O Caledonia

Name: O Caledonia
Brand: Hachette New Zealand Ltd
SKU: 9781474620512
Price: 26.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

The beloved classic, for fans of I CAPTURE THE CASTLE and Shirley Jackson, with an introduction by Maggie O’Farrell

By Elspeth Barker

Series: W&N Essentials

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.94

( 9,212 ratings, 1,586 reviews)

Summary

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker is a darkly atmospheric novel set in a remote Scottish castle. It follows the story of Janet, a misunderstood and imaginative young girl who finds solace in the natural world and literature. As she navigates the challenges of family and identity, the narrative weaves together a poignant tale of isolation and the complexities of growing up.
Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$26⁰⁰

Elsewhere:

~~$27⁹⁹~~

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

O Caledonia

$26⁰⁰

Elsewhere:

~~$27⁹⁹~~

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by gothic coming-of-age tales set in a vividly described Scottish landscape. With its brilliant blend of dark humour and lyrical prose, the story offers an exploration of a misfit's experiences amidst family dysfunction and societal expectations, creating a richly atmospheric and compelling read.

'A surreal, hilarious and dark story of a troubled adolescence deep in the wilds of Scotland' Maggie O'Farrell, Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020

Description

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM MAGGIE O'FARRELL Vera was painting the pony's hooves gold in the dining room; Janet said this was bad for him; poison would seep into his bloodstream. At the bottom of a great stone staircase, dressed in her mother's black lace evening dress, twisted in murderous death, lies Janet. So end the sixteen years of Janet's short life. A life spent in a draughty Scottish castle, where roses will not grow, and a jackdaw decides to live in the doll's house. A life peopled by prettier, smoother-haired siblings, a Nanny with a face like the North Sea, and the peculiar, whisky-swigging Cousin Lila. A life where Janet is perpetually misunderstood - and must turn from people, to animals, to books, to her own wild and wonderful imagination. O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker is an evocative tale that captures the essence of a young girl's complex world.

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?

Elspeth Barker’s O Caledonia is celebrated for its unique blend of humour, wit, and dark surrealism, focusing on themes of adolescence, class, and literary traditions. The novel’s originality and Barker’s vivid depiction of the Scottish landscape and characters have earned it acclaim for its richness and literary intensity. Despite its brilliance, it's considered one of the lesser-known gems of the 20th century’s Scottish literature.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781474620512

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Contributors:

Introduction by Maggie O'Farrell
Introduction by Maggie O'Farrell

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 204g

Pages: 224

Collections

Classic Fiction Elspeth Barker Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Series: W&N Essentials

About the Author

Elspeth Barker (1940-2022) was a novelist and journalist. She was born in 1940 in Edinburgh. Her first husband was the poet George Barker. Her novel O Caledonia won four awards and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize. She wrote for the Independent on Sunday, Guardian, Sunday Times, Observer, LRB, TLS, Scotland on Sunday, Vogue, The Literary Review and many more.

Also by Elspeth Barker

View all

Notes from the Henhouse

'This book is heaven. Elspeth Barker writes like no one else' OLIVIA LAING 'Deserves to be permanently on the bedside table - to cheer, reassure and inspire' OBSERVER 'Gothic, poetic and exuberantly funny. What a pleasure it was to read' ESTHER FREUD 'Joyous, startling, funny, lush, dark and complex' THE TIMES In Notes from the Henhouse, you will find: A...

By Elspeth Barker

Hardback

Sold Out

More from General Fiction

View all

The Wedding People

'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...

By Alison Espach

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

(3)

In Stock
Ships today
Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)

Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...

By Sarah J. Maas

Set

$124⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$155⁰⁰~~

(6)

In Stock
Ships today
The Score

Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession... Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Score now for the perfect friends with benefits romance! He knows how to score, on and off the ice... Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn't have...

By Elle Kennedy

Paperback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
Dylan's Pick

Theo of Golden

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...

By Allen Levi

Paperback

$28⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$34⁹⁹~~

(5)

In Stock
Ships today
The Goal

Welcome to Briar U!Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy!Read The Goal now for the perfect forced proximity romance! She's good at achieving her goals . . . College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick...

By Elle Kennedy

Paperback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
The Mistake

Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Mistake now for the perfect second chance romance! He's a player in more ways than one . . . College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants....

By Elle Kennedy

Paperback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

On Mystic Lake

One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...

By Kristin Hannah

Paperback

$31⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$38⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships today
Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...

By Andy Weir

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁰⁰~~

(4)

In Stock
Ships today
The Legacy

Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from the Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Legacy now for the much-anticipated answer to the question: Where are they now? Four stories. Four couples. Three years of real life after graduation . . . A wedding....

By Elle Kennedy

Paperback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Lizzy's Pick

Yesteryear

A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...

By Caro Claire Burke

Paperback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$36⁹⁹~~

(2)

In Stock
Ships today
New Release

Land

Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, the new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great...

By Maggie O'Farrell

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today
Signed Bookplate
New Release

Light Wielder

THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO METAL SLINGER, AKA THE BOOK WITH THE PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Sail the seas. Master the blade. Protect your heart. What would you do to have it all? READERS ARE GOING WILD FOR *METAL SLINGER* ‘The BEST plot twist to ever grace my Kindle’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...

By Rachel Schneider

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.