The Loney
'Full of unnerving terror . . . amazing' Stephen King
-
-
4.0 • 9 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
PRE-ORDER SALTWASH NOW: THE DISTURBING NEW NOVEL FROM ANDREW MICHAEL HURLEY
'The Loney is not just good, it's great. It's an amazing piece of fiction' Stephen King
Easter 1976. Two teenage brothers, one mute, the other his lifelong protector, set off on a retreat with their parents and others from their church to a Catholic shrine on a wild, ever-changing stretch of Lancashire coastline known as the Loney. Led by new incumbent Father Bernard, the pilgrims dutifully observe the traditions leading up to the Resurrection, but the boys learn that there is a much older, darker power to be found in the landscape itself, one which is being tapped by strange rituals on the tidal island of Coldbarrow.
Many years later, a child's body is discovered, and the two brothers are forced to confront the horrors of the past. The Loney always gives up its secrets, in the end.
WINNER OF THE 2015 COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD
THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016
'This is a novel of the unsaid, the implied, the barely grasped or understood, crammed with dark holes and blurry spaces that your imagination feels compelled to fill' Observer
'A masterful excursion into terror' The Sunday Times
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A palpable pall of menace hangs over British author Hurley's thrilling first novel, narrated by a London boy, "Tonto" Smith, whose affectionate nickname was bestowed by a parish priest who likened himself to the Lone Ranger. Tonto and his family undertake an Easter pilgrimage to the Moorings, a house overlooking a treacherous swath of tide-swept Cumbrian coast known as the Loney. Smith's devoutly Catholic mother hopes that taking the waters at the nearby shrine will cure his older brother, Hanny, of his lifelong muteness. But the Cumbrian landscape seems anything but godly: nature frequently manifests in its harshest state and the secretive locals seem beholden to primitive rites and traditions that mock the religious piety of the visitors. Adding to the mystery is Coldbarrow, a spit of land turned twice daily by the tides into an island, where a man, a woman, and a pregnant teenage girl have taken refuge in a gloomy house named Thessaly. Hurley (Cages and Other Stories) tantalizes the reader by keeping explanations for what is happening just out of reach, and depicting a natural world beyond understanding. His sensitive portrayal of Tonto and Hanny's relationship and his insights into religious belief and faith give this eerie tale depth and gravity.
Customer Reviews
Pretty good.
A great and glorious sketch. Haunting. I'm not sure it's as good as The Guardian thinks it is; it might be: only time and a long stewing in memory will tell.
Haunting
I recently read this book during a bad bout of flu. It was also a wet and miserable couple of days, which seemed appropriate for the setting of the story.
The Loney is the name of a coastal area on the English coast. It is a cold, damp and desolate place. The weather changes constantly. Tides are ever changing and the landscape is bleak.
This is a story about faith, hope and belief in others. It looks at community and the power of faith. Are faith and outcomes related? Are other forces responsible for outcomes which we attribute to something else? The Loney is a haunting book. It has been described as a classic horror story, with Gothic touches. The tension builds in the narrative, enhanced by the description of the natural surroundings and desolate landscape.
I have thought about this story a lot since finishing it. It is a haunting read and a book that raises many questions. The characters are well developed, especially the main character and the Priest who accompanies the group on their pilgrimage. Haunting.