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The Shapeless Unease
A Year of Not Sleeping
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βEasily one of the truest and best books Iβve read about what itβs like to be alive now, in this countryβ Max Porter
Sleep. Then you think about it all the time, and the less you have the more you think about it. For Samantha Harvey, extreme sleep deprivation resulted in a raw clarity about life itself.
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Description
A poignant, urgent memoir about insomnia; the non-fiction debut by one of our finest novelists.
FROM THE AUTHOR OF 2024 BOOKER PRIZE WINNING ORBITAL
'Easily one of the truest and best books I've read about what it's like to be alive now, in this country' β Max Porter
Sleep. Sleep. Like money, you only think about it when you have too little. Then you think about it all the time, and the less you have the more you think about it. It becomes the prism through which you see the world and nothing can exist except in relation to it.
Samantha Harvey's insomnia arrived, seemingly, from nowhere; for a year she has spent her nights chasing sleep that rarely comes. She's tried everything to appease it. Nothing is helping.
What happens when one of the basic human needs goes unmet? For Samantha Harvey, extreme sleep deprivation resulted in a raw clarity about life itself. Original and profound, The Shapeless Unease is a startlingly insightful exploration of memory, writing and influence, death and grief, and the will to survive.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Samantha Harvey's The Shapeless Unease is described as a remarkable, hypnotic journey through themes like grief, memory, and survival. Reviewers highlight its mesmerising and poetic prose, likening it to a fable that is both soothing and bracing. The book is praised for its dazzling precision, offering readers a unique perspective and a sense of time slowing down. Harvey's exploration of sleeplessness and the human mind is seen as both intricate and emotional, capturing the essence of writing with clarity.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529112092
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 January 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vintage
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 12.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 199.0mm
Weight: 141g
Pages: 192
Collections
About the Author
Samantha Harvey is the author of the novels Orbital, The Wilderness, All is Song, Dear Thief and The Western Wind and a work of non-fiction, The Shapeless Unease- A Year of Not Sleeping. Orbital was the winner of the Booker Prize 2024, and her other work has been shortlisted for the James Tait Black Award, the Women's Prize, the Guardian First Book Award and the Walter Scott Prize. The Wilderness was awarded the Betty Trask Prize. She is a tutor on the MA course in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.
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Booker PrizeOrbital
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Orbital
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