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Shroud

Brief Description
Dark secrets and reality unravel in Shroud, the second novel in John Banville's Cleave Trilogy, alongside Eclipse and Ancient Light. Axel Vander, distinguished intellectual and elderly academic, is not the man he seems. When a letter arrives out of the blue, threatening to unveil his secrets—and... Read More
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A chillingly beautiful novel by the author of the Man Booker Prize-winning The Sea, republished in the Picador Collection.

A chillingly beautiful novel by the author of the Man Booker Prize-winning The Sea, republished in the Picador Collection.

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

Dark secrets and reality unravel in Shroud, the second novel in John Banville's Cleave Trilogy, alongside Eclipse and Ancient Light.

Axel Vander, distinguished intellectual and elderly academic, is not the man he seems.

When a letter arrives out of the blue, threatening to unveil his secrets—and carefully concealed identity—Vander travels to Turin to meet its author. There, muddled by age and alcohol, unable always to distinguish fact from fiction, Vander comes face to face with the woman who has the knowledge to unmask him, Cass Cleave. However, her sense of reality is as unreliable as his, and the two are quickly drawn together, their relationship dark, disturbed and doomed to disaster from its very start.

Shroud will not be easily surpassed for its combination of wit, moral complexity and compassion. It is hard to see what more a novel could do' - The Irish Times

Now part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the very best of modern literature.

Series: Picador Collection

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781035076857

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 February 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Picador

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 288g

Pages: 416

About the Author

John Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of many highly acclaimed and prize-winning novels including The Sea, which won the 2005 Booker Prize. He has been awarded the Franz Kafka Prize and a literary award from the Lannan Foundation. He lives in Dublin.

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