Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon - Wait list

The Pier Falls

by Mark Haddon
Clare Corbett
Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
Place a hold Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

'He writes with the craft of Julian Barnes or, even, Truman Capote.' The Times
A Spectator Book of the Year
An expedition to Mars goes terribly wrong.
A seaside pier collapses.
A thirty-stone man is confined to his living room.
One woman is abandoned on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean.
Another woman is saved from drowning.
Two boys discover a gun in a shoebox.
A group of explorers find a cave of unimaginable size deep in the Amazon jungle.
A man shoots a stranger in the chest on Christmas Eve.
In this first collection of stories by the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon demonstrates two things: first that he is a master of the short form (several of the stories have been longlisted for prizes), second that his imagination is even darker than we had thought.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 5, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781473524675
      • File size: 262649 KB
      • Duration: 09:07:11

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Haddon, whose celebrated novel THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME became an instant classic, presents a short story collection united by themes of empathy and fearless honesty. Claire Corbett's performances are precise and bright; they feature careful pacing and enthusiasm that invites the listener into each story. Daniel Weyman's performances have a brisk, wry delivery; his tone serves to make the stories he animates even more lively. The nine stories vary widely in subject matter and impact. Listeners can expect each title to create a completely new experience as it presents yet another harrowing human trial. A few stories fall short, but this collection will make listeners willing to take each journey nonetheless. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 7, 2016
      Haddon’s (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) collection of nine short stories is a mélange of acutely observed domestic dramas and bizarre tales of life in outer space, ancient Greece, and a trip to a remote corner of the globe to retrieve a lost explorer. Highlights include “Bunny,” which recounts the story of a 27-year-old man who weighs 518 lbs. due to his addiction to junk food; “Breathe,” the story of a woman who returns to England from her expatriate life in California to face the relics of her desiccated family; and “Wodwo,” which combines family holiday-time melodrama with the appearance of a strange man who may be a character straight out of British folklore. “The Island,” about a princess who finds herself left on an island, and the titular “The Pier Falls,” which calmly recounts a seaside disaster, are quietly unrelenting in their descriptions of horror. Subtle strands often serve to connect the stories to one another, whether it’s a problematic mother or the smell of ammonia on someone’s dying breath. Though each story is beautifully written, Haddon is at his best when capturing the peculiarly dark, British mirth that accompanies disaster. Agent: Clare Alexander, Aitken Alexander Associates.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading