Author:R. D. Blackmore,R. D. Madison,Michelle Allen

First published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones, a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon. Seized by curiosity and a sense of adventure, he makes his way to the valley of the Doones, where he is discovered by the beautiful Lorna. In time their childish fantasies blossom into mature love-a bond that will inspire John to rescue his beloved from the ravages of a stormy winter, rekindling a conflict with his archrival, Carver Doone, that climaxes in heartrending violence. Beloved for its portrait of star-crossed lovers and its surpassing descriptions of the English countryside, Lorna Doone is R. D. Blackmore's enduring masterpiece.
Brilliantly eccentric and utterly charming - we love this!
—— OK MagazineEnjoyable and endearing
—— CloserHilarious ... quirky and convincing characters
—— Ireland On Sunday[Moriarty has] an unexpected flair for side-splitting humour and fun
—— Evening HeraldAction-packed ... the characters are likeable and the snappy prose moves events along at a pace
—— Irish ExaminerTypically hilarious
—— Sunday IndependentCaryl Phillips' exploration of the relations betweeen black and white is nuanced, humane and sypathetic. And his deep awareness of the historical process is combined with an exceptionally intelligent prose style - clear, unencumbered and compassionate
—— New Statesman and SocietyAn antidote to cynicism.... Haddon floats insights - sculpted, delicate and precise as origami - on currents of offbeat wit... you don't know whether to laugh or cry at the waywardness of the human spirit, you are salved by the compassion and humour of the tale. The delight is in the detail
—— Jennie Renton , Sunday HeraldIt has already been repeat-snubbed by this year's Man Booker judges. They've made a mistake. A Spot of Bother may be a novel about a humdrum family living in Peterborough, told in the third person this time, in deliberately ordinary language. Yet there is more real linguistic artistry, not to mention human empathy, at work, here than in all those poetic prosemongers, the Ondaatjes and the Banvilles... A Spot of Bother is a novel of minor incidents but it tackles big problems
—— David Sexton , Evening StandardLike a cross between Margaret Drabble and Francoise Sagan
—— The TimesJoughin has an appealing darkness and urgency, as she potently conveys the pleasures and pains of human interactions
—— The Sunday TimesAdeptly written and enjoyable... Ruth's childhood perspectives are extremely well captured
—— TelegraphStriking story of Ruth and Gray under the spell of famous poets' lives
—— Good Housekeeping's 8 Great ReadsReading Joughin's second novel is like immersing yourself in a cool pool at a hazy summer party ...as addictively abrasive as a shot of cold vodka, this wil leave you both refreshed and gasping for stability
—— Time OutThis darkly comic story about unpredictable love is perfect if you're looking for some intelligent chicklit
—— Family Circle






