Robert Stallman (1) (1930–1980)

Paul Kingsnorth's new novel is a short account of a man's retreat from modern society. Edward Buckmaster, presumably a descendant of Buccmaster from The Wake, leaves his wife and child behind and heads to a derelict cottage in the moors to live as a hermit.

Buckmaster has a terrible accident and, unable to seek help, ends up in a primal survival state. While he is out one day, from the corner of his eye he sees a mysterious beast. What can it be? He begins to obsess about the beast and tries to conquer his pain and track it down.

The language in this book is compelling. The description of Buckmaster dealing with the aftermath of his accident is excruciating; you feel his pain viscerally. In the latter part of the book, Kingsnorth changes his punctuation and the metre of his prose to effectively convey Buckmaster's slide into delirium. It's well done, and this novella is a worthy successor to The Wake.… (more)