Items related to The Song House
Synopsis
When Kenneth Earl advertises for someone to help him catalogue his vast collection of music, Maggie -- the final candidate -- is his last hope. What he doesn't know, however, is that this isn't the first time that Maggie has been to Earl House, and it's no coincidence that she applied for the job.
As a child, Maggie and her mother lived near the river that runs past the house. Maggie's memories of that time are patchy, like pieces from a jigsaw puzzle that don't quite fit: she remembers Kenneth's son, William; a boat; a dog; she remembers children singing, and being alone, afraid. She remembers -- afterwards -- returning home, mute, refusing to speak. For her, going back to Earl House as an adult offers the chance to fill in the gaps and finally, perhaps, lay the ghosts of her childhood: for her, as for William, this is her chance to reclaim her past.
Written in clear, ringing prose, The Song House is about language and music, memory and place, about who we are and the narratives we weave about the events of our lives. Beautiful and haunting, its cadences, themes and characters will resonate with the reader long after the final page is finished.
‘An extraordinarily instinctive writer with a delicate feel for language’ Observer
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Review
`Azzopardi has produced a mesmerising, evocative novel, with the river that runs by the house almost a character in its own right. Fragmented memories come to the fore as sounds, smells and sensations all help Maggie to retrieve the past. Azzopardi's book is a mysterious, rich tapestry that rewards scrutiny.'
--Waterstones Books Quarterly
'Very few books stay in your mind for days after you've finished the final page, but this is one of the rare gems that will do just that... Azzopardi is an accomplished writer, beautifully weaving the past into the present until her words literally sing off the page. One to savour and then read again in a year's time.' --Stylist
'Not just a good read, but a little fireworks display of true talent. A Fred and Ginger extravaganza - and an unforgettable dance.' --The Scotsman
'The Song House combines lyricism with a compelling slowburner of a plot. When mousey Maggie takes on the job of cataloguing the music collection of local eccentric Kenneth Early, a menacing connection for the past comes to the fore - and the story builds into an exhilarating climax.' --Good Housekeeping
'Slowly, and in Azzopardi's melodic, lyrical prose the secrets of Maggie's childhood are revealed, full of loss and longing, unfaithful loves and bad choices, plus a villain who adds an extra frisson of danger.' --Marie Claire
'Azzopardi always writes with a satisfying inwardness in terms of point of view... Azzopardi plays her cards so expertly that one submits to her artful narration, and curiosity holds sway.'
--Times Literary Supplement
'It's a classic `something nasty in the woodshed' tale, superbly told. Azzopardi builds a wonderfully Gothic atmosphere around Earl House and its treacherous river, and the strands pull together in a way that is fascinating and constantly surprising.' --The Times
'What delights are its language, depth of feeling, and above all its extraordinary synergy of sensual impressions. Sounds, and ideas. Here is a verbal tapestry as rich and tangled as a thicket of riverweed. The Song House confirms Trezza Azzopardi's status as a writer of exceptional poetic imagination and stylistic prowess.' --Irish Times
'The delicacy and wit with which Azzopardi handles the romantic tension between the heavy drinking, forgetful squire and his damaged, secretive employee more than compensates. A flickeringly brilliant study of memory's power to madden, sadden and deceive.' --Financial Times
'Where this novel excels is in terms of atmosphere and the natural environment is brilliantly evoked.' --The Lady
Book Description
A novel about the lies we tell, the secrets we don't, and the stories that result
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