins with an energy and confidence that picks you up and wings you along.
—— Independent on SundayThis book poses as a memoir by functions as a satire, and Clarke has the true comics loathing of gentility and pretension...There are set-piece send-ups of Harry Potter, long riffs on suburbia, American college life, consumerism and ageing parents. As if this outpouring of wit and wisdom were not enough, Sam continually reflects on the meaning of literature and storytelling.
—— Ian Sansom , GuardianExquisitely written and imagined
—— Woman & HomeA stand-out debut from a new talent ... Inventive and unforgettable
—— Good HousekeepingAn incredibly emotional read
—— GraziaA thrilling page-turner
—— Alexander Larman , SpectatorThis is a novel that strikes both horror and joy in the reader, the first-person narration deftly articulating Judith's escalating confusion and fear ... A talent to watch
—— Lucy Scholes , The Sunday TimesA touching, delicate book, it's hitting the shelves with high hopes...On March 1, head out and buy Grace McCleen's book
—— Louis Wise , Sunday TimesA distinctive debut that pulls off the use of a child narrator in delightful style
—— We Love This BookTouching and funny… a compelling and wholly original debut.
—— Marie ClaireShimmers with little miracles.
—— Peggy Hughes , Scotland on SundayThis is a promisingly bold book and McCleen is a talent to watch
—— Lucy Scholes , Sunday TimesA gripping and mesmerizing debut of an unforgettable ten-year-old heroine and her battle with good and evil… A harrowing and powerful story about isolation and belonging
—— My WeeklyAn original new voice... Haunting and absorbing, this is a joy to read
—— Jackie Carrier , Suffolk Free Press
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