Swansong

Swansong is a brilliant novel by Robert Macfarlane that explores the volatile, haunted wilderness of the Scottish Highlands. It follows Polly Vaughan, who is trying to escape the guilt of a disturbing incident in London by heading north. She encounters a strange loner in the forest who has a sinister secret, and is terrified and fascinated by him. Kerry Andrew's powerful metaphoric language gives the novel a charged, hallucinatory quality that is unique, uncanny, and deeply disquieting.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 352 pages
\n Publication date: 31 January 2019
\n Publisher: Vintage Publishing
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‘Swansong’ is a remarkable novel that captivates readers from the very beginning. It combines elements of spiky, strange, and contemporary storytelling with a dark undertow of myth and folklore, creating a truly brilliant work of literature. Author Robert Macfarlane is a writer and musician of astonishing talent, and this first novel showcases his remarkable skills.

In this stunningly assured, immersive, and vividly atmospheric first novel, the celebrated musician introduces a young woman named Polly Vaughan. Polly is on a quest to escape the ravaging guilt of a disturbing incident in London by venturing north to the Scottish Highlands. As soon as she arrives, this spirited, funny, and alert young woman embarks on a search for alcohol, drugs, and sex, finding them all quickly but unsatisfactorily with the barman in the only pub. However, she also encounters a fresh kind of fear, standing alone in the eerie, myth-drenched landscape.

Increasingly prone to visions or visitations, Polly sees floating white shapes in the waters of the loch or in the woods. She is terrified and fascinated by a man she encounters in the forest on her first evening, seemingly tearing apart a bird. Who is this mysterious loner? And what is his sinister secret?

Kerry Andrew is a fresh and exciting new voice in British fiction. Her deep understanding of folk songs, mythology, and oral traditions of these islands infuses her writing with a unique and captivating quality. Andrew's powerful metaphoric language gives ‘Swansong’ a charged, hallucinatory atmosphere that is both unsettling and deeply disquieting.

Through Polly's journey, readers are taken on a mesmerizing exploration of the Scottish Highlands, where myth and reality intertwine. The novel delves into the complexities of human nature, the power of the natural world, and the consequences of our actions. ‘Swansong’ is a testament to Robert Macfarlane's literary prowess and his ability to create a compelling and immersive narrative. It is a must-read for anyone who appreciates fine literature and is intrigued by the darker aspects of human existence.

\n Weight: 280g\n
Dimension: 131 x 197 x 32 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781784704926\n \n