The Garden of Forking Paths

Dec 27, 2025 1:31 PM

Author:Jorge Luis Borges

'Summer was drawing to a close, and I realized that the book was monstrous.'

Fantastical tales of mazes, puzzles, lost labyrinths and bookish mysteries, from the unique imagination of a literary magician.

Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

Reviews

An atmospheric coming-of-age story with brilliantly executed elements of horror and comic relief

—— Publishers Weekly

Stewart is a master at weaving vivid and visceral images in the minds of his readers and this book has no shortage of truly terrifying moments that will stay with you long after you have finished it. Definitely one to read with the lights on and far away from any childhood toys

—— Scotsman

From the delightfully strange imagination of Scottish writer Martin Stewart comes a creepy and engrossing horror story

—— Buzzfeed

This creepy thriller is one for fans of Stephen King and Stranger Things

—— MTV

The comparisons to Stranger Things are apt and well deserved. This is one of the most original and unique books I've ever read

—— Katherine Webber, author of Wing Jones

An expertly written horror laced through with joyful comedy, Martin Stewart's follow-up to the award winning Riverkeep is a suspenseful and gruesome tale of friendship, family and faith - perfect for fans of Stranger Things or Stephen King

—— Scottish Booktrust

Moody and atmospheric, with sardonic humor; a meaty slice of horror

—— Kirkus Reviews

Stewart is masterful. He weaves a chilling, supernatural plot with a playfulness and brings the darkest chapters back from the edge. I suspect Stephen King would be impressed

—— Bookality

This eldritch escapade is certainly an option for kids too old to go trick-or-treating

—— Wall Street Journal

Knausgaard’s assets are on full display, including his precise writing style and his unerring sense of detail … it is all muscle, a generous slice of thoughtful, ruminative life.

—— Rodney Welch , Washington Post

The curiously loose weave of Knausgaard’s prose allows it to return parts of the reader’s own life to them

—— Rivka Galchen , London Review of Books

A very striking debut novel … A swift, lithe and engaging read.

—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on Sunday

Atmospheric and disquieting.

—— Sebastian Shakespeare , Tatler

Assured, immersive and atmospheric.

—— Louise Rhind-Tutt , iNews

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