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The Giant Dark

an award-winning novel about love and fame
By Sarvat Hasin
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.54 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 1,628 ratings, 281 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
The Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin explores the tumultuous world of Ada, a renowned rock star who retreats from the spotlight to rediscover herself. As she delves into her past, she grapples with the complexities of fame and identity, forming a poignant exploration of love and self-destruction. Amidst her reflections and relationships, the narrative delves deep into the human need for connection and the struggle between public life and personal truth.
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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?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy stories that explore the intense realms of love, obsession, and identity. It delves into the life of a reclusive musician who grapples with fame and the emotional complexities entwined with her past. Its lyrical prose provides a rich, immersive experience for readers who appreciate character-driven narratives.

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The inaugural winner of the Mo Siewcharran Prize

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

"Heartbreaking, beautiful, epic. I loved it"

KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE

Author of The Mercies

"A beautiful and imaginative reinterpretation that had me spellbound"

JENNIFER SAINT

Author of Ariadne

"Blindingly brilliant . . . I cannot wait to read everything she writes"

DAISY JOHNSON

Author of Everything Under and Sisters

She was never meant to be an ordinary woman, reading out her history as if it belonged to us. She was more than that. She was the way of learning the world.

It was the last time most of us would see her but we didn't know that then.

Aida is the defining rock star of her age; her every move observed, examined and owned by a devoted, cultish fanbase. When she disappears without a trace into a complicated love affair, they are determined to find her, uncover her truths, and own her once more.

Aida and Ehsan reconnect after a decade apart, hoping to recapture the innocent, lost love of their youth. Before long, their connection is strained by secrets and jealousies, and the past begins to blur with their present as they follow in the footsteps of mythic lovers before them.

The Giant Dark is an award-winning debut novel about love and fame. Inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, it explores the consuming and devastating effects of using a lover as a muse.

"Rich and immersive . . . A book to lose yourself in"

JULIA ARMFIELD

Author of Salt Slow

"A brilliant, intoxicating reimagining. A heady brew of art, love and its cataclysmic impact"

IRENOSEN OKOJIE

Author of Nudibranch

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?

Sarvat Hasin's The Giant Dark is celebrated for its rich and immersive narrative, reimagining the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice through a modern lens. Reviewers praise its exploration of love, trauma, and the mythologising effects of fame, with Hasin's precise prose delivering a captivating, lyrical, and often poignant experience. Critics highlight its masterful handling of the tensions between personal identity and public persona, framing it as an elegant and visceral tale of passion and tragedy.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349701738

Publisher: John Murray Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Dialogue Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Priscilla Layne

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 292g

Pages: 368

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Sarvat Hasin

About the Author

Sarvat Hasin is from Pakistan. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford. Her first novel, This Wide Night, was published by Penguin India and longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Her second book You Can't Go Home Again was published in 2018 and featured in Vogue India's and The Hindu's best of the year lists. She won the Moth Writer's Retreat Bursary in 2018 and in 2019, Mo Siewcharran Prize for The Giant Dark which came out in 2021. Her essays and poetry have appeared in publications such as Outsiders, The Mays Anthology, English PEN, and Harper's Bazaar. She lives in London and works at the Almeida Theatre.

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