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Darkness Visible

Introduced by Nicola Barker
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( 1,762 ratings, 145 reviews)
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
In Darkness Visible by William Golding, the story unfolds with an enigmatic character, Matty, who suffers physical and psychological scars from an early trauma. As he navigates a world filled with moral ambiguity, his path intertwines with Sophy, a girl who becomes embroiled in criminal activities. The novel explores themes of good versus evil and the complex nature of human identity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a compelling blend of psychological depth and philosophical exploration. It delves into the complexity of human nature through a dark and thought-provoking narrative, making it an intriguing read for those interested in intense character studies and moral ambiguity.

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The destinies of three mysterious lost children entwine in this James Tait Black Memorial Prize-winning fable by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Nicola Barker.

The destinies of three mysterious lost children entwine in this James Tait Black Memorial Prize-winning fable by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Nicola Barker.

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

A figure had condensed out of the shuddering backdrop of the glare.

He is born in fire: a naked child in the blood-red flames of London's Blitz. Miraculously saved but grotesquely burned, this mysterious orphan is named Matty. Doomed to a life of torment, he becomes a wanderer, a spiritual seeker after unknown redemption.

They are also lost children: neglected twins, as exquisitely beautiful as they are loveless and sinful. Toni explores political terrorism; Sophy, sexual dominance and violent criminality.

But their destinies will soon collide in an apocalyptic climaxβ€”one that illuminates the inner and outer darkness of modern humanity.

'Exceptional ... Irresistibly transcendent ... Golding seduces us, transfixes, bewitches and confounds us.' - Nicola Barker

'The most powerful, and strangest, of all Golding's novels, and one of the great masterpieces of the twentieth-century.' - Philip Hensher

'A master craftsman in [his] magic ... Golding's best book ... Wonderfully creepy.' - London Review of Books

'A vision of elemental reality so vivid we seem to hallucinate the scenes ... Magic.' - NYTBR

'One of the most moving books I've ever read.' - The Times

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?

Darkness Visible by William Golding is often praised for its intricate exploration of good versus evil, with critics highlighting its complex narrative and rich symbolism. The novel's blend of surreal elements and moral questions receives positive remarks for engaging readers in deeper contemplation about human nature. Some reviews note that its dense and challenging prose may deter some readers, while others find it rewarding for its thought-provoking themes.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571365098

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 January 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Nicola Barker

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 112.0mm

Height: 180.0mm

Weight: 215g

Pages: 432

About the Author

William Golding (1911 - 1993) was born in Cornwall and educated at Marlborough Grammar School and Brasenose College, Oxford. Before becoming a writer, he was an actor, small-boat sailor, musician and schoolteacher. In 1940 he joined the Royal Navy and took part in the D-Day operation and liberation of Holland. Lord of the Flies, his first novel, was rejected by several publishers but rescued from the 'reject pile' at Faber and published in 1954. It became a modern classic selling millions of copies, translated into 44 languages and made into a film by Peter Brook in 1963. Golding wrote eleven other novels, a play and two essay collections. He won the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage in 1980 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983. He was knighted in 1988 and died in 1993. www.william-golding.co.uk.

Nicola Barker was born in Ely in 1966 and spent part of her childhood in South Africa. She is the author of twelve prize-winning novels and two short story collections. She has been twice longlisted and once shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, has won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys and the Hawthornden Prizes, and was named one of Granta's 20 Best Young British Writers. H(A)PPY, won the 2017 Goldsmiths Prize and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018; and her most recent novel is I Am Sovereign.

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