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The Alteration

By Kingsley Amis
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in a quasi-medieval, alternative 1976 England dominated by the Age of Faith, The Alteration follows Hubert, a timid ten-year-old chorister at the Cathedral Basilica of St George with an angelic singing voice. In a world where preserving young talent means extreme measures, the novel explores the chilling decision of castration to maintain Hubert's heavenly voice.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3200
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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?

Ideal for readers who enjoy dark satire, speculative historical fiction, and incisive social commentary with a literary flair.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Hubert Anvil is a 10 year old boy blessed with the voice of an angel. The Church hierarchy decrees that Hubert should be turned into a castrato - an alteration that could bring Hubert fame and fortune, but would also cut him off from an adult world he is curious to discover.

A comic masterpiece by one of Britain's best-loved writers.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Of all the choristers at the Cathedral Basilica of St George, he is the angel—the one whose voice could only have been made in heaven. In every other respect, Hubert is utterly ordinary: a nice, rather timid ten-year-old boy.

The year is 1976, but by bold Amisian sleight-of-hand, the England of The Alteration has become a disconcerting, quasi-medieval land in the Age of Faith. And here a wickedly brilliant Swiftian satire takes shape. Its modest proposal? Well, it stands to reason that Hubert’s glorious voice must be preserved at all costs. So castration is clearly the only answer—

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?

Described as a "coruscating tour de force" by The Economist, Kingsley Amis is celebrated alongside comic greats such as P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh by the Guardian. The Tablet highlights the novel's disorientating yet familiar alternate world, praising its sharp, Swiftian satire.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099461081

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 July 2004

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 173g

Pages: 240

Collections

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About the Author

Kingsley Amis was born in south London in 1922 and was educated at the City of London School and St John's College, Oxford. After the publication of Lucky Jim in 1954, Kingsley Amis wrote over twenty novels, including The Alteration, winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, The Old Devils, winner of the Booker Prize in 1986, and The Biographer's Moustache, which was to be his last book. He also wrote on politics, education, language, films, television, restaurants and drink. Kingsley Amis was awarded the CBE in 1981 and received a knighthood in 1990. He died in October 1995.

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