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The Devil's Carousel
The Devil's Carousel
Jan 17, 2026 6:03 AM

Author:Jeff Torrington

The Devil's Carousel

THE BOOK: A journey down the assembly lines of the Centaur Car Company borders on the surreal and it's studded with bizarre characters. Torrington's jinking, needle sharp wit constrasts brilliantly with the grit and banter of factory life in this enjoyable, energtic and original work of fiction.

Reviews

As sweet as it is inventive, profound as it is hilarious, unflinching as it is big-hearted.

—— Maria Semple

A terrific novel, funny and moving, wistful and wise. Evison's writing crackles on the page.

—— Jess Walter

Evison is a ridiculously gifted storyteller … an irresistible, inventive novel full of important ideas about how we live our lives as parents, children, partners, and human beings.

—— Jami Attenberg

A gifted raconteur with a wicked sense of humor and an unflagging empathy for humankind in all its sad, foible-filled magnificence.

—— Patrick DeWitt

Told through flashbacks, the novel is adeptly narrated by a third-person figure…This wistful story is a charming read about life, love and mother-daughter relationships!

—— i (Independent)

Jonathan packs an entire life - many lives - into this fine book, and does so with the empathy and insight of a writer at the top of his game.

—— Ben Fountain

Insightful, richly entertaining … Evison writes humanely and with good humour of his characters, who like the rest of us, muddle through too often without giving ourselves much of a break. A lovely, forgiving character study that’s a pleasure to read.

—— Kirkus Reviews

An intelligent and moving examination of the traumas of war. Faulks is as accomplished as ever

—— Scotsman, Books of the Year

It’s a melancholy tale of war, love and loss that will leave you gulping back sobs

—— Observer, Books 2015 in Review

Faulks gets better and better with every book. This is surely one of the year’s best novels.

—— John Harding , Daily Mail

Faulks writes in the grand tradition of realist fiction…Fans of Faulks — and they are legion — will find a great deal to admire and ponder and sorrow at within these pages. Its aspirations are sincere and noble

—— Spectator

An elegant, thoughtful novel

—— Sunday Mirror

One of his most haunting novels

—— Mail on Sunday

What makes this such an engaging, enjoyable book to read is the depth of the ideas that Faulks explores… As usual, Faulks’ historical research creates a wholly compelling world. Every detail, from glum 1980s New York to the chaos of wartime Belgium, feels fresh and convincing and the characterisation is impeccable

—— Sunday Express

a deeply affecting portrait

—— Metro

It could well be Faulks' magnum opus

—— Gavin Haines , World Travel Guide

expect a passionate story of love lost, delivered by a master storyteller

—— Good Housekeeping

Deeply philosophical…full of real heart

—— Heat Magazine

You’re instantly hooked. There’s a touch of Graham Greene here. The story takes off beautifully.

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

Faulks, always good, describes the transaction between shrink and sex worker and you’re hooked. A touch of Graham Greene here.

—— I

Daring, ambitious and in the end profoundly moving, this is Faulk’s most remarkable book yet.

—— Best

Baume’s prose has an energy and cadence all of her own: utterly unsentimental, but in its open-hearted, sidelong engagement with the mercurial One Eye and the changing seasons strangely joyous.

—— Guardian

Heart-breaking debut from new major talent Sara Baume.

—— Sheerluxe

[A] joltingly original debut … Baume charts the growing dependency between these two stray souls with remarkable deftness and almost unbearable poignancy.

—— Mail on Sunday

Baume’s writing is poetic, delicate and inventive … and despite the undertow of humour, there’s not one whiff of sentimentality – you’re left with the sadness and chronic fearfulness of the truly lonely

—— The Times

[A] skilful debut … lyrical and impressive.

—— Literary Review

An extraordinarily fresh style …this is an atmospheric novel …Baume is undoubtedly an exceptional new talent.

—— The Phoenix

Ambitious.

—— Sunday Times

There is a lovely, lilting cadence to the novel… Stylishly done…. Winterson manages against the odds to keep us gripped.

—— Sarah Crown , Guardian

Winterson is on sparkling form in this highly intelligent and daringly imaginative reworking of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale... Witty, clever and bold.

—— Mail on Sunday

Winterson is incapable of being dull, and The Gap Of Time is a fitting addition to her uniquely inventive catalogue.

—— Ellis O'Harrison , Irish Independent

She deftly captures all the magic and raw emotion of the original.

—— Irish Times
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