Books with title Pincher Martin

With an introduction by Philippa GregoryDrowning in the freezing North Atlantic, Christopher Hadley Martin, temporary lieutenant, happens upon a grotesque rock, an island that appears only on weather charts. To drink there is a pool of rain water; to eat there are weeds and sea anemones. Through the long hours with only himself to talk to, Martin must try to assemble the truth of his fate, piece by terrible piece.From the author of Lord of the Flies, Pincher Martin is a terrifying and unforgettable journey into one man's mind. 'The utmost inventiveness, assurance and power ... Nor reader will soon forget the world it reveals.' Kingsley Amis'Like a cold sweat, a day-mare, or going under gas... Prose more tightly packed, more jaggedly concrete, I can't imagine; and the shock ending ... is technical wizardry of the first order.' Kenneth Tynan, Observer 'Remarkably sustained imaginative intensity.' TLS

From the author of Lord of the Flies comes this offering that is not just another story about a castaway. William Golding weaves the story of Pincher Martin with such skill and fluidity that will make you wonder if you are reading about the despair of a castaway or the terror of a drowning man. Book is in fine condition with minor edgewear and creasing on the spine.

Christopher Martin, the sole survivor of a torpedoed destroyer, is stranded upon a rock in the middle of the Atlantic. Pitted against him are the sea, the sun, the night cold and the terror of his isolation. To drink there is a pool of rain water; to eat there are weeds and sea anemones. Through the long hours with only himself to talk to, Martin must try to assemble the truth of his fate, piece by terrible piece.While most readers are aware of William Golding as the writer of Lord of the Flies, it is Pincher Martin, his third novel, that speaks most directly to contemporary readers. This shocking, unusual bullet of a book is the definitive survival novel and has an ending that is guaranteed to leave you reeling.

Excerpt:This story was written in rather difficult circumstances, and subject to frequent interruption. Indeed, when the first chapters appeared in Chambers's Journal early in 1916 the narrative was barely half-finished. Sometimes I almost despaired of ever completing it, for it can perhaps be understood that writing on board a small ship actually at sea in time of war is impossible for more reasons than one. The reader is cautioned against accepting the story as an official account of the part played by a certain section of the Navy during the war. Incidents described are true; but, for reasons which must be obvious, it has been necessary to give them fictitious colouring. It also seems desirable to add that all my characters are fictitious, and that each chapter was submitted to the censors at the Press Bureau before publication. It should be added that a considerable amount of matter is contained in this volume which did not appear in Chambers's Journal when the story appeared in serial form. More than ever am I deeply sensible of the very real debt which I owe to my wife, both for her help in revising and correcting the proofs, and for her many suggestions for improvements.