The Ecliptic
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Shortlisted for the Sunday Times PFD Young Writer of the Year Award and the Encore Prize
'Stunning... Wood has created one of the most moving and human characters in recent fiction' Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven
The mesmerising new novel from the acclaimed author of The Bellwether Revivals: a rich and immersive story of love, obsession, creativity and disintegration.
On a forested island off the coast of Istanbul stands Portmantle, a refuge for beleaguered artists. There, a curious assembly of painters, architects, writers and musicians strive to restore their faded talents. Elspeth 'Knell' Conroy is a celebrated painter who has fled the dizzying art scene of 1960s London; on the island, she spends her nights wrestling with her elusive masterpiece. Then a disaffected teenager named Fullerton arrives at the refuge and disrupts its routines. He is plagued by nightmares that steer him into danger, and Knell is left to pick apart the chilling mystery: where did the boy come from, what is 'The Ecliptic', and how does it relate to their abandoned lives in England?
Praise for The Ecliptic:
'A novelist to watch' The Times
'A resounding achievement . . . Rich, beautiful and written by an author of great depth and resource' Edward Docx, Guardian
'Full of suspense and beautifully written, superbly imagined and constructed . . . A terrifically gripping and playful book' Sunday Times
'Exhilarating, earthy, cerebral, frank and unflinching . . . A masterfully paced and suspenseful read' Independent
'A rich, intricate and layered work' Observer
'Haunts the imagination long after the final page' Independent on Sunday
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wood (The Bellwether Revivals) offers an intimate portrait of an artist in his second novel, illuminated by reflections on creativity and the creative process. The first of four parts begins on an island off the coast of Istanbul. Narrator Knell and three companions welcome a strange teenage boy to Portmantle, the island's sanctuary for gifted individuals seeking lost inspiration. Knell's companions include a playwright, an architect, and Quickman, the famed author of an iconic novel. They all use pseudonyms, but the teenager recognizes Knell as Scottish painter Elspeth Conroy. Knell/Elspeth recalls her early years, prompted by the boy's troubled manner. The second section flashes back to Knell/Elspeth's rise from painter's assistant to toast of the 1960s London's art scene, a career complicated by prescription drugs, conflict with her inner critic, and a disastrous encounter with an actual critic who writes a scathing review. Seeking solace from a friendly psychiatrist, in a secluded Scottish cottage, and finally at Portmantle, Knell/Elspeth struggles to capture on canvas the ecliptic: an imaginary line delineating the sun's arc across the sky, a scientific construct invented to capture a complex truth. In the third section, she attempts a daring escape from the island, painting in tow. The last section, "Clarity," separates construct from complexity, surprising both artist and reader. With its architectural structure, dramatic pacing, enthralling plot, and lush landscapes, Wood's novel features beautifully written, meticulously perceived observations about art and artists. It may not be note perfect, as Quickman's novel is described, but like Quickman's, it is unusual and disquieting.
