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The Ecliptic

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The Ecliptic

By: Benjamin Wood
Narrated by: Jane Macfarlane
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About this listen

 The mesmerising secondnovel 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?

 Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Fiction England Suspense Mystery

Critic reviews

‘A flawless meditation on creativity and the psychic toll it takes. Not only is it beautifully written, but there's a bloody good twister of a plot that rewards you well beyond the final page’ (Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist)
‘Stunning … Wood has created one of the most moving and human characters in recent fiction’ (Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven)
‘A curious, bewitching and beguiling book that manages to be both profoundly moving and as gripping and unputdownable as a thriller. Outstanding’ (SJ Watson, author of Before I Go to Sleep)
‘An intelligent examination of creativity, psychology, and a riveting mystery … this ambitious novel will haunt the imagination long after the final page’
‘A resounding achievement … Absorbing, rich, beautiful’
‘Exhilarating. A masterfully paced and suspenseful read’
‘Wood has lost none of his ability to combine suspense with striking images. His fiction is playfully experimental, but never loses sight of its primary purpose: to entertain’
All stars
Most relevant
the beginning off putting but because it's audio you keep going and then you start to see the point. writing beautiful at times and pace picks up from halfway through speeding towards the end

slow to start but stick with it becomes excellent

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the first three quarters had me hooked, the last bit......meh. would recommend though. probably a holiday listen

meh but yeah

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