Author:Bernardo Atxaga

One of only a hundred or so books originally written in the Basque language during the last four centuries, Obabakoak is a shimmering, mercurial novel about life in Obaba, a remote, exotic, Basque village.
Obaba is peopled with innocents and intellectuals, shepherds and schoolchildren, whilst everyone from a lovelorn schoolmistress to a cultured but self-hating dwarf wanders across the page.
Obabakoak is a dazzling collage of stories, town gossip, diary excerpts and literary theory, all held together by Atxaga's distinctive and tenderly ironic voice.
A fine, shimmering, mercurial novel
—— ObserverA brilliantly inventive writer...He understands the nature of story telling and is at once terribly moving and wildly funny
—— A. S. ByattAn impressive intellectual achievement
—— New StatesmanAtxaga holds the attention by his sheer craft, by the complete control he exhibits
—— IndependentThis English version beautifully retains Mr. Atxaga's magically flowing and seemingly simple style... an achievement not made easy by his considerable technical and linguistic virtuosity and his love of inventing ways to make language itself speak with new voices
—— New York Times Book ReviewReading “A Dance to the Music of Time” was such a joyous experience, I remember wishing there'd been more than twelve volumes.
—— Roddy DoyleA masterful stylist and a wise, often hilarious observer of human nature and his times, Anthony Powell is an under-appreciated literary gem. The pleasures and dramas of the “Dance” continue to illuminate daily life.
—— Claire MessudI re-read the “Dance” every five years or so and always find something new – the world has changed but the characters are evergreen. Everybody has a Widmerpool in their life.
—— Daisy GoodwinHe has wit, style, and panache, in a world where those qualities are in permanently short supply
—— The New York Review of Books[A] comic masterpiece
—— Irish TimesComic, satisfying, thought-provoking, addictive
—— Daily TelegraphIt's his supreme skill in mastering a lengthily interwoven chronicle, the evolution of such a range and variety of pin-point characters, the wit and the cultural ambition that give the novel a unique place in English Literature.
—— Melvyn BraggFaulks's most vivid character is the odious John Veals, a hedge-fund manager, who relishes all the money that he makes and the power that he quietly exerts... Veals is brilliantly insidious... A thoughtful page-turner... The handsome sunset is heavily, and rightly, weighed down by dark clouds
—— The TimesA tragedy at sea, a miracle on paper... Moore offers us, elegantly, exultantly, the very consciousness of her characters. In this way, she does more than make us feel for them. She makes us feel what they feel, which is the point of literature and maybe even the point of being human.
—— Globe and MailThis mesmerising book is full of tears, and is a graceful meditation on how to survive life's losses
—— Marie ClaireFans of Anita Shreve and Anne Enright will love this
—— Viv Groskop , Red MagazineThe gentle, meandering pace of this exquisitely expresses the agony of grief and the confusions and complexities of parental love
—— Easy LivingMoore's portrayal of loss is remarkably real
—— Clare Longrigg , PsychologiesProfoundly moving, beautifully written book
—— Waterstone's Books QuarterlyA marvellous book
—— Winnipeg Free PressA perfectly pitched novel that captures its characters and their dilemmas.
—— Woman and HomeLose yourself in a fantastical gastronomical journey ... This novel explores familial love in an unexpected way, and you'll be hooked from the first taste
—— SheThis emotional and moving tale blew us away with its beauty
—— BellaIt's as beautiful as it is strange. Bender writes such lyrical sentences, you pause over them in wonder. She has an unusual take on life; and makes even the ordinary extraordinary. It's a compulsive page turner. This book is already a best seller in America, and has been embraced by book clubs. I loved it. It's one of those books you don't want to finish - and even when you have - it stays in your mind. Bender has written three previous novels. I intend to savour them all
—— Irish ExaminerThis novel, in the style of stories like Chocolat, is a dreamy feast of gorgeous writing ... Gently, beautiful, odd, this is a story to sip and savour
—— Dublin Evening HeraldAn intriguing premise for an original novel about a family and its relationships
—— Good Book GuideMoving and highly original, this book will make you look at food in a whole new light
—— Star






