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The White Hotel

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 1981
By D M Thomas
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3.85 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 5,097 ratings, 469 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 White Hotel by D M Thomas is a haunting and intricate novel that blends psychoanalytical insight with historical events. The story unfolds through the perspective of a fictional opera singer who undergoes therapy with Sigmund Freud, intertwining her dreams, fantasies, and traumatic experiences. As it transitions from a dreamlike narrative to grim historical realities, the novel explores the profound impact of the Holocaust.
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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 complex narratives that intertwine historical events with vivid psychological exploration. It offers an intriguing blend of fiction and reality, examining themes of trauma, fantasy, and truth, all woven together with lyrical, provocative prose. This gripping tale is perfect for those who are drawn to stories that challenge the mind and stir the emotions.

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The worldwide bestselling, Booker shortlisted modern classic

The White Hotel is now recognised as a modern classic Shortlisted for the Booker Prize A world-wide bestseller since first publication in 1981 now reissueed with stunning new cover 'A novel of blazing imaginative and intellectual force' Salman Rushdie 'A remarkable and original novel...there is no novel to my knowledge which resembles this in technique or ideas. It stands alone' Graham Greene 'Astonishing...A forthright sensuality mixed with a fine historical feeling for the nightmare moments in modern history, a dreamlike fluidity and quickness' John Updike

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

It is a dream of electrifying eroticism and inexplicable violence, recounted by a young woman to her analyst, Sigmund Freud.

It is a horrifying yet restrained narrative of the Holocaust. It is a searing vision of the wounds of our century, and an attempt to heal them.

Interweaving poetry and case history, fantasy and historical truth-telling, The White Hotel is a modern classic of enduring emotional power that attempts nothing less than to reconcile the notion of individual destiny with that of historical fate.

'I quickly came to feel that I had found that book, that mythical book, that would explain us to ourselves' Leslie Epstein, New York 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?

The White Hotel by D M Thomas has received admiration for its imaginative force and poetic impact, capturing both sensuality and historical depth. Critics have praised its originality and powerful narrative, noting its ability to linger in the reader's mind. It stands out for its unique technique and has been described as both heart-stunning and brilliantly troubling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780753809259

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 June 2004

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 134.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 213g

Pages: 240

Collections

D M Thomas Education & Reference Fiction General Fiction History & Archaeology History & Military Literary Fiction Military History

About the Author

DM Thomas was born in Cornwall in 1935. After reading English at New College, Oxford, he became a teacher until he became a full-time writer. His novels include The Flute-Player, Ararat, Swallow, Sphinx, Summit, Flying into Love and Eating Pavlova. He has also published memoirs, several volumes of poetry and translations of Pushkin and Anna Akhmatova. He now lives in Cornwall.

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