Author:Claire Fuller

'A stunning piece of speculative fiction' The i
'A haunting novel about love, survival and everything in between ... one to get excited about' Stylist, Best Modern Dystopia
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But she isn't here, no one is here. And I have a terror of being alone, in this building, in London, in the world.
Neffy is a young woman running away from grief and guilt, and the one big mistake that has derailed her career. When a debilitating new virus sweeps across the globe, volunteering in a vaccine trial offers her a way to make up for her past. But then, the virus mutates, and the future she had dreamed for herself is gone.
As the London streets outside the medical unit fall silent, and food begins to run out, Neffy must decide where safety lies. Might she find solace by revisiting her own heady memories of the past? Can she trust the strangers trapped inside with her - despite her growing suspicions? Or is her best chance of a future to be found in the terrifyingly unknown world outside?
Haunting and compelling, The Memory of Animals is a novel about freedom and captivity, survival and sacrifice, and what we cling to when everything else has been taken away, from the Costa Award-winning, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of Unsettled Ground.
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'Unsettling, moving and thoughtful, with horror lurking at the edges, this is a subtle, elegant novel. Claire Fuller is a huge talent' Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane
'Compulsive and thoroughly convincing. Terrific!' Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures
Following her award-winning novel Unsettled Ground, Fuller has returned with a piece of stunning speculative fiction
—— The iA haunting novel about love, survival and everything in between ... one to get excited about
—— Stylist, Best Modern DystopiaA thought-provoking and utterly compelling novel from a writer we always look forward to reading
—— GlamourHaunting and unsettling, moving and thoughtful, with horror lurking at the edges, this is a subtle, elegant novel. Claire Fuller is a huge talent
—— Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie LaneClaire Fuller is such an interesting and original writer and she has produced another literary page-turner ... Compulsive and thoroughly convincing. Terrific!
—— Clare Chambers, author of Small PleasuresFuller is an excellent writer and she neatly conveys boredom as well as dread (no mean feat)
—— Anthony Cummings , Daily MailStunning ... A page-turning, topical, edge-of-your-seat story that resonates with the reader on an emotional level, and leaves them thinking about it for a long time afterwards
—— Louise Morrish, author of Operation MoonlightA gripping page-turner, this apocalyptic tale is given warmth and depth by the portrayal of Neffy, a young woman with a complicated past to which she returns to escape the horrors of the present
—— Woman and HomeA taut and atmospheric read, an exploration of captivity, sacrifice and survival in a post-apocalyptic world ... Asks important, resonant questions of life in extremis ... Fuller writes brilliantly ... The superb ending ties everything together with a moving, tragic cohesiveness
—— Irish TimesA woman once undone by empathy now finds that it could be her salvation in Claire Fuller's stunning postapocalyptic novel ... Sobering and evocative, The Memory of Animals is a novel about who we choose to be when the lights go out
—— ForewordWonderful, sorrowful, haunting, tender, elegiac
—— Barney Norris, author of The UndercurrentClaire Fuller is my favourite story-teller. I read The Memory of Animals in one sitting, swept up by the thriller-like pace and the sheer joy of reading a great story. Yet, in the book's aftermath, I was haunted by Neffy's fumbling humanity in the face of loss and fear, and how courage isn't always obvious - even to those who find it. Fuller's books come in at the eyes, but they settle right behind the heart.
—— Melanie Finn, author of The HareA riveting exploration of agency, allegiance and choice
—— Marie ClaireFuller's latest work is thought-provoking and unsettling, and somehow strikes a further warning note to a world already in crisis
—— Irish IndependentClaire Fuller is a fascinating writer, and The Memory of Animals is further evidence of her powers. Her story is one of survival, but her subject is humanity itself. With immense skill, she shines a light on the dark heart of our existence - the beauty and brutality of human behaviour. This is an unforgettable novel
—— Kathleen MacMahon, author of Nothing But Blue SkyA story you'll both recognize from our collective recent past, and a thrilling departure from our reality
—— Good Housekeeping USA, The Best Books of 2023 so farFull of jeopardy and strangeness but also laced with Fuller's trademark generosity and compassion. A startling and satisfying book
—— Julie Myerson, author of NonfictionFuller excels in examining the everyday moments at the heart of a life ... A memorable meditation on how the human struggle to survive in captivity is not so different than that of our animal kin
—— KirkusA haunting novel of second chances set in a near-future pandemic ... Intricately structured ... The entwined pain and pleasure of memory is at the heart of Neffy's story, as is the hard work of establishing trust and finding forgiveness, particularly for oneself. This is a pandemic novel, yes, but one that radically transcends the label
—— Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewBrave, unflinching and beautiful
—— Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder's SisterClaire Fuller strikes the perfect balance between beauty and melancholy
—— Clare Mackintosh, author of HostageThe way she writes (with empathy but never sentimentality) moves my heart
—— Elizabeth Day, author of MagpieA creeping tale of isolation and the dangerous allure of memory
—— Liz Earle Wellbeing[A] post-Covid psychological thriller ... takes faintly distubing turns through grimly familiar territory to suggest that what makes us heroic, or not, hinges on unexpected things
—— Mail on SundayCompelling ... A riveting, don't-miss account of what some may see as the reality to come; long-time Fuller readers will relish this completely engrossing story, which questions what we value most
—— Library JournalCompelling ... A timely read ... Fuller is on strong form in evoking the terrors faced by those who are not just marginalised but entirely forgotten by society
—— Daily ExpressThere's a haunted elegance to Fuller's vision of a fallen world ... Sensuous
—— Lit Hub, 28 Novels You Need To Read This SummerBook of the Month
—— SAGA MAGAZINEAtkinson's latest fictional treat is packed with intrigue... one can never underestimate the pleasurable power of [her] ability to stud her narrative with humor
—— BOSTON GLOBEAn absorbing tale
—— SUNDAY EXPRESSThe latest novel from an author who never lets you down
—— READER'S DIGESTA bittersweet, utterly beguiling story of love and loss from a brilliant writer
—— John Koski , Mail on SundayBoth compelling and deeply touching, once you start reading you won’t want The Beginner’s Goodbye to end
—— Hannah Britt , Daily ExpressIt begins with one of those sentences that impels you to read on…Tyler’s haunting tale of love and loss is intelligent, unsentimental and often wryly funny
—— The LadyA lovely, stylish way to write a novel about marriage
—— William Leith , Evening StandardA beautifully poignant portrait of marriage, loss and grief
—— Good HousekeepingExhibit[s] all the delicious readability that admirers of Tyler expect
—— Brandon Robshaw , Independent on SundayBoth compelling and deeply touching, once you start reading you won't want The Beginner's Goodbye to end
—— Hannah Britt , Scottish Daily ExpressAn emotionally satisfying book with wise and moving moments
—— Good HousekeepingA humorous take on Hollywood romcoms
—— BBC BEST BOOKS OF THE YEARSexy, funny, thought-provoking and everything I hoped it would be. Her best novel since American Wife.
—— RED, Best Books of the YearRomantic Comedy combines humour with poignancy and a lot of heart.
—— GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, Best romance books to readSittenfeld's novel continues her wider project of exploring the possibility for a kind of redemptive idealism within our flawed world
—— GUARDIANSittenfeld has penned another exquisitely written novel
—— WOMAN MAGAZINEA fizzy love letter to the prototypical romcom
—— NEW YORK TIMES, Editor's ChoiceSo much of Sittenfeld's work exists in the dissection and comprehension of female desire
—— NEW YORK TIMESFlirting with the tropes of its namesake genre, this playful novel follows Sally, a writer on an "S.N.L."-like show called "Night Owls," who falls in love with one of its guest hosts. Their relationship develops via e-mail in the post-grocery-wiping, pre-vaccine days of covid-19. When Sally decides to visit her beloved in L.A., their time together in his Topanga mansion requires her to navigate incredulity, insecurity, and an offer that she feels is an "affront to my independence." The novel is preoccupied with the instinctual nature of self-sabotage, and with the fulfillment that can come from defying ingrained impulses
—— NEW YORKERInsightful romcom sparkles with real wit and wisdom
—— SUNDAY INDEPENDENTWhip smart and really funny
—— BUSINESS POSTScores big on giving readers an insight into the machinations of a TV writers-room
—— CRACKFull of dazzling banter and sizzling chemistry
—— PEOPLE MAGAZINEIf you ever wanted a backstage pass to Saturday Night Live, this book is for you
—— GOOD MORNING AMERICAExcellent
—— MAIL ON SUNDAYBoth a brilliant portrait of the comedy world and a witty grown-up love story. Lives up to its name
—— IRISH TIMES






