Claim Now The Listeners Articulated By Edward Parnell Made Available In Readable Copy

Ghosts haunt the woods and fields of Norfolk, as Europe descends into fullblown warfare, William Abrehart, a strange, natureloving boy who hasn't spoken since the mysterious death of his father, struggles to keep the promise he made to look after his withdrawn mother and older sisters.
Rachel, the eldest, is waiting for news from France of her soldier sweetheart, while Kate has designs on an airman stationed nearby.
Over the course of a momentous weekend, a complex family web of lies and selfdeception will unravel, as the past and present dramatically collide.
Drawing on the Gothic traditions of Walter de la Mare's poem of the same name, Edward Parnell's 'The Listeners' is a dark, elegiac tale about grief, love and loss, and how we try to make sense of existence through stories and memories.
The most compelling aspect of this book is the atmosphere, The natural world, described in intimate detail, and old fashioned rural life imbues every scene, but not in the chocolatebox idyll people imagine the countryside.
It is raw, brutal as well as beautiful, and this is reflected in the story itself,
The story is set in the shadow of two world wars, and follows the tragedies and hopes of one family who are all trapped in their own way in their past and in their

present.

It is a beautifully told story, and I look forward to seeing what the author will write next.

A book that is such a pleasure to read, from the fine writing skill of the author to the story itself.
I hesitated briefly over the multiplicity of narrators: it can be a difficult thing to pull off, but he has.
They take us on a path of discovery, an exploration of the complexities following the loss of a father and husband, and the truths hidden.
An atmospheric book in time and place, with descriptions of the outdoors, the land, the seasons, animal life, that are rich and evocative.
But it is the handling of human interaction, loss and the consequences, these truths being slowly revealed, that make this the strong, memorable, original and enriching novel it is.
A beautifully written exploration.
If you appreciate an author who takes time over the little things, this book is for you, An emotive and dark read, captivating right from the start, I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of this book and the clever twists throughout, The more I read, the darker and more pulling it became, Highly recommended. The first book I read and reviewed this year was Edward Parnells excellent Ghostland, a story of personal grief coupled with a hauntological survey of British literature, art and landscape.
At the other end of the year I found myself reading his first novel, The Listeners, Inspired by the mysterious classic poem by Walter de la Mare, and infused with the same eeriness and sense of loss, its like a Southern Gothic story transplanted tos Norfolk.
As a first novel its an impressive achievement beautifully written, with a strong sense of place and of a now largelyvanished natural world much of which was familiar from my own Norfolk childhood in the sixties and seventies, and with a very effective device of multiple narrators/viewpoints.
Its an intense and highly strung tragedy of family secrets and silence, well worth looking out, Beautifully written and a worthy second read after Ghostland, Cant wait for more by this author, Edward Parnell is the author of the narrative non fiction Ghostland William Collins, shortlisted for thePEN Ackerley Prize for memoir.
He lives near Norwich in the UK and has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia.
He has been the recipient of an Escalator Award from the National Centre for Writing and a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.
The Listenerswas his first novel, and was the winner of the Rethink New Novels Prize, Edward Parnell is the author of the narrative non fiction 'Ghostland' William Collins, shortlisted for thePEN Ackerley Prize for memoir.
He lives near Norwich in the UK and has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia.
He has been the recipient of an Escalator Award from the National Centre for Writing and a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.
'The Listeners'was his first novel, and was the winner of the Rethink New Novels Prize, sitelink.