Author:William Faulkner

'Between grief and nothing I will take grief'
In New Orleans in 1937, a man and woman embark on a headlong flight into the wilderness of illicit passion, fleeing her husband and the temptations of respectability. In Mississippi ten years earlier, a convict sets forth across a flooded river, risking his one chance at freedom to rescue a pregnant woman. From these separate stories Faulkner composes a symphony of deliverance and damnation, survival and self-sacrifice, a novel in which elemental danger is juxtaposed with fatal injuries of the spirit.
There is no writer living who can play upon a scene the rich and Rembrandtesque flame that Faulkner commands
—— Evening StandardHis prose style is all his own, often sensuously alert, evocative, graceful
—— Daily TelegraphLays to rest any doubts that Faulkner could write a powerful love story
—— Washington PostThere is an extraordinary vigor and power in his writing, a feverish urge toward description in which words combine in a dense web of meaning
—— Chicago TribuneHeart-pinching
—— New York TimesA dazzling meditation on memory, history, destiny, race, miscegenation, class, and - of course - incest
—— The TimesBy universal consent of critics and common readers, Faulkner is now recognised as the strongest American novelist of the century, clearly surpassing Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald, and standing as an equal in the sequence that includes Hawthorne, Melville, Mark Twain and Henry James
—— Harold BloomHis mind to him a kingdom was; or rather, a county, Yoknapatawpha. He breathed on it and gave it life, a luminous world of rustics, comic and sinister, of inchoate historical processes and tragic human beings, earning dignity by endurance
—— IndependentThis small but perfectly formed third novel from Kitty Aldridge is over too soon but is impressively accomplished, nailing the distinctive voice of its protagonist… Inventive coming-of-age tale
—— MetroKitty Aldridge’s latest novel mixes pathos and bathos in industrial quantities…he [Lee Hart] is an immensely likeable protagonist and Aldridge has absolutely captured his engagingly open inner voice
—— Scotland on SundayAn uplifting tale of life after death. Dead good
—— Time OutWonderful… I am completely convinced by Lee and drawn along with his narrative voice which Kitty Aldridge has pitched to perfection… Kitty has taken a taboo subject and achieved that fine balance, writing engagingly and openly, and with great sensitivity and humour about something most of us just don't like to think or talk about
—— Dove Grey ReaderAldridge’s writing is a rare find: startlingly original without being showy, skilfully crafted but not selfconsciously literary, a genuine, honest voice… Harrowing and hilarious, profound but unpretentious, this book conjures up a compelling world and an eminently likeable protagonist. For all the dead bodies and thwarted lives, it is surprisingly uplifting
—— Juanita Coulson , The LadyPeebles' keen eye for social observation adds a comic touch to the narrative, expertly showing how black humour is used in bleak times.
—— Rowena McIntosh , The SkinnyPeebles writes poetic prose, capturing Aggie's imaginative character and her need to find meaning in the puzzle of circumstances she finds herself in. The insight into dementia and its impact upon a family is poignant, with Aggie desperate to recapture the history of a beloved Gran who is disappearing in front of her eyes. The novel strongly evokes the Scottish countryside, its link to the past and the secrets it keeps. The story may be a slow burner, but keep going because its gentle pace builds up to a satisfying conclusion
—— Penny Batchelor , We Love This Book






